A step towards new Plasma processing Technology for Medical purposes

Medical device-related infections contribute to an increase in mortality, prolongation of hospitalization and present a substantial financial burden to patients and society. Catheter-related infections are among the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. The possibilities of low temperature plasma technologies for direct (plasma) and indirect (plasma activated water) disinfection of polymer materials will be studied.The proposed project is focused on gaining detailed insight into the plasma processing of polymer medical tubes (catheters) using Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge with liquid electrodes. This will include the investigation of plasma-induced physical and chemical changes not only on the surface of the processed material, but also the analysis of the surrounding gas, and especially the used liquid. Examination of the discharge under specific conditions is beneficial for the understanding of the undergoing chemical and physical processes. The decontamination effect of the plasma treatment of bacteria and biofilms present on the catheter surface and in liquids will be the key objective of the project. This will be done by detailed studies of the bacterial response to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in liquid and the biofilm growth inhibition on the polymer after the plasma treatment.The development of the plasma technology capable of polymer treatment in continuous regime and application of such plasma systems for catheters treatment will allow for a larger impact of plasma processing expanding to a wide range of new industrial applications. The obtained results will increase the quality of medical treatment, reduce the costs of specific medical care, and prolong the time between the required doctor visits for patients using different catheters. Plasma applications in medicine are leaping to become the medicine of the future, and this is my chance to contribute to its development.