Purpose: This research was conducted to analyse and compare a Renuvion hand piece and TheraDep's deposition device at various gas flow rates and power settings. Both devices were powered by an Apyx Ultimate Electrosurgical generator. Methods: Current, voltage, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and thermal imaging were used to investigate the resulting plasma intensities and species being ionised. It was found that the Renuvion device could deliver 5.6 to 8.2 W of power whereas the Deposition Accessory was significantly less at between 1.9 and 4.2 W depending on the power setting selected. Differences in the OES results were also observed which are thought to have resulted from variations in the atmospheric entrainment between the two devices. Results: Taken in combination, the electrical, optical emission and thermal data analysis has demonstrated that the addition of the Deposition Accessory transforms the Renuvion electrosurgical tool from a device that operates in the coagulation and cutting arena into a device with a dramatic reduction in the energy delivered to the target tissue. Consequently, this limits the localised heating of adjacent tissue and results in a device that has controlled coagulation capability and one which is not capable of cutting tissue. Conclusions: This offers significant potential to allow clinicians to evaluate applications in plasma medicine using an FDA cleared electrosurgical power source.
Preventing nosocomial infections is one of the most significant challenges in modern medicine. The disinfection of medical facilities and medical devices is crucial in order to prevent the uncontrolled spread of bacteria and viruses. Cost-effective, eco-friendly and fast-acting antibacterial coatings are being developed as the prevention of bacteria and viruses' multiplication on various surfaces. One of the possibilities to create such antimicrobial coatings can rely on a photoactive material, that produces singlet oxygen. However, a remote production of the singlet oxygen and disinfection of the desired surface is a time-consuming process. Hence, a coating material that would autonomously produce singlet oxygen employing ambient light will have a significant impact on the shortening of the disinfection time; leading into an increased number of patients that can be cured in one facility. In this work, an ultra-fast and eco-friendly method for decreasing the disinfection time of the photoactive surface is presented. The atmospheric pressure plasma surface treatment on the hydrophobic carbon quantum dotspolydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite is employed. The plasma-treated samples exhibited improved antibacterial properties compared to non-plasma treated samples, with the best results obtained after only 30 seconds of plasma treatment. The short duration and the scalability potential of the here described method open new possibilities of how to improve the already existing antibacterial coatings.
Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease which can be classified into subtypes by the presence or absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptor (HER2). Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been shown to be a potential treatment for cancer. In this report, a 92-99% reduction of viability by CAP treatment was achieved across all seven tested breast cancer cell lines (p <= 0.05). Increasing treatment duration and power significantly reduced breast cancer cell viability (** f(()(2,)(2)) <= 0.0176, ***f ((5,14)) <= 0.0033). The authors are the first to report that breast cancer sensitivity to CAP is based on receptor status. Cells with identical receptor status showed the least difference in CAP sensitivity (p <= 0.05), the difference being 33% between the two ER +/PR + /HER2- cell lines (p <= 0.05) and 22-44% between the three TNBC cell lines (p <= 0.05). HER2-negative cell lines, irrespective of ER/PR status, also showed <= 50% difference in CAP sensitivity (p <= 0.05). Moreover, demonstration of ER-/PR-/HER2 + CAP susceptibility and ER + /PR + /HER2 + CAP resistance suggests that ER/PR status is a significant factor in determining CAP sensitivity in HER2-positive cells. Our novel findings on CAP sensitivity will provide insight on how to optimize CAP treatment to better overcome CAP resistance and thus prevent tumor recurrence.
Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous molecule produced by NO-synthases that regulates a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Endogenous NO signaling system plays an important role in all stages of wound healing. In 1998, a team from Bauman Moscow State Technical University and Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University) developed the Plason device. Plason generates NO-containing air-plasma flow from atmospheric air and allows to apply required doses of NO to affected areas. It was shown, that exogenous NO penetrates through a wound surface, an intact skin, mucous membranes and a cornea, which leads to the wide range of applications. The experimental and clinical studies of 1992-2006 proved exogenous NO-therapy to be beneficial in patients with extensive purulent wounds, trophic ulcers, diabetic foot syndrome, purulent-inflammatory disease of soft tissues and scars. Methods: Up to now Plason is the only certified in Russia and Europe medical device generating NO from atmospheric air at high therapeutically significant concentrations (500-1200 ppm). It is used in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia. Other air-plasma devices, "Tianox" (Sarov, Russia) and "iNO pulse" (Bellerophon Inc., USA) generated low concentrations of NO (10-100 ppm) were found effective against severe acute respiratory syndrome and recently tested for treatment of COVID-19. The purpose of this review is to acquaint global medical community with the extensive experience of Russian clinicians in NO-therapy. It covers the NO-therapy studies in multiple medical fields published after 2006. Results and conclusions: Application of the Plason device was beneficial in treatment of wounds, purulent, traumatic and scar lesions, joint diseases, including sports injuries, as well as in abdominal surgery, dentistry, ophthalmology, otolaryngology and other areas of medicine.
Background: To optimize wound healing, the use of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (ionized gas) has been proposed as an innovative therapeutic method for treating extensive and chronic wound. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specific effects of an indirect helium plasma treatment in a sheep surgical wound model based on clinical, histopathological and molecular analyses. This study was part of a larger study aimed at assessing five different wound healing improvement methods. Methods: Six sheep were used in this study. Six square wounds were performed on the back of each sheep. Five of the lesions were used to analyze the effect of five different treatments, one of which was the plasma treatment. The sixth lesions was used as control. A 2-min plasma treatment was daily performed, using a radiofrequency helium plasma source for indirect treatments, until complete wound healing was obtained. Biopsies were performed at two and six weeks. The plasma effects were tested through clinical evaluation, histopathological and immunohistological evaluation, real time PCR analysis, bacteriological evaluation and intracellular ROS evaluation. Results: Wound closure time for the plasma-treated wounds was quicker than that of the control group. Plasma treatment drastically reduced the bacterial load in the wounds. A strong increase in intracellular ROS was observed. After six weeks, the inflammatory process was significantly reduced in the plasma-treated case with respect to the control. The plasma treatment was found to lead to an anticipated induction of blood vessel formation, as detected through mRNA expression of VEGF. The high Ki67-positivity at two weeks indicated a strong stimulation of cell proliferation induced by the plasma treatment. The expression of the hair keratine (hKER) at six weeks indicated that the plasma was promoting hair regrowth. The plasma treatment induced an increased rate of reformation of cutaneous adnexa at six weeks. Conclusions: The obtained results suggest that the plasma action, at the used dose, induces an increase in cell proliferation, a reduction of inflammation, a reduction of the bacterial load, a stimulation of blood vessel formation, and an improvement in the formation of cutaneous adnexa with a positive consequence on hair regrowth.
