Plasma medicine: applications of low temperature gas plasmas in medicine and biology

The introduction of low temperature plasma technology to medical research and to the healthcare arena in general is set to revolutionise the way we cure diseases. This innovative medium offers a valid and advantageous replacement of traditional chemical-based medications. Its application in the inactivation of pathogens in particular, avoids the recurrent problem of drug resistant microorganisms. This is the first book dedicated exclusively to the emerging interdisciplinary field of plasma medicine. The opening chapters discuss plasmas and plasma chemistry, the fundamentals of non-equilibrium plasmas and cell biology. The rest of the book is dedicated to current applications, illustrating a plasma-based approach to wound healing, electrosurgery, cancer treatment and even dentistry. The text provides a clear and integrated introduction to plasma technology and has been devised to answer the needs of researchers from different communities. It will appeal to graduate students and physicists, engineers, biologists, medical doctors and biochemists.

Part I. Introduction: Non-equilibrium Plasma, Cell Biology, and Contamination: 1. Introduction M. Laroussi, 2. Fundamentals of non-equilibrium plasmas M. Kushner and M. Kong, 3. Non-equilibrium plasma sources M. Laroussi and M. Kong, 4. Basic cell biology L. Greene and G. Shama, 5. Contamination G. Shama and Birte Ahfeld, Part II. Plasma Biology and Plasma Medicine: 6. Common healthcare challenges G. Isbary and W. Stolz, 7. Plasma decontamination of surfaces M. Kong and M. Laroussi, 8. Plasma decontamination of gases and liquids A. Fridman, 9. Plasma-cell interaction: prokaryotes M. Laroussi and M. Kong, 10. Plasma-cell interaction: eukaryotes G. Isbary, G. Morfill and W. Stolz, 11. Plasma based wound healing G. Isbary, G. Morfill and W. Stolz, 12. Plasma ablation, surgery, and dental applications K. Stadler, G. McCombs, M. Darby and M. Laroussi.