Current Developments on Optical Feedback Interferometry as an All-Optical Sensor for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Perchoux, Julien; Quotb, Adam; Atashkhooei, Reza; Azcona, Francisco J.; Ramírez-Miquet, Evelio E.; Bernal, Olivier; Jha, Ajit; Luna-Arriaga, Antonio; Yanez, Carlos; Caum, Jesus; Bosch, Thierry; Royo, Santiago

2016-01-01

Optical feedback interferometry (OFI) sensors are experiencing a consistent increase in their applications to biosensing due to their contactless nature, low cost and compactness, features that fit very well with current biophotonics research and market trends. The present paper is a review of the work in progress at UPC-CD6 and LAAS-CNRS related to the application of OFI to different aspects of biosensing, both in vivo and ex vivo. This work is intended to present the variety of opportunities and potential applications related to OFI that are available in the field. The activities presented are divided into two main sensing strategies: The measurement of optical path changes and the monitoring of flows, which correspond to sensing strategies linked to the reconstruction of changes of amplitude from the interferometric signal, and to classical Doppler frequency measurements, respectively. For optical path change measurements, measurements of transient pulses, usual in biosensing, together with the measurement of large displacements applied to designing palliative care instrumentation for Parkinson disease are discussed. Regarding the Doppler-based approach, progress in flow-related signal processing and applications in real-time monitoring of non-steady flows, human blood flow monitoring and OFI pressure myograph sensing will be presented. In all cases, experimental setups are discussed and results presented, showing the versatility of the technique. The described applications show the wide capabilities in biosensing of the OFI sensor, showing it as an enabler of low-cost, all-optical, high accuracy biomedical applications. PMID:27187406

Current Developments on Optical Feedback Interferometry as an All-Optical Sensor for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Perchoux, Julien; Quotb, Adam; Atashkhooei, Reza; Azcona, Francisco J; Ramírez-Miquet, Evelio E; Bernal, Olivier; Jha, Ajit; Luna-Arriaga, Antonio; Yanez, Carlos; Caum, Jesus; Bosch, Thierry; Royo, Santiago

2016-05-13

Optical feedback interferometry (OFI) sensors are experiencing a consistent increase in their applications to biosensing due to their contactless nature, low cost and compactness, features that fit very well with current biophotonics research and market trends. The present paper is a review of the work in progress at UPC-CD6 and LAAS-CNRS related to the application of OFI to different aspects of biosensing, both in vivo and ex vivo. This work is intended to present the variety of opportunities and potential applications related to OFI that are available in the field. The activities presented are divided into two main sensing strategies: The measurement of optical path changes and the monitoring of flows, which correspond to sensing strategies linked to the reconstruction of changes of amplitude from the interferometric signal, and to classical Doppler frequency measurements, respectively. For optical path change measurements, measurements of transient pulses, usual in biosensing, together with the measurement of large displacements applied to designing palliative care instrumentation for Parkinson disease are discussed. Regarding the Doppler-based approach, progress in flow-related signal processing and applications in real-time monitoring of non-steady flows, human blood flow monitoring and OFI pressure myograph sensing will be presented. In all cases, experimental setups are discussed and results presented, showing the versatility of the technique. The described applications show the wide capabilities in biosensing of the OFI sensor, showing it as an enabler of low-cost, all-optical, high accuracy biomedical applications.

Viruses, Artificial Viruses and Virus-Based Structures for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

van Rijn, Patrick; Schirhagl, Romana

2016-06-01

Nanobiomaterials such as virus particles and artificial virus particles offer tremendous opportunities to develop new biomedical applications such as drug- or gene-delivery, imaging and sensing but also improve understanding of biological mechanisms. Recent advances within the field of virus-based systems give insights in how to mimic viral structures and virus assembly processes as well as understanding biodistribution, cell/tissue targeting, controlled and triggered disassembly or release and circulation times. All these factors are of high importance for virus-based functional systems. This review illustrates advances in mimicking and enhancing or controlling these aspects to a high degree toward delivery and imaging applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Research on pressure sensors for biomedical instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angell, J. B.

1975-01-01

The development of a piezo-resistive pressure transducer is discussed suitable for recording pressures typically encountered in biomedical applications. The pressure transducer consists of a thin silicon diaphragm containing four strain-sensitive resistors, and is fabricated using silicon monolithic integrated-circuit technology. The pressure transducers can be as small as 0.7 mm outer diameter, and are, as a result, suitable for mounting at the tip of a catheter. Pressure-induced stress in the diaphragm is sensed by the resistors, which are interconnected to form a Wheatstone bridge.

Disambiguating ambiguous biomedical terms in biomedical narrative text: an unsupervised method.

PubMed

Liu, H; Lussier, Y A; Friedman, C

2001-08-01

With the growing use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques for information extraction and concept indexing in the biomedical domain, a method that quickly and efficiently assigns the correct sense of an ambiguous biomedical term in a given context is needed concurrently. The current status of word sense disambiguation (WSD) in the biomedical domain is that handcrafted rules are used based on contextual material. The disadvantages of this approach are (i) generating WSD rules manually is a time-consuming and tedious task, (ii) maintenance of rule sets becomes increasingly difficult over time, and (iii) handcrafted rules are often incomplete and perform poorly in new domains comprised of specialized vocabularies and different genres of text. This paper presents a two-phase unsupervised method to build a WSD classifier for an ambiguous biomedical term W. The first phase automatically creates a sense-tagged corpus for W, and the second phase derives a classifier for W using the derived sense-tagged corpus as a training set. A formative experiment was performed, which demonstrated that classifiers trained on the derived sense-tagged corpora achieved an overall accuracy of about 97%, with greater than 90% accuracy for each individual ambiguous term.

Mid-infrared (MIR) photonics: MIR passive and active fiberoptics chemical and biomedical, sensing and imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seddon, Angela B.

2016-10-01

The case for new, portable, real-time mid-infrared (MIR) molecular sensing and imaging is discussed. We set a record in demonstrating extreme broad-band supercontinuum (SC) generated light 1.4-13.3 μm in a specially engineered, step-index MIR optical fiber of high numerical aperture. This was the first experimental demonstration truly to reveal the potential of MIR fibers to emit across the MIR molecular "fingerprint spectral region" and a key first step towards bright, portable, broadband MIR sources for chemical and biomedical, molecular sensing and imaging in real-time. Potential applications are in the healthcare, security, energy, environmental monitoring, chemical-processing, manufacturing and the agriculture sectors. MIR narrow-line fiber lasers are now required to pump the fiber MIR-SC for a compact all-fiber solution. Rare-earth-ion (RE-) doped MIR fiber lasers are not yet demonstrated >=4 μm wavelength. We have fabricated small-core RE-fiber with photoluminescence across 3.5-6 μm, and long excited-state lifetimes. MIR-RE-fiber lasers are also applicable as discrete MIR fiber sensors in their own right, for applications including: ship-to-ship free-space communications, aircraft counter-measures, coherent MIR imaging, MIR-optical coherent tomography, laser-cutting/ patterning of soft materials and new wavelengths for fiber laser medical surgery.

A Self-Referenced Optical Intensity Sensor Network Using POFBGs for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Moraleda, Alberto Tapetado; Montero, David Sánchez; Webb, David J.; García, Carmen Vázquez

2014-01-01

This work bridges the gap between the remote interrogation of multiple optical sensors and the advantages of using inherently biocompatible low-cost polymer optical fiber (POF)-based photonic sensing. A novel hybrid sensor network combining both silica fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and polymer FBGs (POFBG) is analyzed. The topology is compatible with WDM networks so multiple remote sensors can be addressed providing high scalability. A central monitoring unit with virtual data processing is implemented, which could be remotely located up to units of km away. The feasibility of the proposed solution for potential medical environments and biomedical applications is shown. PMID:25615736

A self-referenced optical intensity sensor network using POFBGs for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Tapetado Moraleda, Alberto; Sánchez Montero, David; Webb, David J; Vázquez García, Carmen

2014-12-12

This work bridges the gap between the remote interrogation of multiple optical sensors and the advantages of using inherently biocompatible low-cost polymer optical fiber (POF)-based photonic sensing. A novel hybrid sensor network combining both silica fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and polymer FBGs (POFBG) is analyzed. The topology is compatible with WDM networks so multiple remote sensors can be addressed providing high scalability. A central monitoring unit with virtual data processing is implemented, which could be remotely located up to units of km away. The feasibility of the proposed solution for potential medical environments and biomedical applications is shown.

Facile synthesis of carbon dots with superior sensing ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Lin; Li, Jingguo; Liu, Liyun; Wang, Zhenling; Zhang, Xingcai

2018-04-01

Carbon dots (CDs) have various applications in biomedical and environmental field, such as bio-imaging, bio-sensing and heavy metal detection. In this study, a novel class of CDs were synthesized using a one-step hydrothermal method. The fabricated CDs displayed stable photoluminescence, good water solubility, and photo stability. Moreover, the functional groups (carboxylic acid moieties and hydroxyls) on the surface of the obtained CDs enable it with superior sensing ability (e.g., very low detectable concentration for Pb2+: 5 nmol/L). With superior detection sensitivity, excellent fluorescent properties and facile fabrication method, the as-obtained CDs can find practical applications as cost-effective and sensitive chemo-sensors in water and food safety field.

Electroactive polymers for healthcare and biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Siegfried

2017-04-01

Electroactivity was noticed early in biological substances, including proteins, polynucleotides and enzymes, even piezoand pyroelectricity were found in wool, hair, wood, bone and tendon. Recently, ferroelectricity has been identified in a surprisingly large number of biologically relevant materials, including hydroxyapatite, aortic walls and elastin. Inspired by the variety of natural electroactive materials, a wealth of new elastomers and polymers were designed recently, including an all organic elastomer electret and self-healing dielectric elastomers. Let's further draw inspiration from nature and widen the utilization of electroactive polymers towards (mobile) healthcare and biomedical applications. Ferroelectrets, internally charged polymer foams with a strong piezoelectric thickness coefficient are employed in biomedical sensing, for example as blood pressure and pulse sensor, as vital signs monitor or for the detection of tonicclonic seizures. Piezo- and pyroelectric polymers are booming in printed electronics research. They provide electronic skin the ability to "feel" pressure and temperature changes, or to generate electrical energy from vibrations and motions, even from contractile and relaxation motions of the heart and lung. Dielectric elastomers are pioneered by StretchSense as wearable motion capture sensors, monitoring pressure, stretch, bend and shear, quantifying comfort in sports and healthcare. On the cellular level, electroactive polymer arrays are used to study mechanotransduction of individual cells. Ionic electroactive polymers show potential to be used in implantable electroactive biomedical devices. Already with the currently available science and technology, we are at the verge of witnessing the demonstration of truly complex bionic systems.

Rational engineering of physicochemical properties of nanomaterials for biomedical applications with nanotoxicological perspectives.

PubMed

Navya, P N; Daima, Hemant Kumar

2016-01-01

Innovative engineered nanomaterials are at the leading edge of rapidly emerging fields of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. Meticulous synthesis, unique physicochemical properties, manifestation of chemical or biological moieties on the surface of materials make engineered nanostructures suitable for a variety of biomedical applications. Besides, tailored nanomaterials exhibit entirely novel therapeutic applications with better functionality, sensitivity, efficiency and specificity due to their customized unique physicochemical and surface properties. Additionally, such designer made nanomaterials has potential to generate series of interactions with various biological entities including DNA, proteins, membranes, cells and organelles at nano-bio interface. These nano-bio interactions are driven by colloidal forces and predominantly depend on the dynamic physicochemical and surface properties of nanomaterials. Nevertheless, recent development and atomic scale tailoring of various physical, chemical and surface properties of nanomaterials is promising to dictate their interaction in anticipated manner with biological entities for biomedical applications. As a result, rationally designed nanomaterials are in extensive demand for bio-molecular detection and diagnostics, therapeutics, drug and gene delivery, fluorescent labelling, tissue engineering, biochemical sensing and other pharmaceuticals applications. However, toxicity and risk associated with engineered nanomaterials is rather unclear or not well understood; which is gaining considerable attention and the field of nanotoxicology is evolving promptly. Therefore, this review explores current knowledge of articulate engineering of nanomaterials for biomedical applications with special attention on potential toxicological perspectives.

Rational engineering of physicochemical properties of nanomaterials for biomedical applications with nanotoxicological perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navya, P. N.; Daima, Hemant Kumar

2016-02-01

Innovative engineered nanomaterials are at the leading edge of rapidly emerging fields of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. Meticulous synthesis, unique physicochemical properties, manifestation of chemical or biological moieties on the surface of materials make engineered nanostructures suitable for a variety of biomedical applications. Besides, tailored nanomaterials exhibit entirely novel therapeutic applications with better functionality, sensitivity, efficiency and specificity due to their customized unique physicochemical and surface properties. Additionally, such designer made nanomaterials has potential to generate series of interactions with various biological entities including DNA, proteins, membranes, cells and organelles at nano-bio interface. These nano-bio interactions are driven by colloidal forces and predominantly depend on the dynamic physicochemical and surface properties of nanomaterials. Nevertheless, recent development and atomic scale tailoring of various physical, chemical and surface properties of nanomaterials is promising to dictate their interaction in anticipated manner with biological entities for biomedical applications. As a result, rationally designed nanomaterials are in extensive demand for bio-molecular detection and diagnostics, therapeutics, drug and gene delivery, fluorescent labelling, tissue engineering, biochemical sensing and other pharmaceuticals applications. However, toxicity and risk associated with engineered nanomaterials is rather unclear or not well understood; which is gaining considerable attention and the field of nanotoxicology is evolving promptly. Therefore, this review explores current knowledge of articulate engineering of nanomaterials for biomedical applications with special attention on potential toxicological perspectives.

