SBIR Phase I: Novel High Voltage Pulsed Power Supplies for Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Plasmas

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种加速伤口愈合和防止感染的医疗设备。伤口污染和感染是众所周知的具有挑战性的治疗，是患者发病率和死亡率的重要原因。细菌和其他微生物在伤口中的定植会延迟愈合，导致进一步降解，并可能导致严重的并发症，包括深部组织和骨骼感染，以及中风和败血症。伤口护理领域广泛而多样，包括急性和慢性伤口、术前和术后护理、疤痕预防、烧伤以及战争环境和国土安全中的紧急伤口护理。由于人口老龄化以及糖尿病和肥胖症发病率的上升，整个全球伤口护理产品市场正以每年约7%的速度迅速扩张，目前总额超过210亿美元。此外，旨在减少美国约500亿美元伤口经济负担的新财务报销政策正在激励医院改善护理、减少感染和加速患者康复。治疗伤口感染的医疗技术市场已经成熟。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目支持开发一种高压电源，能够驱动治疗伤口感染的冷等离子医疗设备。冷等离子体是治疗伤口感染的理想方法，因为它对所有类型的细菌都有效，而且不太可能产生细菌耐药性。与外用抗生素和防腐剂相比，它具有优越的抗微生物效果，但对人体皮肤安全。我们的研究目标包括缩放输出电压，缩短脉冲宽度，启用热，过压和过流保护，并结合电压控制反馈。预期的技术成果包括完成这些研究目标和用冷等离子体装置对细菌培养物进行电源测试，以确认抗菌效果。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a medical device that accelerates wound healing and prevents infection. Wound contamination and infection are notoriously challenging to treat and are a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Bacterial and other microbial colonization in wounds delay healing, cause further degradation, and can lead to severe complications including deep tissue and bone infections, as well as stroke and sepsis. The wound care field is large and diverse and includes acute and chronic wounds, pre- and post-surgical care and scar prevention, burns, as well as emergency wound care in war settings and homeland security. Due to the aging population and increasing rates of diabetes and obesity, the entire global wound care products market is expanding rapidly at an estimated 7% per year and currently totals over $21B. Moreover, new financial reimbursement policies to reduce the estimated $50B US economic burden of wounds are incentivizing hospitals to improve care, reduce infection, and accelerate patient recovery. The market is ripe for a medical technology that treats wound infections.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project supports the development of a high voltage power supply capable of driving a cold plasma medical device that treats wound infections. Cold plasma is ideal for treating wound infections because it is effective against all bacteria types and is unlikely to confer bacterial resistance. It is superior in its anti-microbial effect compared to topical antibiotics and antiseptics but safe for human skin. Our research objectives include scaling the output voltage, shortening pulse width, enabling thermal, overvoltage, and overcurrent protections, and incorporating voltage control feedback. Anticipated technical results include completion of these research objectives and testing of the power supply with the cold plasma device on bacterial cultures to confirm antibacterial effects.