Interest in the use of non-thermal plasmas in the biomedical setting is rapidly growing. Potential applications of such devices range from instrument sterilization to clinical therapy. One of the largest hurdles to the implementation of non-thermal plasmas, specifically in regard to patient exposure, is the relatively poor understanding of the chemical processes taking place. Recent research has focused intensely on the dynamic chemical cocktail associated with specific discharge configurations. Our group recently detailed the ability to control chemical species created by our device through modifying operating parameters, namely humidity1. Specifically, we demonstrated our device's capability to deliver the short-lived hydroxyl radical to treatment sites at a distance of over a meter from the plasma discharge. This recent development of our remote design allows for potential user-defined specificity in both concentration and flavor of chemical exposure to the treatment environment.
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