Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 3.3
Fifteen Marketed Imaging/Diagnostic and Biomaterial
Product
Composition
Indication
Company
In Vivo
Imaging
Resovist
Iron nanoparticles
Liver tumors
Schering, Berlin
Feridex/Endorem
Iron nanoparticles
Liver tumors
Advanced Magnetics, Guerbet
Gastromark/Lumirem
Iron nanoparticles
Imaging abdominal structures
Advanced Magnetics, Guerbet
In Vitro
Diagnostics
Lateral flow tests
Colloidal gold
Pregnancy, ovulation, HIV, etc.
British Biocell, Amersham/
GE, Nymox
Clinical cell
separation
Magnetic nanoparticles
Immunodiagnostics
Dynal/InVitrogen, Miltenyl
Biotec, Immunicon
Biomaterials
Ceram X duo
Nanoparticle composite
Dental filling material
Dentspley
Filtek Supreme
Nanoparticle composite
Dental filling material
3M Espe
Mondial
Nanoparticle-containing
dental prosthesis
Dental restoration
Heraeus Kulzer
Premise
Nanoparticle composite
Dental repair
Sybron Dental Specialities
Tetric Evoceram
Nanoparticle composite
Dental repair
Ivoclar Vivadent
Ostim
Nano-hydroxy apatite
Bone defects
Osartis
Perossal
Nano-hydroxy apatite
Bone defects
Aap implantate
Vitoss
Nano-hydroxy apatite
Bone defects
Orthovita
Acticoat
Silver nanoparticles
Antimicrobial wound care
Nucryst
Active Implants
Pacemaker
Fractal electrodes
Heart failure
Biotronik
Source:
Data from Company Websites,
Nature Biotechnology
, October 2006. With permission.
physiological barriers and traverse within the circulatory systems of humans and animals, reaching
most tissues and organs and adversely affecting cellular processes and causing disease. However,
the toxicity of each of these materials depends greatly upon the structural arrangement of its many
atoms. Variations in the shape, size, and structural chemistry of nanoparticles yield a large num-
ber of distinct materials with highly different physical, chemical, and toxicological properties. For
example, asbestos, a toxic nanomaterial, causes lung cancer and other diseases. It exists in various
forms with slight variations in shape and chemistry and gives significantly varying toxicity.
The important properties of nanoparticles are shape (including aspect ratios where appropri-
ate), size, and the morphological substructure of the particle. Nanoparticles are available in differ-
ent forms, such as aerosols (solid/liquid phase in air), suspensions (solid in liquids), or emulsions
(two liquid phases). In the presence of chemical agents (surfactants), the surface and interfacial
properties may be modified and such agents can indirectly stabilize against particle coagulation or
aggregation by conserving the particle charge and modifying the outermost layer of the particle.
Nanoparticles have intrinsic toxicity profiles. The physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles
that might increase its toxicity potential include:
•
Particle size and size distribution
•
Particle shape
•
Agglomeration/aggregation
•
Crystal structure (crystallinity)
