KR101292268B1 - Parallel driving micro plasma devices for treatment of wound area - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micro plasma wound treatment apparatus that can be used for the purpose of medical treatment, and the like, specifically, a micro plasma jet array for generating a micro plasma jet; A power supply for driving the micro plasma jet array; And a gas delivery and control device for delivering a plasma generating gas to the micro plasma jet array and adjusting the pressure and amount of the gas, and an auxiliary device for controlling characteristics of the plasma jet generated from the micro plasma jet array.
The device of the present invention is compact, highly portable and has mechanical flexibility to treat various types of local areas. In addition, the apparatus of the present invention has the advantage that it is easy to control the characteristics of the plasma jet to be generated and to increase the selectivity, uniformity and efficiency of the therapeutic effect by a plurality of micro-plasma jet array of the same size.
The microplasma forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied to low-cost disposable medical instruments.

Description

Parallel driving micro plasma devices for treatment of wound area

The present invention relates to a plasma wound treatment apparatus that can be used for the purpose of medical treatment and the like.

Microplasma is an electrically non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma formed in microcavities (volumes) of less than several mm at atmospheric pressure, and has been applied to various fields. By arranging the elements forming a plurality of microplasma in a device of a constant area in a longitudinal direction, and applying a voltage while passing a gas of a constant pressure through this, an array of microplasma jets formed in parallel over a large area can be obtained. By causing physical and chemical changes in the biological tissue or cells of the subject to be contacted, the desired activity or therapeutic effect and sterilization effect can be obtained.

However, the plasma apparatus currently used for medical use has a complicated configuration and a large size, making it inconvenient to use. In particular, when the treatment site is a minute or curved area is not easy to perform the procedure is difficult, there is a problem that the side effects such as may affect the surrounding tissue during the procedure.

On the other hand, the term 'micro plasma atmospheric pressure' as used recently means a small size plasma for convenience, and does not actually mean the size (or volume) of the micro-sized device or plasma formed in the present invention. In addition, although a study has been reported that a plasma of a micro size plasma jet implemented in some research papers has formed a plasma of less than 1 mm, this also differs from driving an array of multiple micro plasma jets in parallel.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0031957 (published 11 April 2008)

The present invention seeks to provide a microplasma wound treatment device or system for treatment that can be used to treat, sterilize or relieve wounds of various areas and conditions.

In addition, the present invention is to provide a micro-plasma wound treatment device or treatment system which is much smaller than the conventional medical plasma device, high portability, and mechanical flexibility.

The present invention provides a micro plasma jet array for generating a micro plasma jet; A power supply for driving the micro plasma jet array; A gas delivery and control device for delivering a plasma generating gas to the micro plasma jet array and adjusting the pressure and amount of the gas, and an auxiliary device for controlling characteristics of the plasma jet generated from the micro plasma jet array. A micro plasma wound treatment apparatus is provided.

Preferably, the microplasma jet array comprises: a body (3) arranged with electrodes (1a and 1b) and a microcavity (2) for generating a plasma; And a gas supply part 5 supplying gas to the main body.

Preferably, the length of the micro plasma jet is 0.5 mm to 1 cm.

Preferably, the micro plasma jet array is operated in parallel at normal pressure and room temperature.

Preferably, the microplasma jet array is driven by alternating current or pulsed direct current.

Preferably, the gas supply unit supplies the gas at a flow rate in the range of 0.1-10 SLM.

Preferably, the micro cavity has a diameter in the range of 1 μm to 2 mm.

Preferably, the microcavity is two or more.

Preferably, the body is made of plastic, ceramic, glass or a combination thereof.

Preferably, the accessory is a thin film of conductive material in porous or mesh form.

Preferably, the accessory is a spacer for adjusting the spacing between the microplasma jet array and the healing site.

Preferably, the accessory is a spacer for adjusting the spacing between the microplasma jet arrays.

The device of the present invention is extremely small in diameter between several micrometers and several millimeters of elements for forming and generating plasma, and the overall size of the device is much smaller than that of the conventional medical plasma device, and is highly portable and local in various states. It has mechanical flexibility to treat the area.

In addition, the apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the plasma, such as electron and ion density, activated atoms or molecules, electric field, induced magnetic field, transfer energy, etc. Since physical properties can be adjusted, there is an advantage that the selectivity and efficiency of treatment can be increased according to the treatment site.

