Air plasma for medical applications
Author(s)
Spencer P. Kuo*
Affiliation(s)
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, USA.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, USA.
ABSTRACT
The design and the electric and emission characteristics of two handheld air plasma spray generators are presented. The plasma is generated by 60 Hz periodic discharges between two concentrically cylindrical electrodes. A ring magnet is used to rotate arc discharges, which sprays outward by an air flow. The rotation of arc discharges keeps the generated plasma in non-equilibrium state and at relatively low temperature (<55°C). The plasma effluent yet contains high energy electrons which dissociate molecular oxygen into atomic oxygen. The emission spectroscopy of the plasma plume reveals that the plasma effluent, which carries abundant atomic oxygen, extends from the cap of the plasma spray by about 25 to 30 mm. Tests on blood droplets and smeared blood samples revealed the effectiveness and mechanism of low temperature air plasma on clotting blood. Tests on oral pathogens show that air plasma creates a zone of microbial growth inhibition in each of six treated samples, including those of grampositive bacteria and fungi, and on a cultivating biofilm sample of Streptococcus mutans UA159. The medical applications of the air plasma sprays for 1) bleeding control, 2) wound healing, and 3) dental disinfection, are then illustrated and discussed. As animal models, pigs were used in the tests of stopping wound bleeding and post-operative observation of wound healing by this air plasma spray. The results show that the bleeding from a cut to an ear artery is stopped swiftly; this air plasma spray also shortens wound healing time to about half (from 14 days to 8 days) after stopping the bleeding of a cross cut wound in the ham area. In-vitro tests demonstrate that the plasma effluent of the spray can prevent the formation of dental biofilms and further eliminate the mature biofilms.
The design and the electric and emission characteristics of two handheld air plasma spray generators are presented. The plasma is generated by 60 Hz periodic discharges between two concentrically cylindrical electrodes. A ring magnet is used to rotate arc discharges, which sprays outward by an air flow. The rotation of arc discharges keeps the generated plasma in non-equilibrium state and at relatively low temperature (<55°C). The plasma effluent yet contains high energy electrons which dissociate molecular oxygen into atomic oxygen. The emission spectroscopy of the plasma plume reveals that the plasma effluent, which carries abundant atomic oxygen, extends from the cap of the plasma spray by about 25 to 30 mm. Tests on blood droplets and smeared blood samples revealed the effectiveness and mechanism of low temperature air plasma on clotting blood. Tests on oral pathogens show that air plasma creates a zone of microbial growth inhibition in each of six treated samples, including those of grampositive bacteria and fungi, and on a cultivating biofilm sample of Streptococcus mutans UA159. The medical applications of the air plasma sprays for 1) bleeding control, 2) wound healing, and 3) dental disinfection, are then illustrated and discussed. As animal models, pigs were used in the tests of stopping wound bleeding and post-operative observation of wound healing by this air plasma spray. The results show that the bleeding from a cut to an ear artery is stopped swiftly; this air plasma spray also shortens wound healing time to about half (from 14 days to 8 days) after stopping the bleeding of a cross cut wound in the ham area. In-vitro tests demonstrate that the plasma effluent of the spray can prevent the formation of dental biofilms and further eliminate the mature biofilms.
Cite this paper
Kuo, S. (2012) Air plasma for medical applications. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 5, 481-495. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2012.59061.
Kuo, S. (2012) Air plasma for medical applications. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 5, 481-495. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2012.59061.
References
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[1] Laroussi, M. (1996) Sterilization of contaminated matter with an atmosphere pressure plasma. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 24, 1188-1191. doi:10.1109/27.533129 [2] Herrmann, H.W., Henins, I., Park, J. and Selwyn, G.S. (1999) Decontamination of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). Physics of Plasmas, 6, 2284-2289. doi:10.1063/1.873480 [3] Lai, W., Lai, H., Kuo, S. P., Tarasenko, O. and Levon, K. (2005) Decontamination of biological warfare agents by a microwave plasma torch. Physics of Plasmas, 12, 023501- 023506. doi:10.1063/1.1843131 [4] Baxter, H.C., Campbell, G.A., Whittaker, A.G., Aitken, A., Simpson, A.H., Casey, M., Jones, A.C., Bountiff, L., Gibbard, L. and Baxter, R.L. (2005) Elimination of TSE infectivity and decontamination of surgical instruments using RF gas-plasma treatment. Journal of General Virology, 86, 2393-2399. doi:10.1099/vir.0.81016-0 [5] Tarasenko, O., Nourkbash, S., Kuo, S.P., Bakhtina, A., Alusta, P., Kudasheva, D., Cowman, M. and Levon, K. (2006) Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy to study plasma torch effects on B. cereus spores. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 34, 1281-1289. doi:10.1109/TPS.2006.878378 [6] Kuo, S.P., Tarasenko, O., Nourkbash, S., Bakhtina, A. and Levon, K. (2006) Plasma effects on bacterial spores in a wet environment. New Journal of Physics, 8, 41 (1- 11). [7] Kalghatgi, S.U., Fridman, G., Cooper, M., Nagaraj, G., Peddinghaus, M., Balasubramanian, M., Vasilets, V.N., Gutsol, A.F., Fridman, A. and Friedman, G. (2007) Mechanism of blood coagulation by nonthermal atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 35, 1559-1566. doi:10.1109/TPS.2007.905953 [8] Kuo, S.P., Tarasenko, O., Popovic, S. and Levon, K. (2006) Killing of bacterial spores contained in a paper envelope by a microwave plasma torch. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 34, 1275-1280. [9] Kuo, S.P. (2006) Portable Arcseeded Microwave Plasma Torch. US Patent No. 7091441 B1. [10] Kuo, S.P., Popovic, S., Tarasenko, O., Rubinraut, M. and Raskovic, M. (2007) Fanshaped microwave plasma for mail decontamination. Plasma Sources Science & Technology, 16, 581-586. [11] Kuo, S.P. (2007) Mail Decontaminator. China Patent No. I 288005. [12] Kuo, S., Tarasenko, O., Chang, J., Popovic, S., Chen, C., Fan, H., Scott, A., Lahiani, M., Alusta, P., Drake, J. and Nikolic, M. (2009) Contribution of a portable air plasma torch to rapid blood coagulation as a method of preventing bleeding. New Journal of Physics, 11, 115016 (1-17). [13] Ambrosio, G., Oriente, A., Napoli, C., Palumbo, G., Chiariello, P., Marone, G., Condorelli, M., Chiariello, M. and Triggiani, M. (1994) Oxygen radicals inhibit human plasma acetylhydrolase, the enzyme that catabolizes platelet-activating factor. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 93. 2408-2416. doi:10.1172/JCI117248 [14] Kalghatgi, S.U., Fridman, G., Cooper, M., Nagaraj, G., Peddinghaus, M., Balasubramanian, M., Vasilets, V.N., Gutsol, A.F., Fridman, A. and Friedman, G. (2007) Mechanism of blood coagulation by nonthermal atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 35, 1559-1566. doi:10.1109/TPS.2007.905953 [15] Fridman, G., Peddinghaus, M., Ayan, H., Fridman, A., Balasubramanian, M., Gutsol, A., Brooks, A.D. and Friedman, G. (2006) Blood coagulation and living tissue sterilization by floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge in air. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 26, 425-442. doi:10.1007/s11090-006-9024-4 [16] Chen, C.Y., Fan, H.W., Kuo, S.P., Chang, J., Pedersen, T., Mills, T. and Huang, C.C. (2009) Blood clotting by low temperature air plasma. 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