Volumetrically oscillating plasma flows

A method, comprising:

• establishing an electric arc in a plasma generating device to discharge a plasma for a first period of time;
• applying the plasma, during the first period of time, to a portion of tissue to generate a spongy layer and a compact layer;
• extinguishing the electric arc in the plasma generating device to discharge a plasma generating gas for a second period of time;
• establishing the electric arc to discharge the plasma for a third period of time;
• and
• applying the plasma, during the third period of time, to the portion of tissue to increase a thickness of the compact layer.

A method, comprising:

• applying plasma with a first heat flux to a portion of tissue to produce a spongy layer in the portion of tissue, the spongy layer having a first thickness with a fluid boundary;
• applying plasma with a second heat flux lower than the first heat flux to the portion of tissue to produce a compact layer without increasing a depth of the fluid boundary of the spongy layer, the compact layer being deeper in the portion of tissue than the spongy layer;
• and
• applying plasma having a third heat flux greater than the second heat flux to the portion of tissue to vaporize fluids in a portion of the compact layer, thereby increasing the spongy layer to a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

A method, comprising:

• flowing a gas through a channel of a plasma generating device, the gas including one or more reactants;
• alternating delivery of high intensity and low intensity current between an anode and one or more cathodes of the plasma generating device to heat the gas flowing through the channel to (i) cause the one or more reactants in the gas to undergo chemical reactions to form one or more target chemicals and (ii) generate a volumetrically oscillating plasma flow having low intensity bursts and high intensity bursts;
• and
• applying the volumetrically oscillating plasma flow to a wound, the high intensity bursts of the volumetrically oscillating plasma flow configured to be within a temperature range such that the target chemicals penetrate into the tissue to treat the wound.