The apparatus of the present invention configures an array of multiple microplasma forming and generating elements of the same size, thereby increasing the uniformity and selectivity of the treatment effect and reducing damage around the treatment area, as compared with the conventional apparatus forming a single plasma of high power. Can be.

In addition, the device of the present invention can be applied to low-cost disposable medical devices because the material, configuration and manufacturing process is simple.

1A is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of the present invention.
1B is a cross-sectional view comparing the operation of the present invention with the prior art.
2 shows a configuration of a micro plasma jet array.
3 is a cross-sectional view and a plan view of a microplasma jet array body.
4 is an embodiment of a microplasma jet array drive type.
5 is an emission spectrum of a microplasma jet.
6 is a room temperature photograph of a microplasma jet device.
7 is photographed for measuring the contact angle of water droplets dropped on the glass slide before and after plasma jet treatment.
FIG. 8 is a blood coagulation test result taken after helium gas 30 seconds treatment (A), plasma jet 10 seconds treatment (B), and plasma jet 30 seconds treatment (C).
9 is a photograph of the bactericidal effect of bacteria after plasma jet 15 seconds treatment (A) and helium gas treatment (B).
10A is a visual photograph of wounds immediately after wound induction (A) and after 7 days (B).
10B shows the healing area of the wound over time.
11A to 11C show wound tissue changes in the control group, the helium gas treated group, and the plasma jet treated group (x < 20 > magnification, H & E, Masson's trichrome staining immediately after and 7 days after wound induction).
Figure 12 shows the wound tissue changes in the control group (A), helium gas treatment group (B), room temperature plasma jet treatment group (C) (x20 magnification, PCNA immunochemical staining after 7 days of wound induction).

The microplasma wound treatment apparatus of the present invention can be used for various purposes such as medical procedures, sterilization or surface modification, depending on the type of gas used in plasma formation, the configuration and driving method of the apparatus, and has high portability. It is done.

The apparatus of the present invention forms an array of devices (hereinafter referred to as a 'micro plasma jet array') for forming and generating microplasma on a large area and drives them in parallel.

Fig. 1A schematically shows the configuration of the apparatus of the present invention.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a microcavity plasma array, a power source for driving the microplasma jet array, a delivery and pressure and amount of gas forming the plasma 7. A gas delivery and control unit for controlling the gas and optionally auxiliary discharge components for controlling the characteristics of the micro-plasma according to the treatment method.

As used herein, the term "plasma jet" means "plasma" generated from a plasma jet array. Thus, "plasma jet" and "plasma" can be understood to be the same.

Referring to FIG. 1B, which compares the operating state of the apparatus of the present invention and the conventional atmospheric pressure plasma treatment apparatus, in the case of the apparatus (III) of the present invention, the physical characteristics and the chemical reaction environment can be precisely controlled through the micro-plasma of the micro unit. Can selectively treat the desired area. Unlike the conventional apparatus I in which a strong plasma jet is generated through a single channel, the apparatus of the present invention is distributed evenly while the flow of gas passes through the plasma jet array, so that side effects such as cell damage are suppressed. The apparatus of the present invention also forms a plasma jet of a very short distance compared to the conventional apparatus. In the apparatus II of FIG. 1B, since the plasma generation area is directly proportional to the electrode area, the selectivity or area of the treatment area cannot be adjusted, and in particular, there is no pure flow gas that stabilizes plasma formation in the jet, so that the atmospheric conditions (components, temperature, humidity) ), A uniform plasma cannot be formed. In addition, the filament (filament) due to the formation of a strong local electric field can be irregularly formed during the discharge can cause a large damage to normal normal tissues or genes, there is a disadvantage that the uniform control of the energy distribution in the plasma is not easy. In addition, since a very high driving voltage must be applied (> 10 kV), and the electrode (ground) is the patient's own body, it causes psychological instability for the patient to be treated or its use is limited to the patient who has inserted the bioelectronic device into the body. Can be.

2 shows the configuration of the microplasma jet array.

An electrode 1a and 1b for forming the plasma 7, a microcavity 2, which is a space in which a plasma is formed and its size is arranged to be arranged between the electrodes, the electrode and the microcavity The main body 3 and the gas supply part 5 which injects the gas which forms a plasma in this main body, The said electrodes 1a and 1b are connected with the power supply device 6 by a normal contact method.

