Plasma Apparatuses for Biomedical Applications

Plasma-jet systems and plasma devices of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) are introduced for biomedical applications. To achieve the purpose of being safe and user friendly, these devices have been developed to avoid electric shock and thermal damage. These types of plasma equipment operate with a sinusoidal voltage of kilovolts at a low frequency of several tens of kilohertz. The plasma jets have been developed with the specific ground-electrode structures according to the various gases in use, such as inert gases, molecular gases, or mixture gases, and air. The Ar-plasma jet with the external ground electrode is operated in a low current of 1–2 mA with the voltage of 1–2 kV. The stable air-jet plasma/plume exiting from a small hole at the cold metal-cap nozzle of the ground electrode can be obtained in a low current of 0.5–1 mA for safety with the voltage of 5–10 kV. Both types of ground electrode, the external electrode and the metal-cap electrode, are applicable to the plasma jets of molecular or mixture gases. The devices for DBD plasmas are shown to be the new advents of plasma stamp, plasma stick, plasma comb, and plasma roller, which operate with the voltage of 2–3 kV.