Plasma coagulation controller: A low-power atmospheric plasma source for accelerated blood coagulation

In this contribution we present the main features of the plasma coagulation con­troller (PCC) device, a cold atmospheric pressure plasma source based on the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) scheme, specifically designed for accelerating blood coagulation. The device is controlled by a microcontroller and can be used to explore different operational parameters in terms of discharge repetition rate (1-20 kHz) and applied voltage (2-8 kV). Helium is used as a working gas. Effective current measured on a metallic target is of the order of 1 mA and, thus, is suitable for application on the human body. Emission spectroscopy analysis is performed: the presence in the plasma of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is highlighted in the different operational regimes. We present the results ofmultiple tests using the device in different biological processes, including reactive species production, bacterial removal, and in vitro blood coagulation. Interestingly, tests on blood samples exposed to the helium plasma at different times show a significant reduction ofthe coagulation compared to control samples.