Changes Made with Nanotechnology in Medicine

Nanotechnology in Medicine

Have you ever envisioned a future where things such as disease or prescription drugs are no longer a negative topic of discussion? Scientists in the field of Nanotechnology have envisioned such changes and are working diligently to make this become a reality. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic or molecular level. If perfected it could very well open the doors of possibilities allowing scientists the ability to deploy nanotech within the body or on an environmental level. If scientists are able to succeed in mastering Nanotechnology while avoiding any cost challenges, it will revolutionize the medical field and improve human health and quality of life through many applications.

What exactly is nanotechnology? If we were to break down the word we would find that the word Nano comes from the Greek word meaning dwarf and when joined with technology this word encompasses anything on a nanoscale. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (nano.gov) “Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering”. Some of these fields have shown promising breakthroughs especially in the area of materials and manufacturing, nanoelectronics, energy, information technology, medicine and healthcare and national security. Scientist such as Richard P Feynman and Eric Drexler have believed that nanotechnology will have a profound impact to our economy and society and it is widely felt that nanotechnology will b...

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...r costs. Companies are using nanotechnology to create more efficient membranes; this will allow them to build lighter weight and longer lasting fuel cells. While on the medical side, there is the creation of nanowire which is a coating on the surface of biocompatible titanium. This technique could be used to create more effective surfaces on prosthetics for hip replacements, dental reconstruction or the implantation of stents. The ability to manipulate structures and properties at the nanoscale in medicine is like having a sub-microscopic lab bench on which you can handle cell components, viruses or pieces of DNA, using a range of tiny tools, robots and tubes. Scientists are diligently working on finding ways to manipulate DNA, use nanobots, implement prescription drugs and create nano fibers that would be used tissue engineering or artificial organ components.