Development of an argon cold plasma treatment center and measurement of patient leakage current

Abstract

Cold atmospheric plasma has emerged as a promising technology for medical applications, particularly for chronic wound treatment. In this work, a novel portable argon cold plasma treatment unit is presented, operating at a low gas flow rate of 1 L/min and generating a stable plasma plume of up to 8 mm. The study focused on the implementation and electrical characterization of the electrode configuration with regard to patient leakage current (PLC) according to DIN EN 60601-1. The measurements revealed PLC values well below the safety limit of 100 μA for all investigated conditions. Furthermore, the results showed that plasma behavior and electrical interaction with the target are strongly influenced by operating and design parameters, especially gas flow rate, treatment distance, counter-electrode position, and the number of counter-electrode windings. The study therefore demonstrates both the feasibility of a low-flow portable argon plasma source and the importance of geometrical optimization for safe and efficient medical device design.