1.

Cleaning of medical instruments with oxygen plasma

The project leader had an invited talk at 15th Joint Vacuum Conference in Vienna. She has presented advantages of using plasma as a method for cleaning medical devices, as well as the latest results obtained within this project.

B.04 Guest lecture

COBISS.SI-ID: 27802919

2.

Method for cleaning medical implants and devices contaminated with body fluid by using atomic oxygen

The method developed within this project for cleaning medical devices contaminated with blood was used for cleaning real samples which were supplied by a co-funder. The samples were screws made from titanium which are routinely used during surgical operations of bones. We have proved that our method can be successfully used for removal of organic materials and we prepared a patent application.

F.33 Slovenian patent

COBISS.SI-ID: 28029479

3.

Adsorption of blood proteins on plasma treated medical devices

The Scientific Council of Slovenian Research Agency selected the paper A. Vesel et al, Protein Adsorption on Various Plasma-Treated Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrates, Molecules 18 (2013) 12441-12463 as an outstanding achievement and the corresponding author, A. Vesel, presented the achievement at 9th Slovenian Innovation Forum in November 2014.

E.01 National awards

COBISS.SI-ID: 28124199

4.

Discharge treatment of medical devices

The applicant has been teaching at several universities worldwide. Fruitful collaboration has been established at European polymer centre at University in Zlin, where prof. A. Vesel serves as a guest professor. She presented a lecture about physical and chemical interaction of plasma species with the surfaces of organic materials such as various polymers and proteins.

B.05 Guest lecturer at an institute/university

COBISS.SI-ID: 28284455

5.

Etching of PET films in late flowing afterglow of oxygen plasma

Our new method for removal (etching) of organic impurities from medical devices was presented at the conference. We investigated the rate of etching of PET polymer, which is the most commonly used material in biomedical applications, in the late flowing afterglow of oxygen plasma. Etching of PET polymer was studied as a function of pressure or dose of oxygen atoms to the surface. We have found an important conclusion that not only oxygen atoms are important in the etching process, but some other particles must contribute to the etching as well since the etching rate did not increase with the increasing dose of oxygen atoms to the surface. Our contribution was awarded at the conference.