Molecular sensing with magnetic nanoparticles using magnetic spectroscopy of nanoparticle Brownian motion.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaojuan; Reeves, Daniel B; Perreard, Irina M; Kett, Warren C; Griswold, Karl E; Gimi, Barjor; Weaver, John B

2013-12-15

Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) have shown promise in biosensing and other biomedical applications. Here we use functionalized mNPs to develop a highly sensitive, versatile sensing strategy required in practical biological assays and potentially in vivo analysis. We demonstrate a new sensing scheme based on magnetic spectroscopy of nanoparticle Brownian motion (MSB) to quantitatively detect molecular targets. MSB uses the harmonics of oscillating mNPs as a metric for the freedom of rotational motion, thus reflecting the bound state of the mNP. The harmonics can be detected in vivo from nanogram quantities of iron within 5s. Using a streptavidin-biotin binding system, we show that the detection limit of the current MSB technique is lower than 150 pM (0.075 pmole), which is much more sensitive than previously reported techniques based on mNP detection. Using mNPs conjugated with two anti-thrombin DNA aptamers, we show that thrombin can be detected with high sensitivity (4 nM or 2 pmole). A DNA-DNA interaction was also investigated. The results demonstrated that sequence selective DNA detection can be achieved with 100 pM (0.05 pmole) sensitivity. The results of using MSB to sense these interactions, show that the MSB based sensing technique can achieve rapid measurement (within 10s), and is suitable for detecting and quantifying a wide range of biomarkers or analytes. It has the potential to be applied in variety of biomedical applications or diagnostic analyses. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tubular nanostructured materials for bioapplications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jining; Chen, Linfeng; Srivatsan, Malathi; Varadan, Vijay K.

2009-03-01

Tubular nanomaterials possess hollow structures as well as high aspect ratios. In addition to their unique physical and chemical properties induced by their nanoscale dimensions, their inner voids and outer surfaces make them ideal candidates for a number of biomedical applications. In this work, three types of tubular nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes, hematite nanotubes, and maghemite nanotubes, were synthesized by different chemical techniques. Their structural and crystalline properties were characterized. For potential bioapplications of tubular nanomaterials, experimental investigations were carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of using carbon nanotubes, hematite nanotubes, and maghemite nanotubes in glucose sensing, neuronal growth, and drug delivery, respectively. Preliminary results show the promise of tubular nanomaterials in future biomedical applications.

An ultra-low-power filtering technique for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Tan-Tan; Mak, Pui-In; Vai, Mang-I; Mak, Peng-Un; Wan, Feng; Martins, R P

2011-01-01

This paper describes an ultra-low-power filtering technique for biomedical applications designated as T-wave sensing in heart-activities detection systems. The topology is based on a source-follower-based Biquad operating in the sub-threshold region. With the intrinsic advantages of simplicity and high linearity of the source-follower, ultra-low-cutoff filtering can be achieved, simultaneously with ultra low power and good linearity. An 8(th)-order 2.4-Hz lowpass filter design example optimized in a 0.35-μm CMOS process was designed achieving over 85-dB dynamic range, 74-dB stopband attenuation and consuming only 0.36 nW at a 3-V supply.

Gold Nanoparticles for Diagnostics: Advances towards Points of Care

PubMed Central

Cordeiro, Mílton; Ferreira Carlos, Fábio; Pedrosa, Pedro; Lopez, António; Baptista, Pedro Viana

2016-01-01

The remarkable physicochemical properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have prompted developments in the exploration of biomolecular interactions with AuNP-containing systems, in particular for biomedical applications in diagnostics. These systems show great promise in improving sensitivity, ease of operation and portability. Despite this endeavor, most platforms have yet to reach maturity and make their way into clinics or points of care (POC). Here, we present an overview of emerging and available molecular diagnostics using AuNPs for biomedical sensing that are currently being translated to the clinical setting. PMID:27879660

Nonenzymetic glucose sensing using carbon functionalized carbon doped ZnO nanorod arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Pinak; Majumder, Tanmoy; Dhar, Saurab; Mondal, Suvra Prakash

2018-04-01

Fabrication of highly sensitive, long stability and low cost glucose sensors are attractive for biomedical applications and food industries. Most of the commercial glucose sensors are based on enzymatic detection which suffers from problems underlying in enzyme activities. Development of high sensitive, enzyme free sensors is a great challenge for next generation glucose sensing applications. In our study Zinc oxide nanorod sensing electrodes have been grown using low cost hydrothermal route and their nonenzymatic glucose sensing properties have been demonstrated with carbon functionalized, carbon doped ZnO nanorods (C-ZnO NRs) in neutral medium (0.1M PBS, pH 7.4) using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements. The C-ZnO NRs electrodes demonstrated glucose sensitivity˜ 13.66 µAmM-1cm-2 in the concentration range 0.7 - 14 mM.

Implantable biomedical devices on bioresorbable substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, John A.; Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Omenetto, Fiorenzo

Provided herein are implantable biomedical devices and methods of administering implantable biomedical devices, making implantable biomedical devices, and using implantable biomedical devices to actuate a target tissue or sense a parameter associated with the target tissue in a biological environment.

Development of an optical fiber SERS microprobe for minimally invasive sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Juodkazis, Saulius; Mahadevan-Jansen, Anita; Stoddart, Paul R.

2018-02-01

Numerous potential biomedical sensing applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) have been reported, but its practical use has been limited by the lack of a robust sensing platform. Optical fiber SERS probes show great promise, but are limited by the prominent silica Raman background, which requires the use of bulky optics for filtering the signal collection and excitation delivery paths. In the present study, a SERS microprobe has been designed and developed to eliminate the bottlenecks outlined above. For efficient excitation and delivery of the SERS signal, both hollow core photonic crystal fiber and double clad fiber have been investigated. While the hollow core fiber was still found to have excessive silica background, the double clad fiber allows efficient signal collection via the multi-mode inner cladding. A micro filtering mechanism has been designed, which can be integrated into the tip of the optical fiber SERS probe, providing filtering to suppress silica Raman background and thus avoiding the need for bulky optics. The design also assists in the efficient collection of SERS signal from the sample by rejecting Rayleigh scattered light from the sample. Optical fiber cleaving using ultra-short laser pulses was tested for improved control of the fiber tip geometry. With this miniaturized and integrated filtering mechanism, it is expected that the developed probe will promote the use of SERS for minimally invasive biomedical monitoring and sensing applications in future. The probe could potentially be placed inside a small gauge hypodermic needle and would be compatible with handheld portable spectrometers.

Biomedical sensing and display concept improves brain wave monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, R. L.

1970-01-01

Concept for increasing effectiveness of biomedical sensing and display promises greater monitoring capability while lessening high skill requirements in operating personnel. New concept overcomes deficiencies of current system by employing increased number of probes and microelectronic preamplifiers.

Natural polysaccharides as active biomaterials in nanostructured films for sensing.

PubMed

Eiras, Carla; Santos, Amanda C; Zampa, Maysa F; de Brito, Ana Cristina Facundo; Leopoldo Constantino, Carlos J; Zucolotto, Valtencir; dos Santos, José R

2010-01-01

The search for natural, biocompatible and degradable materials amenable to be used in biomedical/analytical applications has attracted attention, either from the environmental or medical point of view. Examples are the polysaccharides extracted from natural gums, which have found applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries as stabilizers or thickening agent. In a previous paper, however, it was shown that a Brazilian natural gum, chicha (Sterculia striata), is suitable for application as building block for nanostructured film fabrication in conjunction with phthalocyanines. The films displayed electroactivity and could be used in sensing. In the present paper, we introduce the use of two different natural gums, viz., angico (Anadenanthera colubrina) and caraia (Sterculia urens), as active biomaterials to be used to modification layers, in the form of nanostructured thin films, including the study of dopamine detection. The multilayer films were assembled in conjunction with nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanines (NiTsPC) and displayed good chemical and electrochemical stability, allowing their use as transducer elements in sensors for detection of specific neurotransmitters. It is suggested here that nanoscale manipulation of new biodegradable natural polymers opens up a variety of new opportunities for the use of these materials in advanced biomedical and analytical devices.

Bioapplications of graphene constructed functional nanomaterials.

PubMed

Gulzar, Arif; Yang, Piaoping; He, Fei; Xu, Jiating; Yang, Dan; Xu, Liangge; Jan, Mohammad Omar

2017-01-25

Graphene has distinctive mechanical, electronic, and optical properties, which researchers have applied to develop innovative electronic materials including transparent conductors and ultrafast transistors. Lately, the understanding of various chemical properties of graphene has expedited its application in high-performance devices that generate and store energy. Graphene is now increasing its terrain outside electronic and chemical applications toward biomedical areas such as precise bio sensing through graphene-quenched fluorescence, graphene-enhanced cell differentiation and growth, and graphene-assisted laser desorption/ionization for mass spectrometry. In this Account, we evaluate recent efforts to apply graphene and graphene oxides (GO) to biomedical research and a few different approaches to prepare graphene materials designed for biomedical applications and a brief perspective on their future applications. Because of its outstanding aqueous processability, amphiphilicity, surface functionalizability, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and fluorescence quenching ability, GO chemically exfoliated from oxidized graphite is considered a promising material for biological applications. In addition, the hydrophobicity and flexibility of large-area graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) allow this material to play an important role in cell growth and differentiation. Graphene is considered to be an encouraging and smart candidate for numerous biomedical applications such as NIR-responsive cancer therapy and fluorescence bio-imaging and drug delivery. To that end, suitable preparation and unique approaches to utilize graphene-based materials such as graphene oxides (GOs), reduced graphene oxides (rGOs), and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in biology and medical science are gaining growing interest. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon Nanotubes as Optical Sensors in Biomedicine.

PubMed

Farrera, Consol; Torres Andón, Fernando; Feliu, Neus

2017-11-28

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have become potential candidates for a wide range of medical applications including sensing, imaging, and drug delivery. Their photophysical properties (i.e., the capacity to emit in the near-infrared), excellent photostability, and fluorescence, which is highly sensitive to the local environment, make SWCNTs promising optical probes in biomedicine. In this Perspective, we discuss the existing strategies for and challenges of using carbon nanotubes for medical diagnosis based on intracellular sensing as well as discuss also their biocompatibility and degradability. Finally, we highlight the potential improvements of this nanotechnology and future directions in the field of carbon nanotubes for biomedical applications.

Dynamic response of tapered optical multimode fiber coated with carbon nanotubes for ethanol sensing application.

PubMed

Shabaneh, Arafat; Girei, Saad; Arasu, Punitha; Mahdi, Mohd; Rashid, Suraya; Paiman, Suriati; Yaacob, Mohd

2015-05-04

Ethanol is a highly combustible chemical universally designed for biomedical applications. In this paper, optical sensing performance of tapered multimode fiber tip coated with carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film towards aqueous ethanol with different concentrations is investigated. The tapered optical multimode fiber tip is coated with CNT using drop-casting technique and is annealed at 70 °C to enhance the binding of the nanomaterial to the silica fiber tip. The optical fiber tip and the CNT sensing layer are micro-characterized using FESEM and Raman spectroscopy techniques. When the developed sensor was exposed to different concentrations of ethanol (5% to 80%), the sensor reflectance reduced proportionally. The developed sensors showed high sensitivity, repeatability and fast responses (<55 s) towards ethanol.

Dynamic Response of Tapered Optical Multimode Fiber Coated with Carbon Nanotubes for Ethanol Sensing Application

PubMed Central

Shabaneh, Arafat; Girei, Saad; Arasu, Punitha; Mahdi, Mohd; Rashid, Suraya; Paiman, Suriati; Yaacob, Mohd

2015-01-01

Ethanol is a highly combustible chemical universally designed for biomedical applications. In this paper, optical sensing performance of tapered multimode fiber tip coated with carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film towards aqueous ethanol with different concentrations is investigated. The tapered optical multimode fiber tip is coated with CNT using drop-casting technique and is annealed at 70 °C to enhance the binding of the nanomaterial to the silica fiber tip. The optical fiber tip and the CNT sensing layer are micro-characterized using FESEM and Raman spectroscopy techniques. When the developed sensor was exposed to different concentrations of ethanol (5% to 80%), the sensor reflectance reduced proportionally. The developed sensors showed high sensitivity, repeatability and fast responses (<55 s) towards ethanol. PMID:25946634

Study and characterization of tobacco mosaic virus head-to-tail assembly assisted by aniline polymerization.

PubMed

Niu, Zhongwei; Bruckman, Michael; Kotakadi, Venkata S; He, Jinbo; Emrick, Todd; Russell, Thomas P; Yang, Lin; Wang, Qian

2006-07-28

One-dimensional composite nanofibres with narrow dispersity, high aspect ratio and high processibility have been fabricated by head-to-tail self-assembly of rod-like tobacco mosaic virus assisted by aniline polymerization, which can promote many potential applications including electronics, optics, sensing and biomedical engineering.

Data-Driven Sampling Matrix Boolean Optimization for Energy-Efficient Biomedical Signal Acquisition by Compressive Sensing.

PubMed

Wang, Yuhao; Li, Xin; Xu, Kai; Ren, Fengbo; Yu, Hao

2017-04-01

Compressive sensing is widely used in biomedical applications, and the sampling matrix plays a critical role on both quality and power consumption of signal acquisition. It projects a high-dimensional vector of data into a low-dimensional subspace by matrix-vector multiplication. An optimal sampling matrix can ensure accurate data reconstruction and/or high compression ratio. Most existing optimization methods can only produce real-valued embedding matrices that result in large energy consumption during data acquisition. In this paper, we propose an efficient method that finds an optimal Boolean sampling matrix in order to reduce the energy consumption. Compared to random Boolean embedding, our data-driven Boolean sampling matrix can improve the image recovery quality by 9 dB. Moreover, in terms of sampling hardware complexity, it reduces the energy consumption by 4.6× and the silicon area by 1.9× over the data-driven real-valued embedding.

