Therapeutic use of physical plasmas.New insights from physics, medicine and biology.

As part of the workshops of the Atmospheric Pressure Plasma User Group, natural scientists and physicians from Germany met for the 5th time on September 13 and 14 to exchange experiences.

The main goal of plasma medicine is the therapeutic application of physical plasmas. Reactive species, moderate UV and thermal radiation can stimulate and support healing processes. In addition to direct therapeutic application, plasma-assisted modification of biorelevant surfaces and plasma-based biodecontamination/sterilization also represent interesting research areas.

The workshop was organized in a proven manner together with the National Center for Plasma Medicine (NZPM). Founded in 2013, the NZPM has set itself the task of bringing together the key players in clinics, research and industry throughout Germany and supporting the introduction of plasma medicine as an evidence-based treatment method through political lobbying.

17 presentations gave an overview of the research topics currently being worked on in Germany and ongoing clinical work. The focus was on

• Plasma-cell interaction studies
• Dermatological applications of atmospheric plasmas
• Applications in cardiology and oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Plasma activated media and their application potential
• Plasma treatment of wound dressings
• Discussion of the results of long-term studies and application observations.
• Presentation of plasma sources with potential for use in medicine.

In addition to speakers from the German centers of plasma medicine research such as Greifswald, Rostock and Göttingen, 4 lecturers from Thuringian hospitals and research institutions were also welcomed. The lively discussion of the presented work has once again underlined the broad interest in physical plasmas for medical applications.

The workshop was rounded off with a guided tour of the city and an evening get-together at the Borwin harbor restaurant at Rostock's old city harbor.