Nanotechnology Segments

Nanotechnology can be viewed as a series of technologies that are used individually or in combination to make products and applications, and to better understand science. Some of the technologies are currently available, while others are under development and may be useful in years or decades, if at all.

One way of characterizing nanotechnology is by “tools”, “materials”, “devices” and “intelligent materials and machines”. A very brief description of each segment is as follows:

• Tools – Nanotechnology tools include microscopy techniques and equipment that permit users to visualization and manipulate items at the nanoscale such as cells, bacteria and viruses, and to detect single molecules to better understand the nature of science. The range of tools includes the atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning tunneling microscope (STM), molecular modeling software and various production technologies.
•  Materials - Nanomaterials can be grouped into three main areas:
• Raw nanomaterials – which include nanoparticles and nanocrystalline materials that are readily manufactured and can, substitute less performant bulk materials. Raw nanomaterials can be used as biocompatible materials or coatings in drug encapsulation, bone replacements, prostheses, and implants.
  • Nanostructured materials – which are typically, processed forms of raw nanomaterials that provide special shapes or functionality. Examples of nanostructured materials include quantum dots (nano structures which force atoms to occupy discrete energy states as in biological markers), and dendrimers (branched polymers used for drug delivery, filtration and chemical markers). Because of the added complexity of nanostructured materials, various production and quality challenges have to be overcome before they will be readily available for certain applications.
  • Nanotubes and fullerenes – which are the first “wonder materials” of nanotechnology. These are new forms of carbon molecules that produce materials which are 100 times stronger than steel and one-sixth of its weigh, more conductive than copper, and can be safely used in some medical applications. While still in the development stage, the range of nanotube and fullerene applications includes artificial muscles, injection needles for individual cells, and drug delivery systems.
• Devices – Two classes of miniature devices are commonly associated with nanotechnology:
  • Nano devices – which are device technologies that are dimensioned in the nanoscale. While nano devices are increasingly becoming possible to make in the lab, larger scale micro devices are effective solutions in most cases and avoid many difficulties associated with production and packaging of the devices. As a result, nano devices are more likely to be in future application.
  • Micro devices – which includes micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), microfluidics, and microarrays, to name a few. These microtechnologies have diverse medical applications. Examples include biosensors and detectors to detect trace quantities of bacteria, airborne pathogens, biological hazards, and disease signatures; microfluidic “Labon-a-chip” applications for DNA testing and implantable fluid injection systems; and MEMS devices which contain miniature moving parts for heart pacemakers and surgical devices. As previously mentioned micro device applications will be described in this nanomedicine taxonomy even though they are not nano.

·         Intelligent Materials and Machines – This is a fascinating yet controversial area of nanotechnology which comprises many forms of research, much of it blue-sky. Far reaching concepts such as tiny robots, called nanorobots or nanobots, are being conceptualized that may be injected into the body to attack infections or undesirable cells. Other potential applications include intelligent materials that can sense external stimuli and alter their properties to adapt to changes in the environment, molecular machines which can construct materials atom by atom, and molecular assemblers that can mass produce molecular machines. Virtually no projects in this area are near commercialization.