Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.1
A selection of current and future applications using nano-
particles in healthcare/medical industries [2]
Under development
Being introduced
Well established
Nanocrystalline drugs for
easier absorption
Molecular tagging
using CdSe quantum
dots
Ag-based antibacterial
wound dressings, ZnO
fungicide
Inhalable insulin
Drug carriers for
drugs with low water
solubility
Au for biolabeling and
detection
Nanospheres for inhaling
drugs currently injected
using biocompatible Si
Coatings for
implants such as
hydroxyapatite
Magnetic resonance
imaging contrast
agents using
superparamagnetic
Fe
2
O
3
Bone growth promoters Marker particles for
use in assays
Sunscreens using ZnO
and TiO
2
Virus detection using
quantum dots
Anticancer treatments
Magnetic particles for
the repair of the human
body with prosthetics
or artiicial replacement
parts
Antioxidant drugs based
on fullerenes
1.3 Nanobiotechnology
Nanobiotechnology is deined as a ield that applies the nanoscale
principles and techniques to understand and transform living or non-
living biosystems and that uses biological principles and materials
to create new devices and systems integrated from the nanoscale
[11, 41, 42]. Recent research on biosystems at the nanoscale has
created one of the most dynamic science and technology domains at
the conluence of physical sciences, molecular engineering, biology,
biotechnology, and medicine [11, 45, 53]. This domain includes
better understanding of living and thinking systems, revolutionary
biotechnology processes, the synthesis of new drugs and their
targeted delivery, regenerative medicine, neuromorphic engineering
