PlazmaMed - a Quality Start-Up for Disinfection

14:45, April 22, 2020

UrFU scientists proposed to use cold plasma for disinfecting medical equipment

The use of cold plasma can be effective for disinfecting indoor air, medical masks, respirators, suits and other surfaces. This conclusion was made by the scientists and developers of the PlasmaMed device, created with the assistance of the UrFU Innovation Development Fund.

“The Ural PlazmaMed device, recently recognized in China, produces low-temperature inert-gas plasma, which, when interacting with the surface, effectively destroys bacterial cells, and in the future, with the help of streamer monopolar discharges, can destroy protein chains of viruses,” said the scientific director of the student design bureau "ABEN" of the innovation infrastructure of Ural Federal University Vladimir Pestov.

According to the expert, quickly penetrating into the folds and cavities of tissues, plasma destroys bacterial cells in a matter of seconds. In this case, the same mask after treatment with cold plasma will even better retain bacteria and viruses due to the cold plasma surface modification.

“With a high degree of probability, these properties of cold plasma can be directed to viruses, in particular to coronaviruses,” said Pestov.

It has already been proven that cold plasma promotes the regeneration of healthy tissues of wound surfaces, the healing of trophic and diabetic ulcers, is applicable in surgery and dentistry, for the disinfection and sterilization of medical instruments and heat-sensitive biomaterials. The developed device can be used in the field, in emergency situations, as well as in the war zone.

“Since 2010, the innovative infrastructure of UrFU has supported and created the conditions for the development and entry into the big world of breakthrough innovative technology startups that can qualitatively improve people's lives, in this case, help them maintain their health,” said Nadezhda Terlyga, Deputy First Vice-Rector of UrFU.

"PlazmaMed" is a portfolio project of the UrFU Innovation Development Fund, which is actively engaged in the development of projects in the field of biomedicine. In 2019, PlazmaMed took second place in the prestigious startup competition held by the Association of Technical Universities of Russia and China (ATURK). Prior to that, he became a finalist of the Laboratory of Technological Entrepreneurship of the innovative infrastructure of Ural Federal University, the project team members had an internship at Moscow State University.