The microplasma jet array enables the implementation of a flexible device by fabricating the body in the form of a thin film of several hundred μm to less than cm.

The diameter of the plasma 7 formed in the micro cavity 2 which is the space in which the micro plasma is formed is determined according to the diameter. The arrangement of the microcavities in the main body is a structure in which a plurality of cavities are arranged vertically through the main body, preferably each cavity is a fine cylinder having a diameter in the range of 1 μm to 2 mm.

The main body 3 may be made of glass, ceramic, plastic, or the like, which does not adversely affect a living body, and may use two or more of the above materials according to a function or purpose of use.

The apparatus of the present invention is characterized by driving in parallel at normal pressure. For such parallel driving, plasma is formed by applying an alternating current or pulsed direct current in the frequency range of 1 to 100 kHz to the electrodes to cause ionization in the microcavity 2.

The electrodes 1a and 1b are factors that affect the performance and power consumption of the plasma, and the size of the electric field is determined according to the shape and size thereof. Since the present invention, the thin type of the array body under hundreds ㎛ to cm in thickness, the strength of the formed electric field of 10 ³ - 10 ⁶ may be subjected to a high energy by a gas to form a plasma within the unit volume in V / cm . Such high-energy electric fields are not only inert gases such as helium (He) and argon (Ar), which are commonly used for plasma formation, but also plasma generation using a mixture of various gas atoms and molecules or a conventional plasma forming apparatus. Even with this difficult oxygen, atmosphere, and nitrogen, it is possible to form a microplasma. Therefore, the device of the present invention can be driven by a general atmosphere in addition to relatively inert gas such as helium, and can reduce the size of the entire device by minimizing the size of the gas delivery device that occupies most of the volume in the entire system. have.

The gas for forming the plasma is supplied through the gas supply unit 5 and is supplied at a flow rate in the range of 0.1-10 SLM to enable parallel driving.

On the other hand, the electrodes 1a and 1b are covered with a protective layer having a high uniformity in order to effectively extend the life under a high electric field and to perform parallel driving efficiently under a uniform capacitive discharge. The protective layer is made of various kinds of dielectrics, and a dielectric selected according to the characteristics of the plasma may be formed to have a uniform thickness around the electrode by screen printing, electrochemical deposition or growth, plasma vapor deposition, spray coating, or the like. .

3 shows the physical and chemical characteristics of the microplasma and the main elements for implementing the parallel drive of the microplasma jet array. The spacing, g, between the individual microcavities in the array determines the applied voltage (capacitance of the device) and the overall density of the plasma formed in parallel operation. The effective area S of the array can vary depending on the purpose of treatment (or the size of the treatment site), and can be manufactured close to the device area A. The area of the array is determined by the fabrication method, but there are few factors limiting the ease of fabrication of the large area. The length L of the plasma jet, the density and the energy of the electrons are determined by the diameter of the microcavity 2, the thickness t of the main body that determines the residence time of the gas, and the arrangement form and size of the electrodes 1a and 1b. Depends on Preferably, the length of the microplasma jet generated from the array is between 0.5 mm and 1 cm.

On the other hand, as the spacing of the electrodes 1a and 1b increases, the voltage required to drive the individual cavities increases, which not only puts a heavy burden on the power supply, but also increases the possibility of unstable discharge from microscopic defects in the device. Driving conditions are fragile Therefore, the interval between the electrodes 1a and 1b may be less than 10 mm.

The gas supply pipe 5 is not limited to the material, but in the case of a flexible microplasma jet, it is preferable that the gas supply pipe also uses a flexible material.

FIG. 4 illustrates various application examples of the micro plasma jet array driving method, and shows the preferred application form according to the purpose or use by using the plasma characteristic adjusting auxiliary devices 9 to 12 or adjusting the structure and material of the array.

Method I is the driving method of a typical parallel driven micro plasma jet array.

Scheme II has a mesh-type ground electrode 9 of various patterns. By attaching it to the site to be treated, it is possible to induce the direction of injection of the plasma jet, or to control the jet length and prevent excessive energy transfer.

Scheme III includes a conductive thin film 10 that is meshed or porous. This makes it possible to vary the voltage or magnitude of the parallel drive and the formation of the plasma jet, without electrically floating.

