A research team led by Professor HUANG Qing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a portable low-temperature plasma device that can significantly enhance transdermal drug delivery.
The new approach uses plasma-generated shock waves to create microchannels in the skin, increasing the delivery of both small- and large-molecule drugs. In tests with simulated macromolecular drugs, the cumulative transmembrane permeation was more than 50 times higher than that of the untreated control group.
The findings were published in Applied Physics Letters.
Transdermal drug delivery offers an alternative to oral and injectable administration, avoiding the first-pass effect of oral drugs and the discomfort of injections. However, the skin’s outermost layer, the stratum corneum, is a strong barrier to drug penetration, while existing methods to overcome it may cause irritation or allergic reactions.
To address this challenge, the researchers incorporated a Laval nozzle into a portable pulsed direct-current discharge plasma device. By optimizing the discharge parameters, they increased the pressure of the shock wave generated during plasma discharge.
When the plasma device is applied to the skin surface, the resulting shock wave temporarily disrupts the stratum corneum and forms microscopic channels, providing pathways for drugs to penetrate the skin.
The researchers tested the technique using simulated macromolecular drugs and found that the cumulative transmembrane permeation increased by more than 50-fold compared with the untreated control group. The results demonstrate the potential of plasma shock waves as a physical method for enhancing transdermal drug delivery without relying on chemical penetration enhancers.
The study provides a potential technical route for developing portable low-temperature plasma devices and advancing non-invasive drug delivery technologies, with possible applications in chronic disease management and localized treatment, according to the team.
Application of the developed low temperature plasma shock wave device for transdermal drug delivery. (Image by JIANG Hao)