https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/s10053-020-00004-4
Topical Review - Plasma Physics
A review of the gas and liquid phase interactions in low-temperature plasma jets used for biomedical applications
1
Centre for Plasma Microbiology, University of Liverpool, L69 3GJ, Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, UK
2
School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, Newcastle, UK
3
GREMI UMR 7344 CNRS/Université d’Orléans, 45067, Orléans, France
4
Laboratory for Gaseous Electronics, Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Received:
1
April
2020
Accepted:
3
November
2020
Published online:
21
January
2021
Atmospheric pressure plasma jets generated using noble gases have been the focus of intense investigation for over 2 decades due to their unique physicochemical properties and their suitability for treating living tissues to elicit a controlled biological response. Such devices enable the generation of a non-equilibrium plasma to be spatially separated from its downstream point of application, simultaneously providing inherent safety, stability and reactivity. Underpinning key plasma mediated biological applications are the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) created when molecular gases interact with the noble gas plasma, yielding a complex yet highly reactive chemical mixture. The interplay between the plasma physics, fluid dynamics and plasma chemistry ultimately dictates the chemical composition of the RONS arriving at a biological target. This contribution reviews recent developments in understanding of the interplay between the flowing plasma, the quiescent background and a biological target to promote the development of future plasma medical therapies.
© The Author(s) 2021
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