The immediate antimicrobial effects of the APP prototype source were almost comparable to OCT without any signs of cytotoxicity. This pilot study is limited by current configurations of the plasma source, where the narrow plasma beam made it difficult to cover larger wound surface areas and in order to avoid untreated areas of the wound bed, smaller wounds were assigned to the APP-treatment group. This limits the significance of AAP-related effects on the wound healing dynamics, as smaller wounds tend to heal faster than larger wounds. However, clinical wound healing studies on a larger scale now seem justifiable. A more advanced plasma source prototype allowing the treatment of larger wounds will address APP's influence on healing dynamics, synergetic treatment with current antiseptics and effects on multiresistant bacteria.

An objective noninvasive diagnostic procedure permitting continuous registration of ocular arterial pulsation and determination of retinal and ciliary arterial blood pressures is presented. Arterial pulsation of both eyes is recorded using two infrasound transducers which are connected pneumatically with suction cups placed temporally on the sclerae. By means of a suction pump the intraocular pressure (IOP) of both eyes can be raised artificially to desired values. It is thus possible to study the ocular pulse oscillogram at different IOP values and to determine retinal and ciliary arterial blood pressures without having to perform ophthalmoscopy. Results from first tests of the oculo-oscillo-dynamograph device and data obtained from 30 healthy persons are discussed.

No abstract

Potential antimicrobial effects of sequential applications of tissue-tolerable plasma (TTP) and the conventional liquid antiseptic octenidine dihydrochloride (ODC) were investigated. 34 patients with chronic leg ulcers were treated with TTP, ODC or a combination of both. The bacterial colonization was measured semi-quantitatively before and immediately after treatment and changes in the microbial strains' compositions before and after antiseptic treatments were analyzed. All antiseptic procedures reduced the bacterial counts significantly. The sequential application of TTP and ODC displayed the highest antimicrobial efficacy. Me combined use of TTP and conventional antiseptics might represent the most efficient strategy for antiseptic treatment of chronic wounds.

No abstract

OPT is a new tonographic procedure permitting easy and reproducible examination of the regulative IOP behavior and the detection of impaired hydrodynamics as an early sign of glaucoma. OPT avoids errors associated with conventional tonographic procedures, takes measurements in IOP ranges where better separation between healthy and glaucoma eyes may be expected, performs simultaneous examination of both eyes, and permits IOP measurement by applanation tonometry in all phases of the examination process. OPT is easier to perform, is better tolerated by the patient and only takes half as long as conventional tonography. The effectiveness of the new procedure is demonstrated by the results of examinations of 253 eyes.

No abstract

Our results indicate a high prognostic impact of tumor vascularization on the clinical outcome of MCC patients. Male sex and ulceration of the primary MCC were identified as independent unfavorable prognostic markers for the clinical outcome. As an outlook, MCC patients with increased angiogenesis might be identified and subjected to a targeted anti-angiogenic treatment.