| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session PS1+SE-MoM |
| Session: | Atmospheric-Pressure Plasmas |
| Presenter: | Matteo Gherardi, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy |
| Authors: | M. Gherardi, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy V. Colombo, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy F. Barletta, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy A. Bisag, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy C. Bucci, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy F. Capelli, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy R. Laurita, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy E. Mezzofanti, AlmaPlasma srl T. Gallingani, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy, Italia G. Girolimetti, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy S. Coluccelli, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy L. Amato, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy G. Gasparre, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy M. Perrone, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy A.M. Porcelli, Alma Mater Studiorum- University of Bologna, Italy P. De Iaco, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas (APPs) are an extremely versatile sources of reactive species, UV radiation, radicals and electrons, showing the promise of new medical therapies and offering innovative means to induce chemical reactions and synthesize materials. Trying to capture the versatility of this technology and to depict the current challenges, the presentation will deal with three different technological applications of APPs.
In the first part of the talk, APP biocidal potential is discussed in the industrial perspective of producers of food/beverage packaging and packaging machines. In this field, a fast and economic packaging sanitation is required in order to guarantee a sufficient shelf life to the product. Advantages and limitations of APPs with respect to conventional technologies, as well as the challenges of scaling plasma equipment up to the dimensions required by the industrial production volumes will be discussed.
In the second part of the talk, recent findings on the oncological applications of APPs will be presented. The discussion will focus in particular on Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC), the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women and a disease characterised by the diffusion of nodules or plaques from the ovary to the peritoneal surfaces (carcinosis), with a poor prognosis at diagnosis (15-20% within 5 years) in advanced stages (III-IV). Due to the limitations of the currently available therapeutic options, the use of APPs is envisioned to produce plasma activated liquids (PALs) containing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) to wash the intraperitoneal cavity with the aim of selectively provoking apoptosis in cancer cells without damaging the healthy ones.
Finally, the use of APPs for the synthesis of materials will be discussed in the frame of the development of an innovative multi-layer coating able to reduce biofilm proliferation onto a biomedical device, while at the same time preserving its bio- and hemo-compatibility, avoiding blood clots formation. An APP assisted process is here used to deposit all the different layers of the coating, composed by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in a plasma polymerized HMDSO (ppHMDSO) matrix. The coating characteristics will be discussed in light of the results provided by chemo-morphological analysis and cellular and anti-biofilm assays.