Ultrasensitive plano-concave optical microresonators for ultrasound sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guggenheim, James A.; Li, Jing; Allen, Thomas J.; Colchester, Richard J.; Noimark, Sacha; Ogunlade, Olumide; Parkin, Ivan P.; Papakonstantinou, Ioannis; Desjardins, Adrien E.; Zhang, Edward Z.; Beard, Paul C.

2017-11-01

Highly sensitive broadband ultrasound detectors are needed to expand the capabilities of biomedical ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging and industrial ultrasonic non-destructive testing techniques. Here, a generic optical ultrasound sensing concept based on a novel plano-concave polymer microresonator is described. This achieves strong optical confinement (Q-factors > 105) resulting in very high sensitivity with excellent broadband acoustic frequency response and wide directivity. The concept is highly scalable in terms of bandwidth and sensitivity. To illustrate this, a family of microresonator sensors with broadband acoustic responses up to 40 MHz and noise-equivalent pressures as low as 1.6 mPa per √Hz have been fabricated and comprehensively characterized in terms of their acoustic performance. In addition, their practical application to high-resolution photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging is demonstrated. The favourable acoustic performance and design flexibility of the technology offers new opportunities to advance biomedical and industrial ultrasound-based techniques.

Biomedical and sensing applications of a multi-mode biodegradable phosphate-based optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podrazky, Ondřej; Peterka, Pavel; Vytykáčová, SoÅa.; Proboštová, Jana; Kuneš, Martin; Lyutakov, Oleksiy; Ceci-Ginistrelli, Edoardo; Pugliese, Diego; Boetti, Nadia G.; Janner, Davide; Milanese, Daniel

2018-02-01

We report on the employment of a biodegradable phosphate-based optical fiber as a pH sensing probe in physiological environment. The phosphate-based optical fiber preform was fabricated by the rod-in-tube technique. The fiber biodegradability was first tested in-vitro and then its biodegradability and toxicity were tested in-vivo. Optical probes for pH sensing were prepared by the immobilization of a fluorescent dye on the fiber tip by a sol-gel method. The fluorescence response of the pH-sensor was measured as a ratio of the emission intensities at the excitation wavelengths of 405 and 450 nm.

Nanostructured plasmonic interferometers for ultrasensitive label-free biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yongkang

Optical biosensors that utilize surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique to analyze the biomolecular interactions have been extensively explored in the last two decades and have become the gold standard for label-free biosensing. These powerful sensing tools allow fast, highly-sensitive monitoring of the interaction between biomolecules in real time, without the need for laborious fluorescent labeling, and have found widely ranging applications from biomedical diagnostics and drug discovery, to environmental sensing and food safety monitoring. However, the prism-coupling SPR geometry is complex and bulky, and has severely limited the integration of this technique into low-cost portable biomedical devices for point-of-care diagnostics and personal healthcare applications. Also, the complex prism-coupling scheme prevents the use of high numerical aperture (NA) optics to increase the spatial resolution for multi-channel, high-throughput detection in SPR imaging mode. This dissertation is focused on the design and fabrication of a promising new class of nanopatterned interferometric SPR sensors that integrate the strengths of miniaturized nanoplasmonic architectures with sensitive optical interferometry techniques to achieve bold advances in SPR biosensing. The nanosensor chips developed provide superior sensing performance comparable to conventional SPR systems, but employing a far simpler collinear optical transmission geometry, which largely facilitates system integration, miniaturization, and low-cost production. Moreover, the fabricated nanostructure-based SPR sensors feature a very small sensor footprint, allowing massive multiplexing on a chip for high-throughput detection. The successful transformation of SPR technique from bulky prism-coupling setup into this low-cost compact plasmonic platform would have a far-reaching impact on point-of-care diagnostic tools and also lead to advances in high-throughput sensing applications in proteomics, immunology, drug discovery, and fundamental cell biology research.

Back in Time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Under a Jet Propulsion Laboratory SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research), Cambridge Research and Instrumentation Inc., developed a new class of filters for the construction of small, low-cost multispectral imagers. The VariSpec liquid crystal enables users to obtain multi-spectral, ultra-high resolution images using a monochrome CCD (charge coupled device) camera. Application areas include biomedical imaging, remote sensing, and machine vision.

[Development and application of electroanalytical methods in biomedical fields].

PubMed

Kusu, Fumiyo

2015-01-01

To summarize our electroanalytical research in the biomedical field over the past 43 years, this review describes studies on specular reflection measurement, redox potential determination, amperometric acid sensing, HPLC with electrochemical detection, and potential oscillation across a liquid membrane. The specular reflection method was used for clarifying the adsorption of neurotransmitters and their related drugs onto a gold electrode and the interaction between dental alloys and compound iodine glycerin. A voltammetric screening test using a redox potential for the antioxidative effect of flavonoids was proposed. Amperometric acid sensing based on the measurement of the reduction prepeak current of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (VK3) or 3,5-di-tert-buty1-1,2-benzoquinone (DBBQ) was applied to determine acid values of fats and oils, titrable acidity of coffee, and enzyme activity of lipase, free fatty acids (FFAs) in serum, short-chain fatty acids in feces, etc. The electrode reactions of phenothiazines, catechins, and cholesterol were applied to biomedical analysis using HPLC with electrochemical detection. A three-channel electrochemical detection system was utilized for the sensitive determination of redox compounds in Chinese herbal medicines. The behavior of barbituric acid derivatives was examined based on potential oscillation measurements.

Emerging Applications of Porphryins in Photomedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haoyuan; Song, Wentao; Rieffel, James; Lovell, Jonathan

2015-04-01

Biomedical applications of porphyrins and related molecules have been extensively pursued in the context of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Recent advances in nanoscale engineering have opened the door for new ways that porphyrins stand to potentially benefit human health. Metalloporphyrins are inherently suitable for many types of medical imaging and therapy. Traditional nanocarriers such as liposomes, dendrimers and silica nanoparticles have been explored for photosensitizer delivery. Concurrently, entirely new classes of porphyrin nanostructures are being developed, such as smart materials that are activated by specific biochemicals encountered at disease sites. Techniques have been developed that improve treatments by combining biomaterials with photosensitizers and functional moieties such as peptides, DNA and antibodies. Compared to simpler structures, these more complex and functional designs can potentially decrease side effects and lead to safer and more efficient phototherapies. This review examines recent research on porphyrin-derived materials in multimodal imaging, drug delivery, bio-sensing, phototherapy and probe design, demonstrating their bright future for biomedical applications.

Research and development of smart wearable health applications: the challenge ahead.

PubMed

Lymberis, Andreas

2004-01-01

Continuous monitoring of physiological and physical parameters is necessary for the assessment and management of personal health status. It can significantly contribute to the reduction of healthcare cost by avoiding unnecessary hospitalisations and ensuring that those who need urgent care get it sooner. In conjunction with cost-effective telemedicine platforms, ubiquitous health monitoring can significantly contribute to the enhancement of disease prevention and early diagnosis, disease management, treatment and home rehabilitation. Latest developments in the area of micro and nanotechnologies, information processing and wireless communication offer, today, the possibility for minimally (or non) invasive biomedical measurement but also wearable sensing, processing and data communication. Although the systems are being developed to satisfy specific user needs, a number of common critical issues have to be tackled to achieve reliable and acceptable smart health wearable applications e.g. biomedical sensors, user interface, clinical validation, data security and confidentiality, scenarios of use, decision support, user acceptance and business models. Major technological achievements have been realised the last few years. Cutting edge development combining functional clothing and integrated electronics open a new research area and possibilities for body sensing and communicating health parameters. This paper reviews the current status of research and development on smart wearable health systems and applications and discusses the outstanding issues and future challenges.

Luminescence materials for pH and oxygen sensing in microbial cells - structures, optical properties, and biological applications.

PubMed

Zou, Xianshao; Pan, Tingting; Chen, Lei; Tian, Yanqing; Zhang, Weiwen

2017-09-01

Luminescence including fluorescence and phosphorescence sensors have been demonstrated to be important for studying cell metabolism, and diagnosing diseases and cancer. Various design principles have been employed for the development of sensors in different formats, such as organic molecules, polymers, polymeric hydrogels, and nanoparticles. The integration of the sensing with fluorescence imaging provides valuable tools for biomedical research and applications at not only bulk-cell level but also at single-cell level. In this article, we critically reviewed recent progresses on pH, oxygen, and dual pH and oxygen sensors specifically for their application in microbial cells. In addition, we focused not only on sensor materials with different chemical structures, but also on design and applications of sensors for better understanding cellular metabolism of microbial cells. Finally, we also provided an outlook for future materials design and key challenges in reaching broad applications in microbial cells.

Here, there and everywhere: The art and science of optics at work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrosini, Dario; Ferraro, Pietro

2018-05-01

Optics, the ancient science of vision and light [1-5] can look forward to a "bright" future [6,7], as its applications are now ubiquitous in fields as diverse as science, engineering, technology, medicine and everyday life. Optical methods play a crucial and often revolutionary role in non-destructive testing, biomedical applications, microscopy, cultural heritage protection, advanced imaging in medicine, development of self-driving cars, astronomy, remote sensing, and manufacturing to cite a few examples.

A theoretical-experimental methodology for assessing the sensitivity of biomedical spectral imaging platforms, assays, and analysis methods.

PubMed

Leavesley, Silas J; Sweat, Brenner; Abbott, Caitlyn; Favreau, Peter; Rich, Thomas C

2018-01-01

Spectral imaging technologies have been used for many years by the remote sensing community. More recently, these approaches have been applied to biomedical problems, where they have shown great promise. However, biomedical spectral imaging has been complicated by the high variance of biological data and the reduced ability to construct test scenarios with fixed ground truths. Hence, it has been difficult to objectively assess and compare biomedical spectral imaging assays and technologies. Here, we present a standardized methodology that allows assessment of the performance of biomedical spectral imaging equipment, assays, and analysis algorithms. This methodology incorporates real experimental data and a theoretical sensitivity analysis, preserving the variability present in biomedical image data. We demonstrate that this approach can be applied in several ways: to compare the effectiveness of spectral analysis algorithms, to compare the response of different imaging platforms, and to assess the level of target signature required to achieve a desired performance. Results indicate that it is possible to compare even very different hardware platforms using this methodology. Future applications could include a range of optimization tasks, such as maximizing detection sensitivity or acquisition speed, providing high utility for investigators ranging from design engineers to biomedical scientists. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Use of self-actuating and self-sensing cantilevers for imaging biological samples in fluid

PubMed Central

Barbero, R J; Deutschinger, A; Todorov, V; Gray, D S; Belcher, A M; Rangelow, I W; Youcef-Toumi, K

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a detailed investigation into the suitability of atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers with integrated deflection sensor and micro-actuator for imaging of soft biological samples in fluid. The Si cantilevers are actuated using a micro-heater at the bottom end of the cantilever. Sensing is achieved through p-doped resistors connected in a Wheatstone bridge. We investigated the influence of the water on the cantilever dynamics, the actuation and the sensing mechanisms, as well as the crosstalk between sensing and actuation. Successful imaging of yeast cells in water using the integrated sensor and actuator shows the potential of the combination of this actuation and sensing method. This constitutes a major step towards the automation and miniaturization required to establish AFM in routine biomedical diagnostics and in vivo applications. PMID:19801750

Biomedical imaging and sensing using flatbed scanners.

PubMed

Göröcs, Zoltán; Ozcan, Aydogan

2014-09-07

In this Review, we provide an overview of flatbed scanner based biomedical imaging and sensing techniques. The extremely large imaging field-of-view (e.g., ~600-700 cm(2)) of these devices coupled with their cost-effectiveness provide unique opportunities for digital imaging of samples that are too large for regular optical microscopes, and for collection of large amounts of statistical data in various automated imaging or sensing tasks. Here we give a short introduction to the basic features of flatbed scanners also highlighting the key parameters for designing scientific experiments using these devices, followed by a discussion of some of the significant examples, where scanner-based systems were constructed to conduct various biomedical imaging and/or sensing experiments. Along with mobile phones and other emerging consumer electronics devices, flatbed scanners and their use in advanced imaging and sensing experiments might help us transform current practices of medicine, engineering and sciences through democratization of measurement science and empowerment of citizen scientists, science educators and researchers in resource limited settings.

Biomedical Imaging and Sensing using Flatbed Scanners

PubMed Central

Göröcs, Zoltán; Ozcan, Aydogan

2014-01-01

In this Review, we provide an overview of flatbed scanner based biomedical imaging and sensing techniques. The extremely large imaging field-of-view (e.g., ~600–700 cm2) of these devices coupled with their cost-effectiveness provide unique opportunities for digital imaging of samples that are too large for regular optical microscopes, and for collection of large amounts of statistical data in various automated imaging or sensing tasks. Here we give a short introduction to the basic features of flatbed scanners also highlighting the key parameters for designing scientific experiments using these devices, followed by a discussion of some of the significant examples, where scanner-based systems were constructed to conduct various biomedical imaging and/or sensing experiments. Along with mobile phones and other emerging consumer electronics devices, flatbed scanners and their use in advanced imaging and sensing experiments might help us transform current practices of medicine, engineering and sciences through democratization of measurement science and empowerment of citizen scientists, science educators and researchers in resource limited settings. PMID:24965011

Wireless power using magnetic resonance coupling for neural sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Hargsoon; Kim, Hyunjung; Choi, Sang H.; Sanford, Larry D.; Geddis, Demetris; Lee, Kunik; Kim, Jaehwan; Song, Kyo D.

2012-04-01

Various wireless power transfer systems based on electromagnetic coupling have been investigated and applied in many biomedical applications including functional electrical stimulation systems and physiological sensing in humans and animals. By integrating wireless power transfer modules with wireless communication devices, electronic systems can deliver data and control system operation in untethered freely-moving conditions without requiring access through the skin, a potential source of infection. In this presentation, we will discuss a wireless power transfer module using magnetic resonance coupling that is specifically designed for neural sensing systems and in-vivo animal models. This research presents simple experimental set-ups and circuit models of magnetic resonance coupling modules and discusses advantages and concerns involved in positioning and sizing of source and receiver coils compared to conventional inductive coupling devices. Furthermore, the potential concern of tissue heating in the brain during operation of the wireless power transfer systems will also be addressed.

