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![The epidermal thickness of skin and percentage of collagen fiber-positive area were semi-quantified using Image J software as described in materials and methods. The percentage of dermis was calculated by [area of blue pixels/total area] × 100 (%). Data are presented as the means ± S.E. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 versus normal control group.](publication/331366825/figure/fig5/AS:11431281208284445@1701383376361/The-epidermal-thickness-of-skin-and-percentage-of-collagen-fiber-positive-area-were.jpg)
The epidermal thickness of skin and percentage of collagen fiber-positive area were semi-quantified using Image J software as described in materials and methods. The percentage of dermis was calculated by [area of blue pixels/total area] × 100 (%). Data are presented as the means ± S.E. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 versus normal control group.
Source publication
In this study, we demonstrate an effective skin therapy device based on the plasma generated nitric oxide (NO) and needling techniques. The NO generator was constructed based on the dielectric barrier discharge plasma and combined with a commercial needling device. As a result, continueous flow of the NO could be supplied during needling treatment...
Citations
The concept of a water surface plasma source (WSPS) was proposed to directly interact plasmas with water for large area water treatment, which is the type of volume dielectric barrier discharge (vDBD) with plate-to-plate. One electrode is submerged in water, while the other is floated in air, which is covered with a dielectric material. The characteristics of the WSPS were investigated by using a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) camera, voltage and current probes, and optical emission spectroscopy (OES). The electrochemical parameters of plasma-activated water (PAW, 2 L) after plasma treatment times of 3 min by the WSPS were analyzed by using a multiparameter meter. As results, the formation of the water wave due to plasma generation, caused by the effect of the induced polarization forces, was observed at the WSPS. By comparison with the tap water, the applied voltage of the distilled water required higher than 130% for stable operation of the WSPS due to lower electrical conductivity (EC). As gap distance between dielectric plate and water surface increased, the applied voltage increased. In addition, an increase of 2 mm in the water level from the lower electrode required an approximately 5% increase in applied voltages for the ignition and stable plasma generation of the WSPS. The dominant peaks that were for N
$_{2}$
species system in the spectrum of plasmas at the WSPS were analyzed by using the OES. In the case of distilled water, the pH values decreased from 6.25 to 4.24 and the EC increased from 2.00 to 22.33
$\mu $
S
$\cdot$
cm by using multiparameter meter during plasma treatment, whereas in the case of tap water, the effects on the pH and EC were insignificant.
The human skin is an ideal target for a therapeutic cold atmospheric plasma treatment and an attractive route for drug administration. The variouscomponents of a cold atmospheric plasma (i.e. charged species, chemically reactive species and electric fields) contribute to several possible modes ofaction when applied on or next to human skin. One effect can be the permeabilization of skin.
In this cumulative thesis, the cold atmospheric plasmas created by three dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) that are suitable for the treatment of human skin were compared concerning their permeabilization efficiency using direct treatments of human isolated stratum corneum and excised full-thickness skin. Qualitative techniques were employed to visualize pore size, density and distribution. Franz cell permeations of hydrophilic and lipophilic test substances of different sizes from the sub-nanometer to the micrometer range provided quantitative data concerning the potential enhancement of drug delivery. A chemical, electric and physical characterization of the discharges and their products complemented the permeabilization experiments.
The successful plasma-permeabilization qualitatively depended on the voltage pulse shape and duration. It could be tuned by altering the power density of a μs-pulsed DBD.
Process parameters were identified that enable a safe treatment of the skin in order to facilitate passage of potential drug molecules and nanoparticles up to 200 nm but exclude larger particles or microorganisms in the μm-range.
The data obtained in the course of this doctoral project suggest that for the highly efficient filamentary μs-pulsed DBDs a mechanism similar to skin electroporation plays the leading role. A likely synergistic effect of reactive chemical species is acknowledged. Additional possibly synergistic effects as well as adverse side effects are discussed along with the applicability of the method in pharmacology and cosmetics.
