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This article concerns a new field covered by low-temperature plasmas at atmospheric pressure for medical treatments. This is based on the very attractive possibility to tune and design plasmas as possible pharmaceutical products using selectively some active species (charged particles, radicals, atomic and molecular agents, UV radiations) and even electric fields self-generated by the plasma. The delivery of active species occurs at the gaseous level. This means that there is no need for a carrier medium, and the treatment of living tissue or surface is optimal because plasmas can penetrate small pores, spread over rough surfaces, and reach both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The present article gives first a review on the main low-temperature plasma setups potentially usable for medical treatments with an emphasis on the setups as, for instance, plasma jets developed in our laboratory. Then, the present article gives a review of the current state of the art of such plasmas as pharmaceutical products or therapeutic tools in medicine with a light on a selection of forefront researches particularly in the field of chronic wounds, blood coagulation, and cancer treatment., (© 2013 The Authors Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology © 2013 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.)

The influence of the finite plasma resistance between the Langmuir probe and the reference electrode on the results of measurements of the characteristics of low-temperature plasma: the plasma potential, the average electron energy, the electron concentration, and the electron energy distribution function is analyzed. Specific calculations were made for glow discharge conditions supported by a hollow cathode in helium at a pressure of several millibars. • A study was made on the influence of the finite plasma resistance on the results of Langmuir probe measurements of the plasma characteristics. • The correction of the EEDF leads to a shift in the position of the maximum of the function to the region of lower energies. • Correction leads to an insignificant increase in the electron concentration, about 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A custom-designed inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-assisted radio-frequency magnetron sputtering deposition system has been employed to synthesize aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) nanofilms on glass substrates at room temperature. The effects of film thickness and ZnO target (partially covered by Al chips) power on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Al nanofilms are studied. A high growth rate (∼41nm/min), low electrical sheet resistance (as low as 30Ω/□) and high optical transparency (>80%) over the visible spectrum has been achieved at a film thickness of ∼615nm and ZnO target power of 150W. The synthesis of ZnO:Al nanofilms at room temperature and with high growth rates is attributed to the unique features of the ICP-assisted radio-frequency magnetron sputtering deposition approach. The results are relevant to the development of photovoltaic thin-film solar cells and flat panel displays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, important laboratory experiments in closed-cycle magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) generator plasmas are discussed. The following aspects are treated: electron temperature elevation and nonequilibrium ionization, fluctuatioas and nonuniformity, streamers as the nonlinear appearance of ionization instability, inlet relaxation, and fully ionized seed as a concept to suppress ionization instability. Conclusions are presented on electrical transport parameters in nonuniform plasmas, streamer fine structure, streamer velocity, streamer initiation in relation to inlet relaxation, and the fully ionized seed concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]