Application of Temperature-Dependent Fluorescent Dyes to the Measurement of Millimeter Wave Absorption in Water Applied to Biomedical Experiments

PubMed Central

Popenko, Oleksandr

2014-01-01

Temperature sensitivity of the fluorescence intensity of the organic dyes solutions was used for noncontact measurement of the electromagnetic millimeter wave absorption in water. By using two different dyes with opposite temperature effects, local temperature increase in the capillary that is placed inside a rectangular waveguide in which millimeter waves propagate was defined. The application of this noncontact temperature sensing is a simple and novel method to detect temperature change in small biological objects. PMID:25435859

Application of temperature-dependent fluorescent dyes to the measurement of millimeter wave absorption in water applied to biomedical experiments.

PubMed

Kuzkova, Nataliia; Popenko, Oleksandr; Yakunov, Andrey

2014-01-01

Temperature sensitivity of the fluorescence intensity of the organic dyes solutions was used for noncontact measurement of the electromagnetic millimeter wave absorption in water. By using two different dyes with opposite temperature effects, local temperature increase in the capillary that is placed inside a rectangular waveguide in which millimeter waves propagate was defined. The application of this noncontact temperature sensing is a simple and novel method to detect temperature change in small biological objects.

Highly Sensitive Multifilament Fiber Strain Sensors with Ultrabroad Sensing Range for Textile Electronics.

PubMed

Lee, Jaehong; Shin, Sera; Lee, Sanggeun; Song, Jaekang; Kang, Subin; Han, Heetak; Kim, SeulGee; Kim, Seunghoe; Seo, Jungmok; Kim, DaeEun; Lee, Taeyoon

2018-05-22

Highly stretchable fiber strain sensors are one of the most important components for various applications in wearable electronics, electronic textiles, and biomedical electronics. Herein, we present a facile approach for fabricating highly stretchable and sensitive fiber strain sensors by embedding Ag nanoparticles into a stretchable fiber with a multifilament structure. The multifilament structure and Ag-rich shells of the fiber strain sensor enable the sensor to simultaneously achieve both a high sensitivity and largely wide sensing range despite its simple fabrication process and components. The fiber strain sensor simultaneously exhibits ultrahigh gauge factors (∼9.3 × 10 5 and ∼659 in the first stretching and subsequent stretching, respectively), a very broad strain-sensing range (450 and 200% for the first and subsequent stretching, respectively), and high durability for more than 10 000 stretching cycles. The fiber strain sensors can also be readily integrated into a glove to control a hand robot and effectively applied to monitor the large volume expansion of a balloon and a pig bladder for an artificial bladder system, thereby demonstrating the potential of the fiber strain sensors as candidates for electronic textiles, wearable electronics, and biomedical engineering.

African Americans, democracy, and biomedical and behavioral research: contradictions or consensus in community-based participatory research?

PubMed

Spigner, C

Individualism, in both its political and attitudinal senses, reinforces societal and institutional racism in the United States. Because of individualism's dominant focus on self-interest and self-reliance, any application of "participatory democracy" in community-based biomedical and behavioral research is fraught with dilemmas similar to those that Gunnar Myrdal observed between American racism and democracy. The research establishment is overwhelmed by well-meaning non-minorities who recognize racism and its consequences in health, but only greater representation of people-of-color in the health establishment can ameliorate the inherent contradictions of "participatory democracy" which is so fundamental to the process of community-based participatory research.

Mid-infrared integrated optics: versatile hot embossing of mid-infrared glasses for on-chip planar waveguides for molecular sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seddon, Angela B.; Abdel-Moneim, Nabil S.; Zhang, Lian; Pan, Wei J.; Furniss, David; Mellor, Christopher J.; Kohoutek, Tomas; Orava, Jiri; Wagner, Tomas; Benson, Trevor M.

2014-07-01

The versatility of hot embossing for shaping photonic components on-chip for mid-infrared (IR) integrated optics, using a hard mold, is demonstrated. Hot embossing via fiber-on-glass (FOG), thermally evaporated films, and radio frequency (RF)-sputtered films on glass are described. Mixed approaches of combined plasma etching and hot embossing increase the versatility still further for engineering optical circuits on a single platform. Application of these methodologies for fabricating molecular-sensing devices on-chip is discussed with a view to biomedical sensing. Future prospects for using photonic integration for the new field of mid-IR molecular sensing are appraised. Also, common methods of measuring waveguide optical loss are critically compared, regarding their susceptibility to artifacts which tend artificially to depress, or enhance, the waveguide optical loss.

Integration of OLEDs in biomedical sensor systems: design and feasibility analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Pratyush; Kumar, Prashanth S.; Varadan, Vijay K.

2010-04-01

Organic (electronic) Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) have been shown to have applications in the field of lighting and flexible display. These devices can also be incorporated in sensors as light source for imaging/fluorescence sensing for miniaturized systems for biomedical applications and low-cost displays for sensor output. The current device capability aligns well with the aforementioned applications as low power diffuse lighting and momentary/push button dynamic display. A top emission OLED design has been proposed that can be incorporated with the sensor and peripheral electrical circuitry, also based on organic electronics. Feasibility analysis is carried out for an integrated optical imaging/sensor system, based on luminosity and spectrum band width. A similar study is also carried out for sensor output display system that functions as a pseudo active OLED matrix. A power model is presented for device power requirements and constraints. The feasibility analysis is also supplemented with the discussion about implementation of ink-jet printing and stamping techniques for possibility of roll to roll manufacturing.

Emerging biomedical applications of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakowicz, Joseph R.; Szmacinski, Henryk; Koen, Peter A.

1994-07-01

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy is presently regarded as a research tool in biochemistry, biophysics, and chemical physics. Advances in laser technology, the development of long-wavelength probes, and the use of lifetime-based methods are resulting in the rapid migration of time-resolved fluorescence to the clinical chemistry lab, to the patient's bedside, to flow cytometers, to the doctor's office, and even to home health care. Additionally, time-resolved imaging is now a reality in fluorescence microscopy, and will provide chemical imaging of a variety of intracellular analytes and/or cellular phenomena. In this overview paper we attempt to describe some of the opportunities available using chemical sensing based on fluorescence lifetimes, and to predict those applications of lifetime-based sensing which are most likely in the near future.

Copper nanowire coated carbon fibers as efficient substrates for detecting designer drugs using SERS.

PubMed

Halouzka, Vladimir; Halouzkova, Barbora; Jirovsky, David; Hemzal, Dusan; Ondra, Peter; Siranidi, Eirini; Kontos, Athanassios G; Falaras, Polycarpos; Hrbac, Jan

2017-04-01

Miniature Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) sensors were fabricated by coating the carbon fiber microelectrodes with copper nanowires. The coating procedure, based on anodizing the copper wire in ultrapure water followed by cathodic deposition of the anode-derived material onto carbon fiber electrodes, provides a "clean" copper nanowire network. The developed miniature (10µm in diameter and 2mm in length) and nanoscopically rough SERS substrates are applicable in drug sensing, as shown by the detection and resolving of a range of seized designer drugs in trace amounts (microliter volumes of 10 -10 -10 -12 M solutions). The copper nanowire modified carbon microfiber substrates could also find further applications in biomedical and environmental sensing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biomedical imaging with THz waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Andrew

2010-03-01

We discuss biomedical imaging using radio waves operating in the terahertz (THz) range between 300 GHz to 3 THz. Particularly, we present the concept for two THz imaging systems. One system employs single antenna, transmitter and receiver operating over multi-THz-frequency simultaneously for sensing and imaging small areas of the human body or biological samples. Another system consists of multiple antennas, a transmitter, and multiple receivers operating over multi-THz-frequency capable of sensing and imaging simultaneously the whole body or large biological samples. Using THz waves for biomedical imaging promises unique and substantial medical benefits including extremely small medical devices, extraordinarily fine spatial resolution, and excellent contrast between images of diseased and healthy tissues. THz imaging is extremely attractive for detection of cancer in the early stages, sensing and imaging of tissues near the skin, and study of disease and its growth versus time.

Nanoscale electrode arrays produced with microscale lithographic techniques for use in biomedical sensing applications.

PubMed

Terry, Jonathan G; Schmüser, Ilka; Underwood, Ian; Corrigan, Damion K; Freeman, Neville J; Bunting, Andrew S; Mount, Andrew R; Walton, Anthony J

2013-12-01

A novel technique for the production of nanoscale electrode arrays that uses standard microfabrication processes and micron-scale photolithography is reported here in detail. These microsquare nanoband edge electrode (MNEE) arrays have been fabricated with highly reproducible control of the key array dimensions, including the size and pitch of the individual elements and, most importantly, the width of the nanoband electrodes. The definition of lateral features to nanoscale dimensions typically requires expensive patterning techniques that are complex and low-throughput. However, the fabrication methodology used here relies on the fact that vertical dimensions (i.e. layer thicknesses) have long been manufacturable at the nanoscale using thin film deposition techniques that are well established in mainstream microelectronics. The authors report for the first time two aspects that highlight the particular suitability of these MNEE array systems for probe monolayer biosensing. The first is simulation, which shows the enhanced sensitivity to the redox reaction of the solution redox couple. The second is the enhancement of probe film functionalisation observed for the probe film model molecule, 6-mercapto-1-hexanol compared with microsquare electrodes. Such surface modification for specific probe layer biosensing and detection is of significance for a wide range of biomedical and other sensing and analytical applications.

Customizing cell signaling using engineered genetic logic circuits.

PubMed

Wang, Baojun; Buck, Martin

2012-08-01

Cells live in an ever-changing environment and continuously sense, process and react to environmental signals using their inherent signaling and gene regulatory networks. Recently, there have been great advances on rewiring the native cell signaling and gene networks to program cells to sense multiple noncognate signals and integrate them in a logical manner before initiating a desired response. Here, we summarize the current state-of-the-art of engineering synthetic genetic logic circuits to customize cellular signaling behaviors, and discuss their promising applications in biocomputing, environmental, biotechnological and biomedical areas as well as the remaining challenges in this growing field. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photoacoustic tomography and sensing in biomedicine

PubMed Central

Li, Changhui; Wang, Lihong V.

2010-01-01

Photoacoustics has been broadly studied in biomedicine, for both human and small animal tissues. Photoacoustics uniquely combines the absorption contrast of light or radio frequency waves with ultrasound resolution. Moreover, it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, and is the fastest growing new biomedical method, with clinical applications on the way. This article provides a brief review of recent developments in photoacoustics in biomedicine, from basic principles to applications. The emphasized areas include the new imaging modalities, hybrid detection methods, photoacoustic contrast agents, and the photoacoustic Doppler effect, as well as translational research topics. PMID:19724102

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Students' Selection of a Doctoral Program to Attend From Those Offering Admission: The Case of Biomedical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar, Donald A.; Wanat, Stan; Gonzalez, Mariaelena

Most graduate training programs in the biomedical sciences try to attract qualified candidates from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; however, some universities have more success than others in enrolling students to whom admission is offered. In order to better understand how students select the school they will attend from those offering admission, we studied the experience of two cohorts of applicants to a doctoral program in the biomedical sciences at Stanford University. Based on interviews with 59 students, we conclude that students use different criteria in deciding the schools to which they will apply than they do in selecting the school they will attend from those offering admission. While we found striking consistency across racial and ethnic groups in the criteria used in selecting schools for application, we found clear differences in the factors affecting the choice of school to attend. Especially for Latino and African American students, the perceived quality of the interpersonal environment and a sense of inclusion were key determinants in selecting the school to attend. In this regard, Latino students found the environment at Stanford more welcoming than African American students did.

Periodical Microstructures Based on Novel Piezoelectric Material for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Janusas, Giedrius; Ponelyte, Sigita; Brunius, Alfredas; Guobiene, Asta; Prosycevas, Igoris; Vilkauskas, Andrius; Palevicius, Arvydas

2015-12-15

A novel cantilever type piezoelectric sensing element was developed. Cost-effective and simple fabrication design allows the use of this element for various applications in the areas of biomedicine, pharmacy, environmental analysis and biosensing. This paper proposes a novel piezoelectric composite material whose basic element is PZT and a sensing platform where this material was integrated. Results showed that a designed novel cantilever-type element is able to generate a voltage of up to 80 µV at 50 Hz frequency. To use this element for sensing purposes, a four micron periodical microstructure was imprinted. Silver nanoparticles were precipitated on the grating to increase the sensitivity of the designed element, i.e., Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) effect appears in the element. To tackle some issues (a lack of sensitivity, signal delays) the element must have certain electronic and optical properties. One possible solution, proposed in this paper, is a combination of piezoelectricity and SPR in a single element.

Integrated Method for Purification and Single-Particle Characterization of Lentiviral Vector Systems by Size Exclusion Chromatography and Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing.

PubMed

Heider, Susanne; Muzard, Julien; Zaruba, Marianne; Metzner, Christoph

2017-07-01

Elements derived from lentiviral particles such as viral vectors or virus-like particles are commonly used for biotechnological and biomedical applications, for example in mammalian protein expression, gene delivery or therapy, and vaccine development. Preparations of high purity are necessary in most cases, especially for clinical applications. For purification, a wide range of methods are available, from density gradient centrifugation to affinity chromatography. In this study we have employed size exclusion columns specifically designed for the easy purification of extracellular vesicles including exosomes. In addition to viral marker protein and total protein analysis, a well-established single-particle characterization technology, termed tunable resistive pulse sensing, was employed to analyze fractions of highest particle load and purity and characterize the preparations by size and surface charge/electrophoretic mobility. With this study, we propose an integrated platform combining size exclusion chromatography and tunable resistive pulse sensing for monitoring production and purification of viral particles.

