Plasmas for disinfection and healing: an investigation of the underlying mechanisms

Plasma medicine is an emerging discipline related to the interaction of low-power, atmospheric pressure plasmas with living matter for therapeutic purposes. Initiated by seminal work on disinfection of living tissues, it has evolved into a multi-line research field which is concerned with the interaction of plasma with living matter, both in the form of pathogens and of eukaryotic cells composing the human body. This interaction is mostly due to reactive oxygen and nitrogen radicals produced within the plasma, with possible additional effects given by charged species, electric field and UV emission. Among the applications of plasma medicine, the most developed ones are probably disinfection, where the plasma action is used to get rid of bacteria, fungi and viruses, especially on living tissues, and wound healing, where the plasma constructively interacts with the cell processes, leading to a qualitative improvement and speed up of the healing process. The two applications clearly have a synergic effect in real world applications.