Flexible Plasma Electrode for Curved Skin Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for treating large areas of human or animal skin and plant surfaces with cold atmospheric pressure plasma fail to meet requirements for flexibility, material compatibility, temperature stability, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in providing a reproducible and painless treatment without damaging the tissue.
Innovation Solution
A plasma source with a flexible high-voltage electrode made of insulating wire covered with a stretchable insulation layer, integrated with a grounded electrically conductive textile electrode, using materials like polyimides and silicones that are biocompatible, chemically resistant, and have a dielectric strength of at least 2 kV, allowing for a conforming structure that adapts to curved surfaces and enables controlled gas exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If rigid electrode systems (DBD electrodes) or plasma nozzles are used for plasma treatment, then localized treatment of small areas is achieved, but treatment of larger skin areas becomes problematic and reproducible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible electrode arrangement where the high-voltage electrode consists of a wire or thread covered with a stretchable insulating layer (dielectric). This flexible construction allows the plasma source to conform to arbitrarily curved skin surfaces while maintaining electrical functionality, enabling treatment of large body areas that rigid electrodes cannot access effectively
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible materials are used for the plasma source to adapt to curved surfaces, then adaptability is improved, but material requirements (autoclavable, chemically resistant, plasma-resistant) become more difficult to meet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material structures combining flexible substrates with robust dielectric coatings. Specifically, it employs heat-resistant, biocompatible, and chemically resistant plastics with dielectric strengths of at least 2 kV that can withstand autoclaving, chemical exposure, and plasma treatment while maintaining flexibility for conforming to body surfaces
3Ease of manufacture
If simple design is implemented for cost-effective industrial production, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but meeting all material and functional requirements becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts a simple yet effective design where a wire or thread is covered with a stretchable insulating layer, eliminating the need for complex rigid electrode structures. This approach enables cost-effective industrial production while the insulating layer materials are specifically selected to meet biocompatibility, autoclavability, chemical resistance, and plasma resistance requirements
4Object-generated harmful factors
If the dielectric is designed as granules or powder as described in prior art, then gas permeability is improved, but dielectric strength of at least 2 kV and material stability are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines gas-permeable material structures with dielectric coatings having breakdown voltages of at least 2 kV. The insulating layer is specifically engineered to provide both gas permeability for surface-level gas flow generation and sufficient dielectric strength for stable plasma discharge, while maintaining flexibility and conformability to curved surfaces
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a safe, flexible, and effective treatment of curved surfaces with a stable plasma discharge, maintaining material integrity and allowing for targeted gas mixture delivery, suitable for both medical and plant applications without causing tissue stress.
Implementation Method 1
A plasma source with a flexible high-voltage electrode made of insulating wire covered with a stretchable insulation layer, integrated with a grounded electrically conductive textile electrode, using materials like polyimides and silicones that are biocompatible, chemically resistant, and have a dielectric strength of at least 2 kV
Implementation Method 2
Device for the plasma treatment of human, animal or plant surfaces, in particular of skin or mucous membrane areas using a cold atmospheric pressure plasma
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for the treatment of free-form areas and zones of human or animal skin areas or plant surfaces by means of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma. The core of the device is a specific, preferably gas-permeable, electrode arrangement for generating a dielectrically impeded surface discharge where the earthed electrode is composed of electrically conductive textile material and the high-voltage electrode consists of a thin wire or electrically conductive thread which is sheathed with an insulting layer which has to meet specific requirements. On the basis of the present invention, it is possible to generate, in the area of diseased skin parts of the human body, in direct proximity to the skin surface or to wounds, a flat plasma for the treatment of the diseased areas which is acceptable in respect of the stress on the skin caused by temperature and electric potentials. The advantage of the gas-permeable textile sheet-like structure consists especially in that the arrangement can be placed flexibly onto variously curved surfaces and, in addition, offers the possibility of a gas exchange with the environment and/or the targeted dosing of a specific process gas mixture across the textile material into the active plasma zone.