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The 2022 Plasma Roadmap: low temperature plasma science and technology
2022, Adamovich, I., Agarwal, S., Ahedo, E., Alves, L.L., Baalrud, S., Babaeva, N., Bogaerts, A., Bourdon, A., Bruggeman, P.J., Canal, C., Choi, E.H., Coulombe, S., Donkó, Z., Graves, D.B., Hamaguchi, S., Hegemann, D., Hori, M., Kim, H.-H., Kroesen, G.M.W., Kushner, M.J., Laricchiuta, A., Li, X., Magin, T.E., Mededovic Thagard, S., Miller, V., Murphy, A.B., Oehrlein, G.S., Puac, N., Sankaran, R.M., Samukawa, S., Shiratani, M., Šimek, M., Tarasenko, N., Terashima, K., Thomas Jr, E., Trieschmann, J., Tsikata, S., Turner, M.M., Van Der Walt, I.J., Van De Sanden, M.C.M., Von Woedtke, T.
The 2022 Roadmap is the next update in the series of Plasma Roadmaps published by Journal of Physics D with the intent to identify important outstanding challenges in the field of low-temperature plasma (LTP) physics and technology. The format of the Roadmap is the same as the previous Roadmaps representing the visions of 41 leading experts representing 21 countries and five continents in the various sub-fields of LTP science and technology. In recognition of the evolution in the field, several new topics have been introduced or given more prominence. These new topics and emphasis highlight increased interests in plasma-enabled additive manufacturing, soft materials, electrification of chemical conversions, plasma propulsion, extreme plasma regimes, plasmas in hypersonics, data-driven plasma science and technology and the contribution of LTP to combat COVID-19. In the last few decades, LTP science and technology has made a tremendously positive impact on our society. It is our hope that this roadmap will help continue this excellent track record over the next 5-10 years.
Foundations of plasmas for medical applications
2022, von Woedtke, T., Laroussi, M., Gherardi, M.
Plasma medicine refers to the application of nonequilibrium plasmas at approximately body temperature, for therapeutic purposes. Nonequilibrium plasmas are weakly ionized gases which contain charged and neutral species and electric fields, and emit radiation, particularly in the visible and ultraviolet range. Medically-relevant cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) sources and devices are usually dielectric barrier discharges and nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets. Plasma diagnostic methods and modelling approaches are used to characterize the densities and fluxes of active plasma species and their interaction with surrounding matter. In addition to the direct application of plasma onto living tissue, the treatment of liquids like water or physiological saline by a CAP source is performed in order to study specific biological activities. A basic understanding of the interaction between plasma and liquids and bio-interfaces is essential to follow biological plasma effects. Charged species, metastable species, and other atomic and molecular reactive species first produced in the main plasma ignition are transported to the discharge afterglow to finally be exposed to the biological targets. Contact with these liquid-dominated bio-interfaces generates other secondary reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS). Both ROS and RNS possess strong oxidative properties and can trigger redox-related signalling pathways in cells and tissue, leading to various impacts of therapeutic relevance. Dependent on the intensity of plasma exposure, redox balance in cells can be influenced in a way that oxidative eustress leads to stimulation of cellular processes or oxidative distress leads to cell death. Currently, clinical CAP application is realized mainly in wound healing. The use of plasma in cancer treatment (i.e. plasma oncology) is a currently emerging field of research. Future perspectives and challenges in plasma medicine are mainly directed towards the control and optimization of CAP devices, to broaden and establish its medical applications, and to open up new plasma-based therapies in medicine.