**4. Conclusion**

In this chapter a broad range of applications has been reviewed where non-thermal plasma technology could play a beneficial role in the biomedical performance of technical textiles. Albeit being more limited in the number of functional groups that can be incorporated and the limited stability over time, plasma activation still leads to improvements in cell viability, adhesion, proliferation and differentiation as well as better adsorption and chemical bonding of bioactive and bactericidal macromolecules. Plasma grafting and polymerization is equally able to do all of the above, while having access to a wider variety of functional groups and results in more stable surfaces. The incorporation of low molecular weight species into the coatings has to be avoided at all costs as they can have a detrimental effect on the cells viability. Up to now, the low pressure systems are by far the most used treatment systems, as the physics behind the process are well understood and multiple systems are commercially available. In the last decade there has been a growing interest in atmospheric pressure systems as they are more low-cost and can be more easily incorporated in textile production systems and it is our personal believe that atmospheric pressure systems such as the plasma jets will become the most prominently used set-ups. All in all it can be concluded that non-thermal plasma technology has earned its place in the (bio)medical textile market and will continue to do so in the future.
