Microplasma jet array for treatment of middle ear infections
USA: Researchers from the University of Illinois have designed a miniaturized 3D-printed device for inactivating Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- a common bacterium that causes middle ear infections, also known as otitis media.
The device -- a microplasma jet array -- generates plasma, which is composed of charged particles and reactive molecules that have been previously shown to inactivate various pathogens. "This is the first time anyone has tried treating middle ear infections using plasma technology," said Jungeun Won, a graduate student in the Boppart lab. "Usually, the treatment involves using antibiotics or surgical intervention."
The problem with using antibiotics is two-fold. First, antibiotics are ineffective in more than 30% of patients with acute infections. Second, their use can lead to increased antibiotic resistance because the bacteria form biofilms -- aggregates that attach to the surface of the ear.
"Biofilms are very dense, making it difficult for the antibiotics to penetrate," said Helen Nguyen (IGOH), an Ivan Racheff Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Our idea was that if we could disrupt the structure of the biofilm, we could increase the penetration of the antibiotics."
Reference:
The study titled, "Inactivation and sensitization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by microplasma jet array for treating otitis media," is published in the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.
DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-021-00219-2
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