Method IV can form plasma in the form of diffuse jets of weak plasma jets instead of having high directivity by reducing the amount of flowing gas in the micro plasma jet array or by reducing the diameter or spacing of the micro cavities. have. Such plasmas are advantageously used for the treatment and treatment of relatively low electron or ion density and sensitive tissues susceptible to plasma damage.

Formula V illustrates an embodiment of a flexible microplasma jet array, suitable for the treatment of curved shapes or recessed sites. The array body is fabricated in the form of a thin film of several hundred μm to less than cm. For the treatment of the curved area, it can be made to fit the curved surface of the healing area or by using a highly flexible material to uniformly cover the surface of the area to be treated and then drive.

In scheme VI, a detachable spacer 11 is provided outside the microplasma jet array. By maintaining a constant distance between the microplasma array and the healing site by the thickness of the spacer, a uniform healing effect is induced. In particular, when the spacer 11 is manufactured in a sealed form to block the jet array from the external atmosphere, the spacer 11 may induce the generation of specific active ingredients in the spacer or maximize the sterilizing effect of the atmosphere in the spacer when using a flowing gas including oxygen. Has the effect.

Method VII is provided with spacers 12 that are removable from the outside of the microplasma jet array as in Method VI. The spacer blocks the plasma jets from the individual micro-cavities from interacting with the surrounding jets and allows the physical and chemical properties of the plasma generated at the electrode part to be completely transmitted to the healing site during discharge.

The auxiliary devices 9 and 10 may be detachable and may be used for single use according to plasma characteristics.

The therapeutic effect of plasma jets on tissues and cells is explained by various physical and chemical factors related to plasma. Specifically, ultraviolet rays generated in plasma jets, chemically active substances (radicals, NO _x , O, O _3, etc.), electron beams, ion beams, pH changes, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows the emission spectra of light emission occurring in a microplasma jet array having an effective area S of 5 mm x 2 mm size. According to this, ultraviolet emission (270-400 nm) by the components of NO _x , OH, N ₂ , and N ₂ ⁺ is observed in the spectrum measured in the microcavity having a diameter of ˜300 μm, so that not only ultraviolet rays but also the plasma jet It can be seen that there are chemical components of various activities. In addition, the ionic state of excited atoms and molecules is also confirmed. On the other hand, although not shown in the spectrum, the emission of oxygen atom component (777 nm) and ozone component are also found. Thus, it can be seen that the microplasma jet excites the atmosphere around the treatment site to form free radicals or ozone.

The microplasma forming apparatus and system of the present invention have been used in the treatment of trauma and exhibit excellent therapeutic effect. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. However, this is for the purpose of easily describing the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention thereto.

Example . Room temperature micro plasma  Jet Array Fabrication

Designed by minimizing the embedded electrode method, the parallel driving was confirmed in the micro-plasma jet array having a diameter of less than 200 ㎛ manufactured through a micro process as shown in FIG.

Figure 6 is a photograph of the parallel drive of a glass substrate, 8 channel array of 120 ㎛ diameter.

It is expected that the length of the plasma jet is maintained at a few mm or more and that a sufficient length has already been approached as the minimum distance from the treatment site.

The following experiment was conducted with the produced array.

Experimental Example 1 . Micro plasma  Hydrophilic Changes by Jet Treatment

The glass slide surface was plasma jetted for 5 seconds. The hydrophilic change of the glass slide surface was confirmed.

The left side of FIG. 7 photographs the cross section of the water drop dropped on the glass slide before plasma jet treatment, and the right side photographs the cross section of the water drop dropped on the glass slide after plasma jet processing. It can be confirmed that the plasma jet treatment caused a change in the contact angle of the water droplets dropped on the slide. The change in contact angle is shown in Table 1 below.

Before processing After processing Measured value (°) 58 ± 8 6 ± 1

Experimental Example 2 . Micro plasma  Jet's Biological Effects

The blood coagulation effect by the plasma jet treatment was evaluated. FIG. 8 shows a blood coagulation test after dropping 0.2 cc of human blood onto the slide, respectively, before plasma jet treatment (A), after 10 seconds treatment (B) and after 30 seconds treatment (C). The result was taken. The longer the exposure time of the plasma jet, the better the blood clotting effect.

