I-Corps: Device to deliver cold plasma therapeutic to wound sites to promote wound healing

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发基于冷等离子体的伤口愈合设备。大多数目前可用的先进治疗设备都是昂贵的，并且需要漫长的治疗时间，这抑制了在兽医和人类治疗应用中的采用。该器械旨在帮助糖尿病患者和其他复发性或耐化学性感染伤口。 此外，冷等离子体可用于其他应用，包括航空航天和食品行业以及灭菌行业。 所提出的技术是基于冷等离子体与细胞相互作用的发展。该技术利用表面放电产生等离子体，将空气中的各种分子转化为有用的自由基。该设备本身将具有手持式外形，以允许使用该技术进行移动，快速部署和快速治疗。这项技术的进一步发展可能会导致其他几个冷等离子体的应用。这个I-Corps项目是基于一个设备的开发，以提供冷等离子体的伤口愈合应用。所提出的技术在短的治疗时间（以分钟计）内将冷等离子体直接输送到伤口部位，这将促进伤口愈合，减少整体卧床休息，并减少用于表面伤口愈合的局部药膏的使用。该技术利用物理手段来消毒伤口，使其能够治疗耐化学性感染。此外，该技术利用等离子体产生的自由基物质，通过激活诱导胶原蛋白产生的成纤维细胞来促进晚期炎症和伤口收缩。该技术旨在通过设备输送冷等离子体以促进伤口愈合，同时保持一定的灭菌水平以防止再次感染。该装置可以被操纵，允许治疗各种各样的伤口尺寸。 多项研究表明，该技术可将伤口愈合时间缩短25%。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a cold plasma-based wound healing device. Most currently available advanced therapeutic devices are costly and require lengthy treatment times, which has inhibited adoption in both veterinary and human therapeutic applications. This device is aimed at aiding diabetic and other recurrent or chemically resistant infected wounds. In addition, cold plasma may be used in other applications including aerospace and food sectors as well as in sterilization industries. The proposed technology is based on the development of a cold plasma versus cell interactions. The technology utilizes surface discharge to generate plasma to convert various molecules in the air into useful radicals. The device itself will have a handheld form factor to allow for mobility, rapid deployment, and quick treatment using the technology. Further development of this technology may lead to several other cold plasma applications.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a device to deliver cold plasma for wound healing applications. The proposed technology delivers cold plasma directly to wound sites over a short treatment time (measured in minutes), that will promote wound healing, reduce overall bed rest, and lessen the use of topical ointments formulated for surface wound healing. The technology utilizes a physical means to disinfect wounds allowing it to treat chemically resistant infections. Additionally, the technology utilizes plasma-generated radical species to promote late phase inflammation and wound contraction through the activation of fibroblast cells that induce the production of collagen. The technology is designed to deliver cold plasma through a device to promote wound healing while maintaining a level of sterilization to prevent reinfection. The device may be manipulated allowing for the treatment of a large variety of wound sizes. Various studies have shown that the technology may produce up to a 25% reduction in wound healing time.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.