Metal-organic frameworks as biosensors for luminescence-based detection and imaging

PubMed Central

Miller, Sophie E.; Teplensky, Michelle H.; Moghadam, Peyman Z.; Fairen-Jimenez, David

2016-01-01

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), formed by the self-assembly of metal centres or clusters and organic linkers, possess many key structural and chemical features that have enabled them to be used in sensing platforms for a variety of environmentally, chemically and biomedically relevant compounds. In particular, their high porosity, large surface area, tuneable chemical composition, high degree of crystallinity, and potential for post-synthetic modification for molecular recognition make MOFs promising candidates for biosensing applications. In this review, we separate our discussion of MOF biosensors into two categories: quantitative sensing, focusing specifically on luminescence-based sensors for the direct measurement of a specific analyte, and qualitative sensing, where we describe MOFs used for fluorescence microscopy and as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. We highlight several key publications in each of these areas, concluding that MOFs present an exciting, versatile new platform for biosensing applications and imaging, and we expect to see their usage grow as the field progresses. PMID:27499847

Acoustic Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowling, David R.; Sabra, Karim G.

2015-01-01

Acoustic waves carry information about their source and collect information about their environment as they propagate. This article reviews how these information-carrying and -collecting features of acoustic waves that travel through fluids can be exploited for remote sensing. In nearly all cases, modern acoustic remote sensing involves array-recorded sounds and array signal processing to recover multidimensional results. The application realm for acoustic remote sensing spans an impressive range of signal frequencies (10-2 to 107 Hz) and distances (10-2 to 107 m) and involves biomedical ultrasound imaging, nondestructive evaluation, oil and gas exploration, military systems, and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty monitoring. In the past two decades, approaches have been developed to robustly localize remote sources; remove noise and multipath distortion from recorded signals; and determine the acoustic characteristics of the environment through which the sound waves have traveled, even when the recorded sounds originate from uncooperative sources or are merely ambient noise.

Chemical Sensing Applications of ZnO Nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Chaudhary, Savita; Umar, Ahmad; Bhasin, K. K.

2018-01-01

Recent advancement in nanoscience and nanotechnology has witnessed numerous triumphs of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials due to their various exotic and multifunctional properties and wide applications. As a remarkable and functional material, ZnO has attracted extensive scientific and technological attention, as it combines different properties such as high specific surface area, biocompatibility, electrochemical activities, chemical and photochemical stability, high-electron communicating features, non-toxicity, ease of syntheses, and so on. Because of its various interesting properties, ZnO nanomaterials have been used for various applications ranging from electronics to optoelectronics, sensing to biomedical and environmental applications. Further, due to the high electrochemical activities and electron communication features, ZnO nanomaterials are considered as excellent candidates for electrochemical sensors. The present review meticulously introduces the current advancements of ZnO nanomaterial-based chemical sensors. Various operational factors such as the effect of size, morphologies, compositions and their respective working mechanisms along with the selectivity, sensitivity, detection limit, stability, etc., are discussed in this article. PMID:29439528

Resonant efficiency improvement design of piezoelectric biosensor for bacteria gravimetric sensing.

PubMed

Tsai, Jang-Zern; Chen, Ching-Jung; Shie, Dung-Ting; Liu, Jen-Tsai

2014-01-01

The piezoelectric biosensor have been widely used in ultra-small mass detection of biomolecular, based on PZT piezoelectric material can create a variety of compositions geometrically; it could widely develop a high-frequency resonator and measure the change of the slightest mass while improve the limited detection simultaneously. Therefore, the piezoelectric biosensor of this study was fabricated by a spin-coating method and backside etching process for improving the characteristic of piezoelectric biosensor. The result exhibited that the 250 μm × 250 μm working size has the most favorable piezoelectric characteristic. The tunability was approximately 38.56 % and it showed that reducing the substrate thickness could obtain a clear resonance signal in a range of 60 to 380 MHz. In theory calculated for gravimetric sensing, it could achieve 0.1 ng sensing sensitivity. In gravimetric sensing, the sensing range was between 50,000~100,000 CFU/ml. Sensing range was lower in clinical urinary tract infection (100,000 CFU/ml), thus demonstrating its usefulness for preventive medicine. It can understand the piezoelectric sensor of this study has potential application in the future for biomedical gravimetric sensing.

Ultra High Quality Factor Microtoroid for Chemical and Biomedical Sensing Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAMES AND ADDRESSES U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS resonator...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER Lan Yang 314-935-9543 3. DATES COVERED (From - To...change. By using this ultra high-Q WGM resonator, radius >75nm polystyrene nanoparticle are detected in aquatic environment. In addition to polystyrene

Optical fiber sensors embedded in flexible polymer foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Hoe, Bram; van Steenberge, Geert; Bosman, Erwin; Missinne, Jeroen; Geernaert, Thomas; Berghmans, Francis; Webb, David; van Daele, Peter

2010-04-01

In traditional electrical sensing applications, multiplexing and interconnecting the different sensing elements is a major challenge. Recently, many optical alternatives have been investigated including optical fiber sensors of which the sensing elements consist of fiber Bragg gratings. Different sensing points can be integrated in one optical fiber solving the interconnection problem and avoiding any electromagnetical interference (EMI). Many new sensing applications also require flexible or stretchable sensing foils which can be attached to or wrapped around irregularly shaped objects such as robot fingers and car bumpers or which can even be applied in biomedical applications where a sensor is fixed on a human body. The use of these optical sensors however always implies the use of a light-source, detectors and electronic circuitry to be coupled and integrated with these sensors. The coupling of these fibers with these light sources and detectors is a critical packaging problem and as it is well-known the costs for packaging, especially with optoelectronic components and fiber alignment issues are huge. The end goal of this embedded sensor is to create a flexible optical sensor integrated with (opto)electronic modules and control circuitry. To obtain this flexibility, one can embed the optical sensors and the driving optoelectronics in a stretchable polymer host material. In this article different embedding techniques for optical fiber sensors are described and characterized. Initial tests based on standard manufacturing processes such as molding and laser structuring are reported as well as a more advanced embedding technique based on soft lithography processing.

Translational benchmark risk analysis

PubMed Central

Piegorsch, Walter W.

2010-01-01

Translational development – in the sense of translating a mature methodology from one area of application to another, evolving area – is discussed for the use of benchmark doses in quantitative risk assessment. Illustrations are presented with traditional applications of the benchmark paradigm in biology and toxicology, and also with risk endpoints that differ from traditional toxicological archetypes. It is seen that the benchmark approach can apply to a diverse spectrum of risk management settings. This suggests a promising future for this important risk-analytic tool. Extensions of the method to a wider variety of applications represent a significant opportunity for enhancing environmental, biomedical, industrial, and socio-economic risk assessments. PMID:20953283

Biomedical sensor design using analog compressed sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balouchestani, Mohammadreza; Krishnan, Sridhar

2015-05-01

The main drawback of current healthcare systems is the location-specific nature of the system due to the use of fixed/wired biomedical sensors. Since biomedical sensors are usually driven by a battery, power consumption is the most important factor determining the life of a biomedical sensor. They are also restricted by size, cost, and transmission capacity. Therefore, it is important to reduce the load of sampling by merging the sampling and compression steps to reduce the storage usage, transmission times, and power consumption in order to expand the current healthcare systems to Wireless Healthcare Systems (WHSs). In this work, we present an implementation of a low-power biomedical sensor using analog Compressed Sensing (CS) framework for sparse biomedical signals that addresses both the energy and telemetry bandwidth constraints of wearable and wireless Body-Area Networks (BANs). This architecture enables continuous data acquisition and compression of biomedical signals that are suitable for a variety of diagnostic and treatment purposes. At the transmitter side, an analog-CS framework is applied at the sensing step before Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) in order to generate the compressed version of the input analog bio-signal. At the receiver side, a reconstruction algorithm based on Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) condition is applied in order to reconstruct the original bio-signals form the compressed bio-signals with high probability and enough accuracy. We examine the proposed algorithm with healthy and neuropathy surface Electromyography (sEMG) signals. The proposed algorithm achieves a good level for Average Recognition Rate (ARR) at 93% and reconstruction accuracy at 98.9%. In addition, The proposed architecture reduces total computation time from 32 to 11.5 seconds at sampling-rate=29 % of Nyquist rate, Percentage Residual Difference (PRD)=26 %, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE)=3 %.

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Material Engineering and Emerging Applications in Lithography and Biomedicine

PubMed Central

Bao, Yuping; Wen, Tianlong; Samia, Anna Cristina S.; Khandhar, Amit; Krishnan, Kannan M.

2015-01-01

We present an interdisciplinary overview of material engineering and emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles. We discuss material engineering of nanoparticles in the broadest sense, emphasizing size and shape control, large-area self-assembly, composite/hybrid structures, and surface engineering. This is followed by a discussion of several non-traditional, emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles, including nanoparticle lithography, magnetic particle imaging, magnetic guided drug delivery, and positive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. We conclude with a succinct discussion of the pharmacokinetics pathways of iron oxide nanoparticles in the human body –– an important and required practical consideration for any in vivo biomedical application, followed by a brief outlook of the field. PMID:26586919

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Material Engineering and Emerging Applications in Lithography and Biomedicine.

PubMed

Bao, Yuping; Wen, Tianlong; Samia, Anna Cristina S; Khandhar, Amit; Krishnan, Kannan M

2016-01-01

We present an interdisciplinary overview of material engineering and emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles. We discuss material engineering of nanoparticles in the broadest sense, emphasizing size and shape control, large-area self-assembly, composite/hybrid structures, and surface engineering. This is followed by a discussion of several non-traditional, emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles, including nanoparticle lithography, magnetic particle imaging, magnetic guided drug delivery, and positive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. We conclude with a succinct discussion of the pharmacokinetics pathways of iron oxide nanoparticles in the human body -- an important and required practical consideration for any in vivo biomedical application, followed by a brief outlook of the field.

A Low-Power Thermal-Based Sensor System for Low Air Flow Detection

PubMed Central

Arifuzzman, AKM; Haider, Mohammad Rafiqul; Allison, David B.

2016-01-01

Being able to rapidly detect a low air flow rate with high accuracy is essential for various applications in the automotive and biomedical industries. We have developed a thermal-based low air flow sensor with a low-power sensor readout for biomedical applications. The thermal-based air flow sensor comprises a heater and three pairs of temperature sensors that sense temperature differences due to laminar air flow. The thermal-based flow sensor was designed and simulated by using laminar flow, heat transfer in solids and fluids physics in COMSOL MultiPhysics software. The proposed sensor can detect air flow as low as 0.0064 m/sec. The readout circuit is based on a current- controlled ring oscillator in which the output frequency of the ring oscillator is proportional to the temperature differences of the sensors. The entire readout circuit was designed and simulated by using a 130-nm standard CMOS process. The sensor circuit features a small area and low-power consumption of about 22.6 µW with an 800 mV power supply. In the simulation, the output frequency of the ring oscillator and the change in thermistor resistance showed a high linearity with an R2 value of 0.9987. The low-power dissipation, high linearity and small dimensions of the proposed flow sensor and circuit make the system highly suitable for biomedical applications. PMID:28435186

A simple strategy for in situ fabrication of a smart hydrogel microvalve within microchannels for thermostatic control.

PubMed

Lin, Shuo; Wang, Wei; Ju, Xiao-Jie; Xie, Rui; Chu, Liang-Yin

2014-08-07

Self-regulation of temperature in microchip systems is crucial for their applications in biomedical fields such as cell culture and biomolecule synthesis as well as those cases that require constant temperature conditions. Here we report on a simple and versatile approach for in situ fabrication of a smart hydrogel microvalve within a microchip for thermostatic control. The thermo-responsive hydrogel microvalve enables the "on-off" switch by sensing temperature fluctuations to control the fluid flux as well as the fluid heat exchange for self-regulation of the temperature at a constant range. Such temperature self-regulation is demonstrated by integrating the microvalve-incorporated microchip into the flow circulation loop of a micro-heat-exchanging system for thermostatic control. Moreover, the microvalve-incorporated microchip is employed for culturing cells under temperature self-regulation. The smart microvalve shows great potential as a temperature controller for applications that require thermostatic conditions. This approach offers a facile and flexible strategy for in situ fabricating hydrogel microvalves within microchips as chemostats and microreactors for biomedical applications.

Implantable biomedical devices on bioresorbable substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, John A; Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Omenetto, Fiorenzo

Provided herein are implantable biomedical devices, methods of administering implantable biomedical devices, methods of making implantable biomedical devices, and methods of using implantable biomedical devices to actuate a target tissue or sense a parameter associated with the target tissue in a biological environment. Each implantable biomedical device comprises a bioresorbable substrate, an electronic device having a plurality of inorganic semiconductor components supported by the bioresorbable substrate, and a barrier layer encapsulating at least a portion of the inorganic semiconductor components. Upon contact with a biological environment the bioresorbable substrate is at least partially resorbed, thereby establishing conformal contact between themore » implantable biomedical device and the target tissue in the biological environment.« less

Attractive mechanical properties of a lightweight highly sensitive bi layer thermistor: polycarbonate/organic molecular conductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laukhina, E.; Lebedev, V.; Rovira, C.; Laukhin, V.; Veciana, J.

2016-03-01

The paper covers some of the basic mechanical characteristics of a recently developed bi layer thermistor: polycarbonate/(001) oriented layer of organic molecular conductor α’-(BEDT-TTF)2IxBr3-x, were BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalen. The nano and macro mechanical properties have been studied in order to use this flexible, low cost thermistor in sensing applications by proper way. The nano-mechanical properties of the temperature sensitive semiconducting layer of α’-(BEDT-TTF)2IxBr3-x were tested using nanoindentation method. The value of Young's modulus in direction being perpendicular to the layer plan was found as 9.0 ±1.4 GPa. The macro mechanical properties of the thermistor were studied using a 5848 MicroTester. The tensile tests showed that basic mechanical characteristics of the thermistor are close to those of polycarbonate films. This indicates a good mechanical strength of the developed sensor. Therefore, the thermistor can be used in technologies that need to be instrumented with highly robustness lightweight low cost temperature sensors. The paper also reports synthetic details on fabricating temperature sensing e-textile. As the temperature control is becoming more and more important in biomedical technologies like healthcare monitoring, this work strongly contributes on the ongoing research on engineering sensitive conducting materials for biomedical applications.

