Cold plasma electroporation of medication and associated methods
A method and device to apply a cold plasma to a substance at a treatment surface of a patient to cause electroporation of the substance into cells of the patient. The substance can be previously applied to the treatment surface. Alternatively, the substance can be placed in a foam-like material within a tip that passes the cold plasma from the cold plasma device to the treatment area. The tip can be a cannula device with an aperture at the distal end. The cannula device can also have apertures along a portion of the length of the cannula device.
1. A method, comprising:
generating a cold plasma from a cold plasma device; and
passing the cold plasma from the cold plasma device through a body entry point and via a cannula tube to a treatment area of a patient for a predetermined treatment time, wherein the cannula tube comprises an element positioned in the cannula tube, the element comprising a chemical-or-drug substance and an open-celled foam material configured to absorb the chemical-or-drug substance, and passing the cold plasma through the chemical-or-drug substance thereby causes electroporation of the chemical-or-drug substance into cells of a patient.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical-or-drug substance comprises at least one of a biological material, agent, viral vector, DNA, chemical, drug, or protein.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical-or-drug substance comprises at least one of lidocaine, ropivacaine, bupivacaine and an anesthetic.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical-or-drug substance comprises a chemotherapeutic agent.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined treatment time and the chemical-or-drug substance are associated with a treatment protocol.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body entry point is a mouth or a nose.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body entry point is an arterial entry point or a venal entry point.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body entry point is a transdermal entry point obtained using a laproscope or an arthroscope.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment area is within one of a bodily lumen, a cavum, a vestibule, or a buccal cavity.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cannula tube comprises an aperture adjacent to an end of the cannula tube.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the cold plasma from the cold plasma device comprises generating the cold plasma from a multi-frequency harmonic-rich cold plasma generator.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the cold plasma from the cold plasma device comprises generating the cold plasma from a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma generator.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the cold plasma from the cold plasma device comprises generating the cold plasma from a gas jet cold plasma generator.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the element is located at a base of the cannula tube.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cannula tube comprises a plurality of apertures adjacent to an end of the cannula tube.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cannula tube comprises a plurality of apertures located along a portion of the cannula tube.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment area is a surgical site.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment area includes a tumor.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment area includes a structure exposed during a surgical procedure.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment area includes a wound.