Assessment of a Helium/Argon-Generated Cold Atmospheric Plasma Device's Safety Utilizing a Pig Model

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Biophysics
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) systems, like the PlazMagik device, are explored for skin rejuvenation and inflammation treatment.
• Preclinical safety evaluation and parameter optimization are essential before clinical application of CAP devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety of the PlazMagik dual-gas CAP system on pig dorsal skin.
• To evaluate the impact of different gas types (helium and argon) and energy settings on skin tissue.

Main Methods:

• The PlazMagik device was applied to pig dorsal skin using helium and argon gases at various settings.
• Temperature, visual assessments, body weight, serum biochemistry, and histopathological analyses were conducted over 30 days.

Main Results:

• Low-output energy settings demonstrated safety with gentle skin exfoliation and no tissue damage.
• High-output settings induced skin erosion, erythema, and coagulation.
• Argon gas generated more heat and pathological changes compared to helium under identical conditions.

Conclusions:

• The PlazMagik device is safe at low-output energy settings for dermatological applications.
• Careful selection of energy settings and gas type (helium preferred over argon) is crucial for optimizing CAP system safety and efficacy.