Semantic SenseLab: implementing the vision of the Semantic Web in neuroscience

PubMed Central

Samwald, Matthias; Chen, Huajun; Ruttenberg, Alan; Lim, Ernest; Marenco, Luis; Miller, Perry; Shepherd, Gordon; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2011-01-01

Summary Objective Integrative neuroscience research needs a scalable informatics framework that enables semantic integration of diverse types of neuroscience data. This paper describes the use of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and other Semantic Web technologies for the representation and integration of molecular-level data provided by several of SenseLab suite of neuroscience databases. Methods Based on the original database structure, we semi-automatically translated the databases into OWL ontologies with manual addition of semantic enrichment. The SenseLab ontologies are extensively linked to other biomedical Semantic Web resources, including the Subcellular Anatomy Ontology, Brain Architecture Management System, the Gene Ontology, BIRNLex and UniProt. The SenseLab ontologies have also been mapped to the Basic Formal Ontology and Relation Ontology, which helps ease interoperability with many other existing and future biomedical ontologies for the Semantic Web. In addition, approaches to representing contradictory research statements are described. The SenseLab ontologies are designed for use on the Semantic Web that enables their integration into a growing collection of biomedical information resources. Conclusion We demonstrate that our approach can yield significant potential benefits and that the Semantic Web is rapidly becoming mature enough to realize its anticipated promises. The ontologies are available online at http://neuroweb.med.yale.edu/senselab/ PMID:20006477

Semantic SenseLab: Implementing the vision of the Semantic Web in neuroscience.

PubMed

Samwald, Matthias; Chen, Huajun; Ruttenberg, Alan; Lim, Ernest; Marenco, Luis; Miller, Perry; Shepherd, Gordon; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2010-01-01

Integrative neuroscience research needs a scalable informatics framework that enables semantic integration of diverse types of neuroscience data. This paper describes the use of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and other Semantic Web technologies for the representation and integration of molecular-level data provided by several of SenseLab suite of neuroscience databases. Based on the original database structure, we semi-automatically translated the databases into OWL ontologies with manual addition of semantic enrichment. The SenseLab ontologies are extensively linked to other biomedical Semantic Web resources, including the Subcellular Anatomy Ontology, Brain Architecture Management System, the Gene Ontology, BIRNLex and UniProt. The SenseLab ontologies have also been mapped to the Basic Formal Ontology and Relation Ontology, which helps ease interoperability with many other existing and future biomedical ontologies for the Semantic Web. In addition, approaches to representing contradictory research statements are described. The SenseLab ontologies are designed for use on the Semantic Web that enables their integration into a growing collection of biomedical information resources. We demonstrate that our approach can yield significant potential benefits and that the Semantic Web is rapidly becoming mature enough to realize its anticipated promises. The ontologies are available online at http://neuroweb.med.yale.edu/senselab/. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential medical applications of TAE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fahy, J. Ben; Kaucic, Robert; Kim, Yongmin

1986-01-01

In cooperation with scientists in the University of Washington Medical School, a microcomputer-based image processing system for quantitative microscopy, called DMD1 (Digital Microdensitometer 1) was constructed. In order to make DMD1 transportable to different hosts and image processors, we have been investigating the possibility of rewriting the lower level portions of DMD1 software using Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) libraries and subsystems. If successful, we hope to produce a newer version of DMD1, called DMD2, running on an IBM PC/AT under the SCO XENIX System 5 operating system, using any of seven target image processors available in our laboratory. Following this implementation, copies of the system will be transferred to other laboratories with biomedical imaging applications. By integrating those applications into DMD2, we hope to eventually expand our system into a low-cost general purpose biomedical imaging workstation. This workstation will be useful not only as a self-contained instrument for clinical or research applications, but also as part of a large scale Digital Imaging Network and Picture Archiving and Communication System, (DIN/PACS). Widespread application of these TAE-based image processing and analysis systems should facilitate software exchange and scientific cooperation not only within the medical community, but between the medical and remote sensing communities as well.

Light-guiding hydrogels for cell-based sensing and optogenetic synthesis in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Myunghwan; Choi, Jin Woo; Kim, Seonghoon; Nizamoglu, Sedat; Hahn, Sei Kwang; Yun, Seok Hyun

2013-12-01

Polymer hydrogels are widely used as cell scaffolds for biomedical applications. Although the biochemical and biophysical properties of hydrogels have been investigated extensively, little attention has been paid to their potential photonic functionalities. Here, we report cell-integrated polyethylene glycol-based hydrogels for in vivo optical-sensing and therapy applications. Hydrogel patches containing cells were implanted in awake, freely moving mice for several days and shown to offer long-term transparency, biocompatibility, cell viability and light-guiding properties (loss of <1 dB cm-1). Using optogenetic, glucagon-like peptide-1 secreting cells, we conducted light-controlled therapy using the hydrogel in a mouse model with diabetes and obtained improved glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, real-time optical readout of encapsulated heat-shock-protein-coupled fluorescent reporter cells made it possible to measure the nanotoxicity of cadmium-based bare and shelled quantum dots (CdTe; CdSe/ZnS) in vivo.

High Sensitivity, Wearable, Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Based on Irregular Microhump Structures and Its Applications in Body Motion Sensing.

PubMed

Wang, Zongrong; Wang, Shan; Zeng, Jifang; Ren, Xiaochen; Chee, Adrian J Y; Yiu, Billy Y S; Chung, Wai Choi; Yang, Yong; Yu, Alfred C H; Roberts, Robert C; Tsang, Anderson C O; Chow, Kwok Wing; Chan, Paddy K L

2016-07-01

A pressure sensor based on irregular microhump patterns has been proposed and developed. The devices show high sensitivity and broad operating pressure regime while comparing with regular micropattern devices. Finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized to confirm the sensing mechanism and predict the performance of the pressure sensor based on the microhump structures. Silicon carbide sandpaper is employed as the mold to develop polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microhump patterns with various sizes. The active layer of the piezoresistive pressure sensor is developed by spin coating PSS on top of the patterned PDMS. The devices show an averaged sensitivity as high as 851 kPa(-1) , broad operating pressure range (20 kPa), low operating power (100 nW), and fast response speed (6.7 kHz). Owing to their flexible properties, the devices are applied to human body motion sensing and radial artery pulse. These flexible high sensitivity devices show great potential in the next generation of smart sensors for robotics, real-time health monitoring, and biomedical applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hybrid-modality high-resolution imaging: for diagnostic biomedical imaging and sensing for disease diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murukeshan, Vadakke M.; Hoong Ta, Lim

2014-11-01

Medical diagnostics in the recent past has seen the challenging trend to come up with dual and multi-modality imaging for implementing better diagnostic procedures. The changes in tissues in the early disease stages are often subtle and can occur beneath the tissue surface. In most of these cases, conventional types of medical imaging using optics may not be able to detect these changes easily due to its penetration depth of the orders of 1 mm. Each imaging modality has its own advantages and limitations, and the use of a single modality is not suitable for every diagnostic applications. Therefore the need for multi or hybrid-modality imaging arises. Combining more than one imaging modalities overcomes the limitation of individual imaging method and integrates the respective advantages into a single setting. In this context, this paper will be focusing on the research and development of two multi-modality imaging platforms. The first platform combines ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging for diagnostic applications in the eye. The second platform consists of optical hyperspectral and photoacoustic imaging for diagnostic applications in the colon. Photoacoustic imaging is used as one of the modalities in both platforms as it can offer deeper penetration depth compared to optical imaging. The optical engineering and research challenges in developing the dual/multi-modality platforms will be discussed, followed by initial results validating the proposed scheme. The proposed schemes offer high spatial and spectral resolution imaging and sensing, and is expected to offer potential biomedical imaging solutions in the near future.

Nanoscale functionalization and characterization of surfaces with hydrogel patterns and biomolecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinakar, Hariharasudhan Chirra

The advent of numerous tools, ease of techniques, and concepts related to nanotechnology, in combination with functionalization via simple chemistry has made gold important for various biomedical applications. In this dissertation, the development and characterization of planar gold surfaces with responsive hydrogel patterns for rapid point of care sensing and the functionalization of gold nanoparticles for drug delivery are highlighted. Biomedical micro- and nanoscale devices that are spatially functionalized with intelligent hydrogels are typically fabricated using conventional UV-lithography. Herein, precise 3-D hydrogel patterns made up of temperature responsive crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) over gold were synthesized. The XY control of the hydrogel was achieved using microcontact printing, while thickness control was achieved using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that to the ATRP reaction time governed the pattern growth. The temperature dependent swelling ratio was tailored by tuning the mesh size of the hydrogel. While nanopatterns exhibited a broad lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition, surface roughness showed a sharp LCST transition. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation showed rapid response behavior of the thin films, which makes them applicable as functional components in biomedical devices. The easy synthesis, relative biocompatibility, inertness, and easy functionalization of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have made them useful for various biomedical applications. Although ATRP can be successfully carried out over GNPs, the yield of stable solution based GNPs for biomedical applications prove to be low. As an alternative approach, a novel method of ISOlating, FUnctionalizing, and REleasing nanoparticles (ISOFURE) was proposed. Biodegradable poly(beta-amino ester) hydrogels were used to synthesize ISOFURE-GNP composites. ATRP was performed inside the composite, and the final hydrogel coated GNPs were released via matrix degradation. Response analysis confirmed that the ISOFURE method led to the increased stability and yield of the hydrogel coated ISOFURE-GNPs. The ISOFURE protocol was also utilized in functionalizing GNPs with enzyme catalase in the absence of a stabilizing reagent. Biotin-streptavidin affinity was used as the bioconjugation method. Activity analysis of the conjugated enzyme showed that the ISOFURE-GNPs showed enhanced biomolecular loading relative to solution based stabilizing reagent passivated GNPs. KEYWORDS: Hydrogel, Gold nanoparticle, ISOFURE, Atom transfer radical polymerization, Microcontact printing

Hermetic Packages For Millimeter-Wave Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Martin I.; Lee, Karen A.; Lowry, Lynn E.; Carpenter, Alain; Wamhof, Paul

1994-01-01

Advanced hermetic packages developed to house electronic circuits operating at frequencies from 1 to 100 gigahertz and beyond. Signals coupled into and out of packages electromagnetically. Provides circuit packages small, lightweight, rugged, and inexpensive in mass production. Packages embedded in planar microstrip and coplanar waveguide circuits, in waveguide-to-planar and planar-to-waveguide circuitry, in waveguide-to-waveguide circuitry, between radiating (antenna) elements, and between planar transmission lines and radiating elements. Other applications in automotive, communication, radar, remote sensing, and biomedical electronic systems foreseen.

Physiological Sensing Now Open to the World: New Resources Are Allowing Us to Learn, Experiment, and Create Imaginative Solutions for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

da Silva, Hugo Placido

2018-01-01

With the advent of low-cost computing platforms, such as Arduino (http://www.arduino.cc) and Raspberry Pi (http://www.raspberrypi.org), it has become clear that lowering the cost barrier and shortening the learning curve, with the backing of a motivated community, would play a transformational role in the way people learn, experiment, and create imaginative solutions to outstanding problems that can benefit from embedded systems.

Biomedical Science, Unit IV: The Nervous System in Health and Medicine. The Nervous System; Disorders of the Brain and Nervous System; Application of Computer Science to Diagnosis; Drugs and Pharmacology; The Human Senses; Electricity. Laboratory Manual. Revised Version, 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

Designed to accompany the student text on the nervous system, this manual presents laboratory activities dealing with concepts presented in the text. Thirty-seven activities are described. Four supplementary activities dealing with concepts in electricity are also included. Laboratory activities are divided into several parts, each part covering a…

Biomedical Science, Unit IV: The Nervous System in Health and Medicine. The Nervous System; Disorders of the Brain and Nervous System; Application of Computer Science to Diagnosis; Drugs and Pharmacology; The Human Senses; Electricity. Instructor's Manual. Revised Version, 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

This volume contains the lesson plans and appropriate teacher background material for a 37-lesson sequence on the nervous system in health and medicine. Additional material is provided for supplementary lessons on concepts of electricity. Associated material, contained in separate volumes, include a student text and a student laboratory manual.…

Optofluidic refractive-index sensors employing bent waveguide structures for low-cost, rapid chemical and biomedical sensing.

PubMed

Liu, I-Chen; Chen, Pin-Chuan; Chau, Lai-Kwan; Chang, Guo-En

2018-01-08

We propose and develop an intensity-detection-based refractive-index (RI) sensor for low-cost, rapid RI sensing. The sensor is composed of a polymer bent ridge waveguide (BRWG) structure on a low-cost glass substrate and is integrated with a microfluidic channel. Different-RI solutions flowing through the BRWG sensing region induce output optical power variations caused by optical bend losses, enabling simple and real-time RI detection. Additionally, the sensors are fabricated using rapid and cost-effective vacuum-less processes, attaining the low cost and high throughput required for mass production. A good RI solution of 5.31 10 -4 × RIU -1 is achieved from the RI experiments. This study demonstrates mass-producible and compact RI sensors for rapid and sensitive chemical analysis and biomedical sensing.

