Self-enhanced plasma brush for therapeutic use in dermatology and its safety assessment

In this study, a self-enhanced plasma brush based on a single dielectric barrier discharge was developed by optimizing the load position for treatment in dermatology. The electrical, optical, and temperature characteristics of the fabricated reactor were investigated. Results show that the length and the width of the plasma brush could reach 20 and 15 mm, respectively. The electric field and the resulting discharge between the reactor and the human impedance model were enhanced and the discharging resistance decreased when introducing a human load. The plume temperature is around 24°C and the current flowing through the human model is lower than the threshold of perception current, which is friendly for human contact. The sterilization effects are verified by killing Escherichia coli.