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Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Nanotechnology

A nanotechnology application in healthcare is usually expressed as nanomedicine. "Use of nanotechnology in drug delivery, in vitro diagnostics, smart and multifunctional biomaterials, imaging and active implants together come under the umbrella of nanomedicine," says Dr Professor Amarnath Maitra, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi and Visiting Scientist, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, USA.

Nanomedicine may be defined as the monitoring, repair, construction and control of human biological systems at the molecular level, using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. Nanotech in healthcare has invaded areas like drug delivery systems, pharmaceuticals, biocompatible materials, micro-engineered devices, improved cardiac catheters and stents. Some examples include nanotechnology- based synthetic bone for maxillofacial applications, for treating fractures, and as a scaffold for tissue engineering and differentiation of stem cells, nanoparticles for pulmonary and ocular delivery, and microengineered transcatheteral devices for minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

According to Dr Bellare, however, the potential impact is large, inclusive of artificial organs, tissue engineering, diagnostics of various sorts (at home, bed-side, ambulatory) battlefield, and outer space. "The impact will be felt on virtually every facet of healthcare, from pre-birth to post death," says Bellare.

Source: http://www.expresshealthcaremgmt.com/200803/knowledge01.shtml