Experimental Example 3 . Micro plasma  Sterilization Effect of Jet

The bactericidal effect of microplasma jet treatment was evaluated. 9 is a picture of the E. coli evenly applied to the Petri dish containing the medium, and then cultured for 24 hours after plasma plasma treatment (A) and helium gas treatment (B) for 15 seconds.

Where the shape of the letter (HL) is plasma jet treatment, E. coli is killed only in the treatment site, it is possible to check the transparent letter (HL) form (transparent medium is revealed). In contrast, E. coli is cultured in the control group and appears cloudy.

Experimental Example 4 . Micro plasma  Jet Wound Healing Effect

A square shaped wound (10 × 10 mm) in the dorsal skin of the experimental rat was induced. Then, on day 1 and day 3, the wound was treated with plasma jet and helium (He) gas for 30 seconds.

The extent of healing of the wound was visually observed.

10a shows the control group (C) that caused the wound, the group (P) treated with the plasma jet on the induced wound, and the group (G) treated with helium gas (A) immediately after the wound (A) and after 7 days (B). It was taken divided by.

Figure 10b is a comparison of the healing area over time after the wound induction in the experimental group C, P, G.

Next, the tissues were stained with H & E and Masson's trichrome immediately after the induction of the wounds of the experimental groups C, P, and G, and after 7 days, in order to observe the change of the wound.

FIG. 11A is a control (C), FIG. 11B is a helium gas treatment group (G), and FIG. 11C shows a tissue change of the plasma jet treatment group (P). It can be seen that the tissues of the plasma jet treatment group were superior in the wound regeneration effect and the collagen increase rate in the regeneration tissues than the control and helium gas treatment groups.

Next, tissue changes immediately after the induction of wounds of the experimental groups C, P and G and after 7 days were confirmed by PCNA immunochemical staining.

In FIG. 12, strong PCNA stainability, which may be an indicator of wound regeneration, may be confirmed in the plasma treatment group (C) at room temperature compared to the control group (A) and the helium gas treatment group (B).

1a, 1b: electrode for plasma formation
2: micro cavity
3: Body
5: gas supply
6: power unit
7: plasma jet
8: wound site
9, 10, 11, 12: auxiliary device for controlling plasma characteristics

Claims (12)

A micro plasma jet array generating micro plasma jets;
A power supply for driving the micro plasma jet array;
A gas delivery and control device for delivering a plasma generating gas to the micro plasma jet array and adjusting the pressure and amount of the gas;
And an auxiliary device for adjusting characteristics of the plasma jet generated from the micro plasma jet array. The method of claim 1,
The micro plasma jet array,
A main body 3 in which electrodes 1a and 1b for forming a plasma jet and a microcavity 2 which is a space in which the plasma jet is formed are arranged; And
And a gas supply unit (5) for supplying gas to the main body. The method of claim 1,
The microplasma wound treatment apparatus, characterized in that the length of the microplasma jet is 0.5 mm to 1 cm. The method of claim 1,
The micro plasma jet array is a micro-plasma wound treatment apparatus characterized in that the parallel drive at normal pressure and room temperature. The method of claim 4, wherein
And the microplasma jet array is driven by alternating current or pulsed direct current. 3. The method of claim 2,
The gas supply unit supplies a gas at a flow rate in the range of 0.1-10 SLM. 3. The method of claim 2,
The micro-cavity wound treatment apparatus, characterized in that the microcavity has a diameter in the range of 1 ㎛ to 2 mm. 3. The method of claim 2,
The micro-cavity wound treatment apparatus, characterized in that the two or more micro-cavities. 3. The method of claim 2,
The microplasma jet array body is made of plastic, ceramic, glass or a combination thereof. The method of claim 1,
The accessory for controlling plasma characteristics is a micro-plasma wound treatment device, characterized in that the thin film of a conductive material of the porous or mesh form. The method of claim 1,
Plasma characteristic adjustment accessory is a microplasma wound treatment apparatus, characterized in that the spacer for adjusting the spacing between the micro-plasma jet array and the healing site. The method of claim 1,
An auxiliary device for controlling plasma characteristics is a microplasma wound treatment apparatus, characterized in that a spacer for adjusting the spacing between the microplasma jet arrays.

Images