Our project focuses on the use of cold plasma technology for the treatment of polymers used in medicine, and to improve their disinfection. Typically, depending on the conditions, cold plasma treatments can either enhance the biocompatibility of materials or make them bio-incompatible (such as creating antibacterial surfaces), both of which have broad applications in medicine.
Owing to the ionization, excitation, dissociation, and further chemical reactions occurring in cold plasmas at relatively low gas temperatures, plasma can efficiently kill bacteria, yeasts, molds, and other hazardous microbes, even spores and biofilms that are generally very difficult to inactivate. This makes cold plasma exceptionally suitable for bio-decontamination: disinfection and sterilization of surfaces, medical instruments, water, air, food, and even living tissues.
One of the key components of this project is plasma-activated water (PAW), a type of water treated with plasma that contains reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). PAW has demonstrated potential benefits for cleaning and disinfection, thanks to its biocidal properties. Reactive species produced when plasma interacts with air, are particularly effective in this regard.
Compared to traditional sterilization methods, such as heat treatment or UV irradiation, cold plasma offers faster and more efficient disinfection without damaging heat-sensitive materials like catheters and endoscopes. These materials, especially flexible polymer tubes, are vital in medical devices.
Despite the rapid development of cold plasma applications, many aspects of processes are far from being completely understood, particularly the physical and chemical interaction of plasmas with solids and liquids simultaneously. To optimize these plasma processes, it's crucial to study the behavior of reactive species and understand how these species interact with materials. By doing so, we can tailor plasma processes to specific applications and further explore plasma-induced reactivity.
The unique plasma discharge developed by our team needs further detailed studies for plasma medicine and plasma material processing applications. It is a new type of Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) generating gas plasma at the interface with conductive liquids serving as electrodes. This discharge system can be used to treat hollow objects like polymer tubes commonly used in medical devices. This plasma discharge requires further research to explore its full potential in plasma medicine and material processing.
The essential aims of this project are to investigate how cold plasma interacts with water and aqueous solutions to create plasma-activated water. We will also study a new method of cold plasma treatment for medical disinfection, focusing on both direct plasma treatment and indirect use of PAW for sterilization.
Medical device-related infections significantly contribute to increased mortality rates, extended hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs. Our goal is to improve disinfection techniques, particularly for medical tools and devices like catheters or endoscopes.
Project Goals and Pathway to Impact
Using plasma-activated water, medical tools stored in or rinsed with this solution will remain sterile for longer, reducing the risk of infection. PAW can also be used to clean catheters or the surrounding area of a wound without needing to frequently remove the device from the patient's body.
Our innovative plasma discharge system addresses the challenge of effectively treating surfaces inside narrow hollow objects like catheters, increasing disinfection efficiency. It will not only clean these surfaces but also improve their adhesion for potential antimicrobial coatings.
Ultimately, our research aims to enhance medical treatment quality, reduce healthcare costs, reduce infection rates, and decrease the financial burden on healthcare systems.