Synthesis, properties, and biomedical applications of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels

PubMed Central

Yue, Kan; Santiago, Grissel Trujillo-de; Alvarez, Mario Moisés; Tamayol, Ali; Annabi, Nasim; Khademhosseini, Ali

2015-01-01

Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels have been widely used for various biomedical applications due to their suitable biological properties and tunable physical characteristics. Three dimensional (3D) GelMA hydrogels closely resemble some essential properties of native extracellular matrix (ECM) due to the presence of cell-attaching and matrix metalloproteinase responsive peptide motifs, which allow cells to proliferate and spread in GelMA-based scaffolds. GelMA is also versatile from a processing perspective. It crosslinks when exposed to light irradiation to form hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties which mimic the native ECM. It can also be microfabricated using different methodologies including micromolding, photomasking, bioprinting, self-assembly, and microfluidic techniques to generate constructs with controlled architectures. Hybrid hydrogel systems can also be formed by mixing GelMA with nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide, and other polymers to form networks with desired combined properties and characteristics for specific biological applications. Recent research has demonstrated the proficiency of GelMA-based hydrogels in a wide range of applications including engineering of bone, cartilage, cardiac, and vascular tissues, among others. Other applications of GelMA hydrogels, besides tissue engineering, include fundamental single-single cell research, cell signaling, drug and gene delivery, and bio-sensing. PMID:26414409

Magnetic Field Triggered Multicycle Damage Sensing and Self Healing.

PubMed

Ahmed, Anansa S; Ramanujan, R V

2015-09-08

Multifunctional materials inspired by biological structures have attracted great interest, e.g. for wearable/ flexible "skin" and smart coatings. A current challenge in this area is to develop an artificial material which mimics biological skin by simultaneously displaying color change on damage as well as self healing of the damaged region. Here we report, for the first time, the development of a damage sensing and self healing magnet-polymer composite (Magpol), which actively responds to an external magnetic field. We incorporated reversible sensing using mechanochromic molecules in a shape memory thermoplastic matrix. Exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) triggers shape recovery and facilitates damage repair. Magpol exhibited a linear strain response upto 150% strain and complete recovery after healing. We have demonstrated the use of this concept in a reusable biomedical device i.e., coated guidewires. Our findings offer a new synergistic method to bestow multifunctionality for applications ranging from medical device coatings to adaptive wing structures.

Mobile Phones Democratize and Cultivate Next-Generation Imaging, Diagnostics and Measurement Tools

PubMed Central

Ozcan, Aydogan

2014-01-01

In this article, I discuss some of the emerging applications and the future opportunities and challenges created by the use of mobile phones and their embedded components for the development of next-generation imaging, sensing, diagnostics and measurement tools. The massive volume of mobile phone users, which has now reached ~7 billion, drives the rapid improvements of the hardware, software and high-end imaging and sensing technologies embedded in our phones, transforming the mobile phone into a cost-effective and yet extremely powerful platform to run e.g., biomedical tests and perform scientific measurements that would normally require advanced laboratory instruments. This rapidly evolving and continuing trend will help us transform how medicine, engineering and sciences are practiced and taught globally. PMID:24647550

Microelectromechanical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriel, Kaigham J.

1995-01-01

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is an enabling technology that merges computation and communication with sensing and actuation to change the way people and machines interact with the physical world. MEMS is a manufacturing technology that will impact widespread applications including: miniature inertial measurement measurement units for competent munitions and personal navigation; distributed unattended sensors; mass data storage devices; miniature analytical instruments; embedded pressure sensors; non-invasive biomedical sensors; fiber-optics components and networks; distributed aerodynamic control; and on-demand structural strength. The long term goal of ARPA's MEMS program is to merge information processing with sensing and actuation to realize new systems and strategies for both perceiving and controlling systems, processes, and the environment. The MEMS program has three major thrusts: advanced devices and processes, system design, and infrastructure.

Biomedical Detection via Macro- and Nano-Sensors Fabricated with Metallic and Semiconducting Oxides

PubMed Central

Hahm, Jong-In

2013-01-01

Originally developed as gas sensors, the benefits of metallic and semiconducting oxide materials are now being realized in other areas of sensing, such as chemical, environmental, and biomedical monitoring and detection. Metallic and semiconducting oxides have continuously expanded their roles to date, and have also established their significance in biosensing by utilizing a variety of modes for signal generation and detection mechanism. These sensors are typically based either on their optical, electrochemical, electrical, gravimetric, acoustic, and magnetic properties for signal transduction. This article reviews such biosensors that employ metallic and semiconducting oxides as active sensing elements to detect nucleic acids, proteins, cells, and a variety of important biomarkers, both in thin film and one-dimensional forms. Specific oxide materials (Mx Oy ) examined comprehensively in this article include M = Fe, Cu, Si, Zn, Sn, In. The derivatives of these oxide materials resulting from incorporation of dopants are examined as well. The crystalline structures and unique properties that may be exploited for various biosensing applications are discussed, and recent efforts investigating the feasibility of using these oxide materials in biosensor technology are described. Key biosensor characteristics resulting from reduced dimensionality are overviewed under the motif of planar and one-dimensional sensors. This article also provides insight into current challenges facing biosensor applications for metallic and semiconducting oxides. In addition, future outlook in this particular field as well as different impacts on biology and medicine are addressed. PMID:23627064

An organophosphonate strategy for functionalizing silicon photonic biosensors

PubMed Central

Shang, Jing; Cheng, Fang; Dubey, Manish; Kaplan, Justin M.; Rawal, Meghana; Jiang, Xi; Newburg, David S.; Sullivan, Philip A.; Andrade, Rodrigo B.; Ratner, Daniel M.

2012-01-01

Silicon photonic microring resonators have established their potential for label-free and low-cost biosensing applications. However, the long-term performance of this optical sensing platform requires robust surface modification and biofunctionalization. Herein, we demonstrate a conjugation strategy based on an organophosphonate surface coating and vinyl sulfone linker to biofunctionalize silicon resonators for biomolecular sensing. To validate this method, a series of glycans, including carbohydrates and glycoconjugates, were immobilized on divinyl sulfone (DVS)/organophosphonate-modified microrings and used to characterize carbohydrate-protein and norovirus particle interactions. This biofunctional platform was able to orthogonally detect multiple specific carbohydrate-protein interactions simultaneously. Additionally, the platform was capable of reproducible binding after multiple regenerations by high-salt, high-pH or low-pH solutions and after 1-month storage in ambient conditions. This remarkable stability and durability of the organophosphonate immobilization strategy will facilitate the application of silicon microring resonators in various sensing conditions, prolong their lifetime, and minimize the cost for storage and delivery; these characteristics are requisite for developing biosensors for point-of-care and distributed diagnostics and other biomedical applications. In addition, the platform demonstrated its ability to characterize carbohydrate-mediated host-virus interactions, providing a facile method for discovering new anti-viral agents to prevent infectious disease. PMID:22220731

Blockchain distributed ledger technologies for biomedical and health care applications.

PubMed

Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Kim, Hyeon-Eui; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2017-11-01

To introduce blockchain technologies, including their benefits, pitfalls, and the latest applications, to the biomedical and health care domains. Biomedical and health care informatics researchers who would like to learn about blockchain technologies and their applications in the biomedical/health care domains. The covered topics include: (1) introduction to the famous Bitcoin crypto-currency and the underlying blockchain technology; (2) features of blockchain; (3) review of alternative blockchain technologies; (4) emerging nonfinancial distributed ledger technologies and applications; (5) benefits of blockchain for biomedical/health care applications when compared to traditional distributed databases; (6) overview of the latest biomedical/health care applications of blockchain technologies; and (7) discussion of the potential challenges and proposed solutions of adopting blockchain technologies in biomedical/health care domains. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Coupling of transient near infrared photonic with magnetic nanoparticle for potential dissipation-free biomedical application in brain

PubMed Central

Sagar, Vidya; Atluri, V. S. R.; Tomitaka, A.; Shah, P.; Nagasetti, A.; Pilakka-Kanthikeel, S.; El-Hage, N.; McGoron, A.; Takemura, Y.; Nair, M.

2016-01-01

Combined treatment strategies based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with near infrared ray (NIR) biophotonic possess tremendous potential for non-invasive therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, investigations in this direction have been limited to peripheral body region and little is known about the potential biomedical application of this approach for brain. Here we report that transient NIR exposure is dissipation-free and has no adverse effect on the viability and plasticity of major brain cells in the presence or absence superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The 808 nm NIR laser module with thermocouple was employed for functional studies upon NIR exposure to brain cells. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Brain cells viability and plasticity were analyzed using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, cytotoxicity evaluation, and confocal microscopy. When efficacious non-invasive photobiomodulation and neuro-therapeutical targeting and monitoring to brain remain a formidable task, the discovery of this dissipation-free, transient NIR photonic approach for brain cells possesses remarkable potential to add new dimension. PMID:27465276

Coupling of transient near infrared photonic with magnetic nanoparticle for potential dissipation-free biomedical application in brain.

PubMed

Sagar, Vidya; Atluri, V S R; Tomitaka, A; Shah, P; Nagasetti, A; Pilakka-Kanthikeel, S; El-Hage, N; McGoron, A; Takemura, Y; Nair, M

2016-07-28

Combined treatment strategies based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with near infrared ray (NIR) biophotonic possess tremendous potential for non-invasive therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, investigations in this direction have been limited to peripheral body region and little is known about the potential biomedical application of this approach for brain. Here we report that transient NIR exposure is dissipation-free and has no adverse effect on the viability and plasticity of major brain cells in the presence or absence superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The 808 nm NIR laser module with thermocouple was employed for functional studies upon NIR exposure to brain cells. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Brain cells viability and plasticity were analyzed using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, cytotoxicity evaluation, and confocal microscopy. When efficacious non-invasive photobiomodulation and neuro-therapeutical targeting and monitoring to brain remain a formidable task, the discovery of this dissipation-free, transient NIR photonic approach for brain cells possesses remarkable potential to add new dimension.

Coupling of transient near infrared photonic with magnetic nanoparticle for potential dissipation-free biomedical application in brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagar, Vidya; Atluri, V. S. R.; Tomitaka, A.; Shah, P.; Nagasetti, A.; Pilakka-Kanthikeel, S.; El-Hage, N.; McGoron, A.; Takemura, Y.; Nair, M.

2016-07-01

Combined treatment strategies based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with near infrared ray (NIR) biophotonic possess tremendous potential for non-invasive therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, investigations in this direction have been limited to peripheral body region and little is known about the potential biomedical application of this approach for brain. Here we report that transient NIR exposure is dissipation-free and has no adverse effect on the viability and plasticity of major brain cells in the presence or absence superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The 808 nm NIR laser module with thermocouple was employed for functional studies upon NIR exposure to brain cells. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Brain cells viability and plasticity were analyzed using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, cytotoxicity evaluation, and confocal microscopy. When efficacious non-invasive photobiomodulation and neuro-therapeutical targeting and monitoring to brain remain a formidable task, the discovery of this dissipation-free, transient NIR photonic approach for brain cells possesses remarkable potential to add new dimension.

Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering.

PubMed

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2017-02-28

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research.

Magnetic Viruses: Utilizing Self-Assembly for Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Axel

2006-03-01

Magnetic nanoparticles coated with biochemical surfactants have emerged recently as an important component for enabling many biological and medical applications. We implemented a biotemplating approach to create such magnetic nanoparticles by utilizing native protein capsid shells derived in high yield from the T7 bacteriophage virus. The magnetic nanoparticles are grown via bio-mineralization reactions inside of hollowed-out capsids that retain their original chemical recognition properties. The resultant ``magnetic viruses'' are uniform in geometry, physical properties, and biochemical functionality. This makes these viruses ideally suited for many biomedical applications among which we investigated specifically a novel sensing scheme for target recognition based on Brownian relaxation. For this scheme we use the ac-susceptibility of the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles suspended in liquid. Upon binding the target of interest to the particles, their Brownian relaxation time is modified, which is readily detected by a change of the frequency dependence of the magnetic susceptibility. This scheme has several advantages; (i) it requires only one binding event for sensing; (ii) there is a useful signal both in the absence and presence of the target; (iii) the signal contains information about the size of the target besides the biochemical affinity; and (iv) since the binding modifies the magnetic susceptibility of the magnetic particles there is no need for removing unbound labels. C. Liu, S.-H. Chung, Q. Jin, A. Sutton, F. Yan, B. K. Kay, S. D. Bader, L. Makowski, and L. Chen, J. Magn. Magn. Mater, in press. S.H. Chung, A. Hoffmann, S. D. Bader, C. Liu, B. Kay, L. Makowski, and L. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 2971 (2004) ; S. H. Chung, A. Hoffmann, K. Guslienko, S. D. Bader, C. Liu, B. Kay, L. Makowski, and L. Chen, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 10R101 (2005).

Microfabricated Tactile Sensors for Biomedical Applications: A Review

PubMed Central

Saccomandi, Paola; Schena, Emiliano; Oddo, Calogero Maria; Zollo, Loredana; Silvestri, Sergio; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2014-01-01

During the last decades, tactile sensors based on different sensing principles have been developed due to the growing interest in robotics and, mainly, in medical applications. Several technological solutions have been employed to design tactile sensors; in particular, solutions based on microfabrication present several attractive features. Microfabrication technologies allow for developing miniaturized sensors with good performance in terms of metrological properties (e.g., accuracy, sensitivity, low power consumption, and frequency response). Small size and good metrological properties heighten the potential role of tactile sensors in medicine, making them especially attractive to be integrated in smart interfaces and microsurgical tools. This paper provides an overview of microfabricated tactile sensors, focusing on the mean principles of sensing, i.e., piezoresistive, piezoelectric and capacitive sensors. These sensors are employed for measuring contact properties, in particular force and pressure, in three main medical fields, i.e., prosthetics and artificial skin, minimal access surgery and smart interfaces for biomechanical analysis. The working principles and the metrological properties of the most promising tactile, microfabricated sensors are analyzed, together with their application in medicine. Finally, the new emerging technologies in these fields are briefly described. PMID:25587432

Microfabricated tactile sensors for biomedical applications: a review.

