• Vacuum Magazine
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.9-15
• /
• 2015

Nonthermal bio-compatible plasma (bioplasma) sources and their characteristics operating at atmospheric pressure could be used for biological cell interactions, especially for plasma bioscience and medicines. The electron temperatures and plasma densities of this bioplasma are measured to be 0.7 ~ 1.8 eV and $(3-5){\times}10^{14-15}cm^{-3}$, respectively. Herein, we introduced general schematic view of the plasma-initiated ultraviolet photolysis of water inside the biological solutions or living tissue for the essential generation mechanism of the reactive hydroxyl radical [OH] and hydrogen peroxide [$H_2O_2$], which may result in apoptotic cell death in plasma bioscience and medicines. Further, we surveyed the various nonthermal bioplasma sources including plasma jet, micro-DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) and nanosecond discharged plasma. The diseased biological protein, cancer, and mutated cells could be treated by these bioplasma sources or bioplasma activated water to result in their apoptosis for new paradigm of plasma bioscience and medicines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.483-483
• /
• 2012

Recently, nonthermal bioplasma has been attracted by researchers due to their potentials to modulate cellular functions resulting in changes of biomolecular electron band structures as well as cell morphologies. We have investigated the secondary electron emission characteristics from the surface of the erythrocyte, i.e., red blood cell (RBC) with and without the nonthermal bioplasma treatment in morphological and biomolecular aspects. The morphologies have been controlled by osmotic pressure and biomolecular structures were changed by well known reactive oxygen species. Ion-induced secondary electron emission coefficient have been measured by using gamma-focused ion beam (${\gamma}$-FIB) system, based on the quantum mechanical Auger neutralization theory. Our result suggests that the nonthermal bioplasma treatment on biological cells could result in change of the secondary electron emission coefficient characterizing the biomolecular valence band electron energy structures caused by the cell morphologies as well as its surface charge distributions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2011.08a
• /
• pp.327-327
• /
• 2011

A nonthermal bioplasma source was developed for application to human liquid fluids by making use of nano-size tungsten tips. Characteristics of the plasma source are investigated. Here we have used the AC voltage system. The bioplasma source generated by a tungsten tip with quartz tube and ground electrode is a low-temperature plasma without making any noticeable damage to cells at a low power operation. The breakdown voltage and current signals are measured by high voltage probe (Tektronix P6015A) and current probe (P6021). Variation of breakdown temperature near the tip electrode is larger than that in the neighborhood of ground electrode. Bubble formation during discharge has been recorded and investigated by using the high speed camera. The existence and behavior of hydroxyl and superoxide radicals are detected and measured by spectrometers. The electrical and optical properties of breakdown characteristics are also investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2014.02a
• /
• pp.259.1-259.1
• /
• 2014

Recently non-thermal plasma has been frequently applied to various research fields. The liquid plasma have received much attention lately because of interests in surgical and nanomaterial synthesis applications. Especially, intensive researches have been carried out for non-thermal plasma in liquid by using various electrode configurations and power supplies. We have developed a bioplasma source which could be used in a liquid, in which outer insulator has been covered onto the outer electrode. Also we have also put an insulator between the inner and outer electrode. Based on the surface discharge mode, the nonthermal bioplasma has been generated inside a liquid by using an alternating current voltage generator with peak voltage of 12 kV under driving frequency of 22 KHz. Here the discharge voltage and current have been measured for electrical characteristics. Especially, We have measured discharge and optical characteristics under various liquids of deionized (DI) water, tap water, and saline by using monochromator. We have also observed nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl (OH) radical species by optical emission spectroscopy during the operation of bioplasma discharge inside various kinds of DI water, tap water, and saline. Here the temperature has been kept to be $40^{\circ}C$ or less when discharge in liquid has been operated in this experiment. Also we have measured plasma temperature by high speed camera image and density by using either H-alpha or H-beta Stark broadening method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2015.08a
• /
• pp.66.2-66.2
• /
• 2015

There is the urgent need of new human health care's technology against cancers or tumors based on plasma electronics, medicine and biology. Main target of our study is to enhance efficacy and selectivity of plasma on cancer cells with metabolic modifiers and by inducing immune-modulations. We have evaluated the combination effect of plasma with metabolic modifiers (2-DG) on various solid and liquid cancers. Our findings suggest that 2-DG enhances the efficacy and selectivity of plasma and induces apoptosis in blood cancer cells through glucose deprivation. Finally, we conclude that 2-DG with non-thermal plasma may be used as a combination treatment against cancer cells. Our work also comprises plasma induced activation of immune cells; which find applications for curing various kinds of resistant tumors and other dreadful diseases. Plasma significantly activates immune cells which increases cell death in solid tumors in co-culture conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.02a
• /
• pp.141-141
• /
• 2013

We have generated the needle-typed nonthermal plasma jet by using an Ar gas flow at atmospheric pressure. Diagnostics of electron temperature anddensity is critical factors in optimization of the atmospheric plasma jet source in accordance with the gas flow rate. We have investigated the electron temperature and density of plasma jet by selecting the four metastable Ar emission lines based on the atmospheric collisional radiative model and radial profile characteristics of current density, respectively. The averaged electron temperature and electron density for this plasma jet are found to be ~1.6 eV and ~$3.2{\times}10^{12}cm^{-3}$, respectively, in this experiment. The densities of OH radical species inside the various bio-solutions are found to be higher by about 4~9 times than those on the surface when the argon bioplasma jet has been bombarded onto the bio-solution surface. The densities of the OH radicalspecies inside the DI water, DMEM, and PBS are measured to be about $4.3{\times}10^{16}cm^{-3}$, $2.2{\times}10^{16}cm^{-3}$, and $2.1{\times}10^{16}cm^{-3}$, respectively, at 2 mm downstream from the surface under optimized Ar gas flow 250 sccm.