Plasma dynamics and life science

As a result of the growing interest in using low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma sources for medical applications, a new scientific field “Plasma Medicine ” is currently emerging worldwide as a new independent field comparable to the development of laser technology years ago. This contribution intends to give an overview on plasma sources and their applications in Plasma Medicine and will discuss needs, prospects and approaches for the characterization of plasmas from the fundamental plasma physical point of view and regarding various biological effects. Basic research needs to be done to minimize risk and provide a scientific fundament for medical therapies. In parallel, concepts of tailor-made plasma sources which meet the technical requirements for biomedical devices are still insufficiently developed. To achieve selected effects an accurate control of the performance parameters of the plasma sources regarding the treatment efficiency as well as potential risks connected with the direct application of plasma to cells or living tissue is necessary. Atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJ) and dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are of special interest for medical applications regarding manageability in everyday medical life