With a “Made in Vietnam” cold-plasma generator used alongside wound treatment, Dr. Đỗ Hoàng Tùng and Nguyễn Thế Anh have made a new mark in Vietnamese healthcare.
Hoàng Tùng and Thế Anh have known each other since grade 5. At upper secondary level, the two studied in the chemistry-specialist class at Lam Sơn High School for the Gifted. At university, Tùng chose the Faculty of Physics at the University of Science, while Thế Anh chose the Faculty of Chemistry at Hanoi National University of Education.
After graduation, Tùng worked at the Institute of Physics, while Thế Anh also signed a contract with the Institute of Chemistry under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Thế Anh later completed his doctoral dissertation at the Institute of Chemistry, and Hoàng Tùng pursued a doctorate abroad.
While Tùng studied for a doctorate in Germany, the two stayed in regular contact and discussed their work. Thế Anh said that accessing research materials and scientific papers in Vietnam was difficult then, so he often asked Tùng to obtain reading materials for him
Reuniting in 2011, Tùng excitedly told Thế Anh about his dream of applying what he had learned in daily life and establishing plasma research as a field in Vietnam. Listening to Tùng's ideas, especially a plasma generator for medical treatment, Thế Anh was immediately convinced. He decided to endure the hardships together with his friend entrepreneurship at an age when one is no longer young.
Dr. Nguyễn Thế Anh and Dr. Đỗ Hoàng Tùng
Speaking about his bold decision, Thế Anh said it all stemmed from trust. The chances of success and failure were 50–50, but working with passion and walking his own path was very exciting.
Despite their different personalities—Tùng is lively, passionate, and dreamy, while Thế Anh is calm, sharp, and practical—these “opposites” help the 2 work together more easily.
In the early research and development days, the two friends faced many difficulties. With no supporting budget, they had to use everything available. “At first, the machine looked ugly, but with friends’ help we could invest more and make it more attractive,” Thế Anh said.
In 2015, the two PhDs, just past age 35, successfully built a cold plasma generator using Gliding Arc Plasma (GAP) technology. It was one of the world’s first plasma generators based on this principle.
The cold plasma generator uses the gliding-arc plasma principle and is a new treatment tool for wound healing, dermatology, and wound-surface cleaning and disinfection, with antibacterial effects including against drug-resistant bacteria. Its treatment technology helps reduce local pain, itching and discomfort and stimulates and accelerates wound healing through tissue regeneration, cell proliferation and blood-vessel formation.
After testing and clinical trials at many major hospitals, Dr. Tùng’s PlasmaMed device received a medical device circulation registration certificate from the Ministry of Health. Vietnam became one of the first countries in the world to successfully apply cold plasma technology to medical and cosmetic treatment.
Tùng and Thế Anh have now established PlasmaMed. The product is used in nearly 20 hospitals nationwide. “We also have a version for small healthcare facilities, beauty salons or home use to treat simple wounds such as acne, rove beetle injuries, minor skin conditions and superficial burns… More than 20 clinics and aesthetic facilities, mainly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have used this special version,” Thế Anh added.
In the near future, PlasmaMed will continue to be upgraded to suit individual specialties such as dentistry, geriatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology… The two doctors have also set a goal of exporting the equipment within the region. They say the world has made remarkable progress in applying cold plasma in biomedicine, agriculture, and materials science. Tùng and Thế Anh are therefore collaborating with many institutes, universities, and other companies to accelerate research into applications of this new technology.
Collected
Chương trình liên quan tại YUP Education: X-Startup – khóa học khởi nghiệp «Khởi Chánh Nghiệp» · The Journey – lộ trình phát triển doanh nhân
