Low-Temperature Plasma Needle for Biomedical Treatments

Michael A. Wilson, Timothy R. Brubaker, Andrea M. Mastro, Michael M. Micci, Sven G. Biln, and Sean D. Knecht
1

Department of Electrical Engineering; 2Department of Electrical Engineering; 3Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; 4Department of Aerospace
Engineering; 5Department of Electrical Engineering; 6Applied Research Laboratory

Abstract

Results

An overview of the design methodology of a low-temperature plasma needle and

preliminary results investigating its efficacy in treating metastatic human breast
cancer epithelial cells is reported. Low-temperature plasma is created by flowing gas
past a high-voltage surface. This process produces ions and generates an electrically
conductive state of matter (plasma) at room temperature. High-energy collisions of
electrons with neutral particles create reactive chemical species such as NO, O3, H2O2
and others which have biomedical applications.
Current cancer treatment options, such as surgery and chemotherapy, may not be
sufficient to treat metastatic cancer. Initial experiments have been conducted in which
a line of cultured metastatic human breast cancer epithelial cells (MDA-MB-231) are
exposed to the low-temperature plasma needle. The plasma needle is lowered into cell
culture dishes and the cells are exposed to plasma at different dosages. Cell
detachment was observed for plasma and helium-exposed cultures with a greater
effect observed for plasma-exposed cultures. This is attributed to reactive chemical
species generation in the plasma plume. Experiments are continuing to optimize the
treatment conditions and further this research.

This image shows the full LTP setup.

Helium is introduced to the system
using a mass flow meter. The voltage
and ground inputs are connected
from the power supply and threaded
through the tube to their respective
input locations.

Experimental Design

The 22-gauge needle is 2 long and serves as the high voltage electrode.
The grounding electrode is placed approximately 1/8 from the tip of the syringe.
The syringe is sheathed with PEEK (polyether ether ketone).
PEEK has a high dielectric strength used as a barrier to prevent arc production.
The diameter of the device with the PEEK is equivalent to a 16-gauge needle.
Helium flows axially through the syringe.
Gas is controlled by the mass flow controller calibrated at 70 F, and 14.7 psia.
The flow rate can be controlled over the range of 16775 mL/min.
An Agilent 33220A Function Generator generates a 5-kHz, 2-Vpp sine wave.
This wave is amplified 1000 to 2 kV by a Trek 10-40 amplifier.
Increasing the voltage or mass flow rate increases the length and visible intensity of
the plasma plume.

Images of metastatic breast cancer culture MDA-MB-231 post treatment.

Images are equivalent in scale. Each culture was exposed to 3-minute dosages.
(a) Helium-exposed culture, (b) Plasma-exposed culture, (c) Helium-exposed
culture, (d) Plasma-exposed culture. The voids in cell culture are larger for
plasma-exposed culture.

Three cell culture wells were exposed to helium and three wells exposed to plasma.
Two wells were exposed for 60 seconds and four were exposed for 180 seconds.
The mass flow rate was set to 775 mL/min.
Plasma exposed cultures had voids in the cell culture that were 23 the diameter of the
voids in the helium-exposed cultures.
Cell destruction was observed to occur for a larger area in the case of the plasma jet.
This indicates an additional mechanism of cell destruction is active in the lowtemperature plasma beyond the kinetic energy of the jet molecules.

Conclusions and Further Investigation

The interface between the
LTP syringe interacting with a
saline sample.

Syringe
within
PEEK

Ground wire
wrapped around
syringe

The hypothesis is that the reactive oxygen species generated in the plasma plume are
responsible for the destructive effects due to increased oxidative stress on the cells.
The generation of reactive oxygen species in the plasma plume and the subsequent
oxidative stress on the cells is the proposed method of action.
Further experimentation is planned to quantify the concentration of reactive chemical
species and evaluate this hypothesis.
We will determine why pure helium exposure results in cell destruction.
Different gases will be used in future experiments as well as longer exposure times.
Larger diameter wells and a greater volume of PBS will also be used.

Acknowledgments

Schematic of the LTP syringe. The HV power

supply is connected to the syringe which is
encased within the dielectric barrier (PEEK). The
gas flows through the back and out of the tip of the
syringe as plasma.

Plasma
Discharge

The authors wish to thank D. Sosnoski, for helping prepare the cell cultures. The BC
line (MDA-MB-231, ATCC-HTB 26 presumptive equivalent) was initially provided by
Dr. D. Welch, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Contacts:
Michael A. Wilson

Timothy R. Brubaker

Andrea M. Mastro

Michael M. Micci

Sven G. Biln

Sean D. Knecht

maw5595@psu.edu

trb5084@psu.edu

a36@psu.edu

x0c@engr.psu.edu

sbilen@psu.edu

sdk149@psu.edu