Announcing a Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science on Nonthermal Medical/Biological
Applications Using Ionized Gases and Electromagnetic Fields (Scheduled for August 2008)
Successful applications of ionized gases and electromagnetic (both wideband and narrow band) exposures for
tasks ranging from decontamination, sterilization and food preservation to cellular manipulation,
field-assisted drug-delivery, and tissue engineering has presented new opportunities and innovative
alternatives for biological, medical and environmental applications. The growing interest in this research
area is evident from the dramatic increase in the number of contributed papers and presentations, and
dedicated sessions at international conferences, such as the IEEE International Conferences on Pulsed Power
and Plasma Science (PPPS), Bioelectromagnetics annual meeting (BEMS), the Biophysical Society conference,
and the International Conference on Plasma Medicine (ICPM). Special issues of the IEEE Transactions on
Plasma Science devoted to this topic of "Nonthermal Medical/Biological Applications Using Ionized Gases and
Electromagnetic Fields" were published in previous years (2002, 2004, and 2006). The brought together
scientists, engineers and practitioners from the medical communities with expertise in such diverse fields
as physics, cell and molecular biology, medicine, electrical and biomedical engineering, microbiology,
plasma science and environmental engineering. The intent of this upcoming special issue is to continue to
provide an opportunity and avenue for publication of new results, developments, methods and concepts in
this exciting, interdisciplinary research area to a wide audience. Given the rapid developments in this
field, submissions on topics covered at conferences such as PPPS 2007, BEMS 2007, and ICPM 2007, reflecting
the state-of-the-art, are encouraged. Other contributions, not previously covered in the above conferences,
are also solicited. Submissions relating to the following general topics and areas are invited for this
upcoming Special Issue:
- Electroporation and its medical applications
- Biological decontamination (pulsed electric fields, microwaves, ultraviolet radiation, and other methods)
- Interactions of high frequency electromagnetic fields with biological systems
- Pulsed microwave- and milli-meter wave induced bio-effects
- Interactions of non-thermal plasmas with microorganisms and biological tissues
- Plasma-aided sterilization, blood clotting, and biomedical applications of cold plasmas
- Direct plasma applications in medicine for the treatment of diseases
- Plasma-aided sterilization, blood clotting, and biomedical applications of cold plasmas
- Modeling and simulation pertaining to bio-physics, bio-medical engineering, cellular and tissue interactions with plasmas and electric field, and medical bio-chemistry.
All contributions should reach the Guest Editors by October 15, 2007. Detailed instructions for authors can
be found inside the back cover of the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science and on the website:
www.ieee.org/pubs/authors.html. Submissions are through
Manuscript CentralTM (
tps-ieee.manuscriptcentral.com), and the
journal standard polices (including page charges and reprints) will apply. Additional information can be
found at http://www.ieeetps.org. Authors may seek additional information by contacting any one of the
following Guest Editors:
Prof. Ravi P. Joshi
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.
Phone: +1 (757) 683-4827
Fax: +1 (757) 683-3220
E-mail: rjoshi@odu.edu
Professor Hidenori Akiyama
Director, 21st Century COE Program on Pulsed Power Science
Graduate School of Science and Technology
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto 860, JAPAN
Phone: +81-96-342-3808
Fax: +81-96-342-3818
E-mail: akiyama@cs.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Prof. Alexander Fridman
Director, Drexel Plasma Institute
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
Curtis Hall 151C, Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Phone: (215) 895-1542
FAX: (215) 895-1478
E-mail: fridman@drexel.edu