PubMed

Saccomandi, Paola; Schena, Emiliano; Oddo, Calogero Maria; Zollo, Loredana; Silvestri, Sergio; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2014-12-01

During the last decades, tactile sensors based on different sensing principles have been developed due to the growing interest in robotics and, mainly, in medical applications. Several technological solutions have been employed to design tactile sensors; in particular, solutions based on microfabrication present several attractive features. Microfabrication technologies allow for developing miniaturized sensors with good performance in terms of metrological properties (e.g., accuracy, sensitivity, low power consumption, and frequency response). Small size and good metrological properties heighten the potential role of tactile sensors in medicine, making them especially attractive to be integrated in smart interfaces and microsurgical tools. This paper provides an overview of microfabricated tactile sensors, focusing on the mean principles of sensing, i.e., piezoresistive, piezoelectric and capacitive sensors. These sensors are employed for measuring contact properties, in particular force and pressure, in three main medical fields, i.e., prosthetics and artificial skin, minimal access surgery and smart interfaces for biomechanical analysis. The working principles and the metrological properties of the most promising tactile, microfabricated sensors are analyzed, together with their application in medicine. Finally, the new emerging technologies in these fields are briefly described.

Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering

PubMed Central

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research. PMID:28772604

Novel nanofluidic chemical cells based on self-assembled solid-state SiO2 nanotubes.

PubMed

Zhu, Hao; Li, Haitao; Robertson, Joseph W F; Balijepalli, Arvind; Krylyuk, Sergiy; Davydov, Albert V; Kasianowicz, John J; Suehle, John S; Li, Qiliang

2017-10-27

Novel nanofluidic chemical cells based on self-assembled solid-state SiO 2 nanotubes on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate have been successfully fabricated and characterized. The vertical SiO 2 nanotubes with a smooth cavity are built from Si nanowires which were epitaxially grown on the SOI substrate. The nanotubes have rigid, dry-oxidized SiO 2 walls with precisely controlled nanotube inner diameter, which is very attractive for chemical-/bio-sensing applications. No dispersion/aligning procedures were involved in the nanotube fabrication and integration by using this technology, enabling a clean and smooth chemical cell. Such a robust and well-controlled nanotube is an excellent case of developing functional nanomaterials by leveraging the strength of top-down lithography and the unique advantage of bottom-up growth. These solid, smooth, clean SiO 2 nanotubes and nanofluidic devices are very encouraging and attractive in future bio-medical applications, such as single molecule sensing and DNA sequencing.

Fabrication of microfluidic architectures for optimal flow rate and concentration measurement for lab on chip application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Tijjani; Hashim, U.

2017-03-01

Optimum flow in micro channel for sensing purpose is challenging. In this study, The optimizations of the fluid sample flows are made through the design and characterization of the novel microfluidics' architectures to achieve the optimal flow rate in the micro channels. The biocompatibility of the Polydimetylsiloxane (Sylgard 184 silicon elastomer) polymer used to fabricate the device offers avenue for the device to be implemented as the universal fluidic delivery system for bio-molecules sensing in various bio-medical applications. The study uses the following methodological approaches, designing a novel microfluidics' architectures by integrating the devices on a single 4 inches silicon substrate, fabricating the designed microfluidic devices using low-cost solution soft lithography technique, characterizing and validating the flow throughput of urine samples in the micro channels by generating pressure gradients through the devices' inlets. The characterization on the urine samples flow in the micro channels have witnessed the constant flow throughout the devices.

Novel nanofluidic chemical cells based on self-assembled solid-state SiO2 nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hao; Li, Haitao; Robertson, Joseph W. F.; Balijepalli, Arvind; Krylyuk, Sergiy; Davydov, Albert V.; Kasianowicz, John J.; Suehle, John S.; Li, Qiliang

2017-10-01

Novel nanofluidic chemical cells based on self-assembled solid-state SiO2 nanotubes on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate have been successfully fabricated and characterized. The vertical SiO2 nanotubes with a smooth cavity are built from Si nanowires which were epitaxially grown on the SOI substrate. The nanotubes have rigid, dry-oxidized SiO2 walls with precisely controlled nanotube inner diameter, which is very attractive for chemical-/bio-sensing applications. No dispersion/aligning procedures were involved in the nanotube fabrication and integration by using this technology, enabling a clean and smooth chemical cell. Such a robust and well-controlled nanotube is an excellent case of developing functional nanomaterials by leveraging the strength of top-down lithography and the unique advantage of bottom-up growth. These solid, smooth, clean SiO2 nanotubes and nanofluidic devices are very encouraging and attractive in future bio-medical applications, such as single molecule sensing and DNA sequencing.

A neural algorithm for the non-uniform and adaptive sampling of biomedical data.

PubMed

Mesin, Luca

2016-04-01

Body sensors are finding increasing applications in the self-monitoring for health-care and in the remote surveillance of sensitive people. The physiological data to be sampled can be non-stationary, with bursts of high amplitude and frequency content providing most information. Such data could be sampled efficiently with a non-uniform schedule that increases the sampling rate only during activity bursts. A real time and adaptive algorithm is proposed to select the sampling rate, in order to reduce the number of measured samples, but still recording the main information. The algorithm is based on a neural network which predicts the subsequent samples and their uncertainties, requiring a measurement only when the risk of the prediction is larger than a selectable threshold. Four examples of application to biomedical data are discussed: electromyogram, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and body acceleration. Sampling rates are reduced under the Nyquist limit, still preserving an accurate representation of the data and of their power spectral densities (PSD). For example, sampling at 60% of the Nyquist frequency, the percentage average rectified errors in estimating the signals are on the order of 10% and the PSD is fairly represented, until the highest frequencies. The method outperforms both uniform sampling and compressive sensing applied to the same data. The discussed method allows to go beyond Nyquist limit, still preserving the information content of non-stationary biomedical signals. It could find applications in body sensor networks to lower the number of wireless communications (saving sensor power) and to reduce the occupation of memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in nano-scaled biosensors for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Wang, Jianling; Chen, Guihua; Jiang, Hui; Li, Zhiyong; Wang, Xuemei

2013-08-21

Recently, a growing amount of attention has been focused on the utility of biosensors for biomedical applications. Combined with nanomaterials and nanostructures, nano-scaled biosensors are installed for biomedical applications, such as pathogenic bacteria monitoring, virus recognition, disease biomarker detection, among others. These nano-biosensors offer a number of advantages and in many respects are ideally suited to biomedical applications, which could be made as extremely flexible devices, allowing biomedical analysis with speediness, excellent selectivity and high sensitivity. This minireview discusses the literature published in the latest years on the advances in biomedical applications of nano-scaled biosensors for disease bio-marking and detection, especially in bio-imaging and the diagnosis of pathological cells and viruses, monitoring pathogenic bacteria, thus providing insight into the future prospects of biosensors in relevant clinical applications.

Synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots by a microwave heating process: structural characterization and cell imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanakis, Dimitrios; Philippidis, Aggelos; Sygellou, Labrini; Filippidis, George; Ghanotakis, Demetrios; Anglos, Demetrios

2014-10-01

Two types of highly fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) were prepared by a single-step procedure based on microwave heating citric acid and 6-aminocaproic acid or citric acid and urea in an aqueous solution. The small size of the isolated carbon dots along with their strong absorption in the UV and their excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence render them ideal nanomaterials for biomedical applications (imaging and sensing). The structure and properties of the two types of C-dot materials were studied using a series of spectroscopic techniques. The ability of the C-dots to be internalized by HeLa cells was demonstrated via 3-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging.

THz QCL self-mixing interferometry for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakić, Aleksandar D.; Taimre, Thomas; Bertling, Karl; Lim, Yah Leng; Wilson, Stephen J.; Nikolić, Milan; Valavanis, Alexander; Indjin, Dragan; Linfield, Edmund H.; Davies, A. Giles; Ferguson, Blake; Walker, Graeme; Schaider, Helmut; Soyer, H. Peter

2014-09-01

In this paper, we introduce the self-mixing phenomenon in terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) and present recent advancements in the development of coherent THz imaging and sensing systems that exploit the self-mixing effect. We describe an imaging method which utilises the interferometric nature of optical feedback in a THz QCL to employ it as a homodyning transceiver. This results in a highly sensitive and compact scheme. Due to the inherently low penetration depth of THz radiation in hydrated biological tissue, imaging of superficial skin is an ideal application for this technique. We present results for imaging of excised skin tissue, showing high-contrast between different tissue types and pathologies.

Study on a Luminol-based Electrochemiluminescent Sensor for Label-Free DNA Sensing

PubMed Central

Chu, Hai-Hong; Yan, Ji-Lin; Tu, Yi-Feng

2010-01-01

Automatic, inexpensive, simple and sensitive methods for DNA sensing and quantification are highly desirable for biomedical research. The rapid development of both the fundamentals and applications of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) over the past years has demonstrated its potential for analytical and bio-analytical chemistry. This paper reports the quenching effect of DNA on the ECL of luminol and the further development of a DNA sensing device. With the pre-functionalization by a composite of carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), the sensor provides a novel and valuable label-free approach for DNA sensing. Here the ECL intensity was remarkably decreased when more than 1.0 × 10−12 molar of DNA were adsorbed on the sensor. Linearity of the DNA amount with the reciprocal of ECL intensity was observed. A saturated sensor caused a 92.8% quenching effect. The research also proposes the mechanism for the quenching effect which could be attributed to the interaction between luminol and DNA and the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) by DNA. PMID:22163421

The pH sensing characteristics of the extended-gate field-effect transistors of multi-walled carbon-nanotube thin film using low-temperature ultrasonic spray method.

PubMed

Chien, Yun-Shan; Yang, Po-Yu; Tsai, Wan-Lin; Li, Yu-Ren; Chou, Chia-Hsin; Chou, Jung-Chuan; Cheng, Huang-Chung

2012-07-01

A novel, simple and low-temperature ultrasonic spray method was developed to fabricate the multi-walled carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs) based extended-gate field-effect transistors (EGFETs) as the pH sensor. With an acid-treated process, the chemically functionalized two-dimensional MWCNT network could provide plenty of functional groups which exhibit hydrophilic property and serve as hydrogen sensing sites. For the first time, the EGFET using a MWCNT structure could achieve a wide sensing rage from pH = 1 to pH = 13. Furthermore, the pH sensitivity and linearity values of the CNT pH-EGFET devices were enhanced to 51.74 mV/pH and 0.9948 from pH = 1 to pH = 13 while the sprayed deposition reached 50 times. The sensing properties of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions show significantly dependent on the sprayed deposition times, morphologies, crystalline and chemical bonding of acid-treated MWCNT. These results demonstrate that the MWCNT-EGFETs are very promising for the applications in the pH and biomedical sensors.

An Ultra-Low Power Turning Angle Based Biomedical Signal Compression Engine with Adaptive Threshold Tuning

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jun; Wang, Chao

2017-01-01

Intelligent sensing is drastically changing our everyday life including healthcare by biomedical signal monitoring, collection, and analytics. However, long-term healthcare monitoring generates tremendous data volume and demands significant wireless transmission power, which imposes a big challenge for wearable healthcare sensors usually powered by batteries. Efficient compression engine design to reduce wireless transmission data rate with ultra-low power consumption is essential for wearable miniaturized healthcare sensor systems. This paper presents an ultra-low power biomedical signal compression engine for healthcare data sensing and analytics in the era of big data and sensor intelligence. It extracts the feature points of the biomedical signal by window-based turning angle detection. The proposed approach has low complexity and thus low power consumption while achieving a large compression ratio (CR) and good quality of reconstructed signal. Near-threshold design technique is adopted to further reduce the power consumption on the circuit level. Besides, the angle threshold for compression can be adaptively tuned according to the error between the original signal and reconstructed signal to address the variation of signal characteristics from person to person or from channel to channel to meet the required signal quality with optimal CR. For demonstration, the proposed biomedical compression engine has been used and evaluated for ECG compression. It achieves an average (CR) of 71.08% and percentage root-mean-square difference (PRD) of 5.87% while consuming only 39 nW. Compared to several state-of-the-art ECG compression engines, the proposed design has significantly lower power consumption while achieving similar CRD and PRD, making it suitable for long-term wearable miniaturized sensor systems to sense and collect healthcare data for remote data analytics. PMID:28783079

An Ultra-Low Power Turning Angle Based Biomedical Signal Compression Engine with Adaptive Threshold Tuning.

PubMed

Zhou, Jun; Wang, Chao

2017-08-06

Intelligent sensing is drastically changing our everyday life including healthcare by biomedical signal monitoring, collection, and analytics. However, long-term healthcare monitoring generates tremendous data volume and demands significant wireless transmission power, which imposes a big challenge for wearable healthcare sensors usually powered by batteries. Efficient compression engine design to reduce wireless transmission data rate with ultra-low power consumption is essential for wearable miniaturized healthcare sensor systems. This paper presents an ultra-low power biomedical signal compression engine for healthcare data sensing and analytics in the era of big data and sensor intelligence. It extracts the feature points of the biomedical signal by window-based turning angle detection. The proposed approach has low complexity and thus low power consumption while achieving a large compression ratio (CR) and good quality of reconstructed signal. Near-threshold design technique is adopted to further reduce the power consumption on the circuit level. Besides, the angle threshold for compression can be adaptively tuned according to the error between the original signal and reconstructed signal to address the variation of signal characteristics from person to person or from channel to channel to meet the required signal quality with optimal CR. For demonstration, the proposed biomedical compression engine has been used and evaluated for ECG compression. It achieves an average (CR) of 71.08% and percentage root-mean-square difference (PRD) of 5.87% while consuming only 39 nW. Compared to several state-of-the-art ECG compression engines, the proposed design has significantly lower power consumption while achieving similar CRD and PRD, making it suitable for long-term wearable miniaturized sensor systems to sense and collect healthcare data for remote data analytics.

Engineering β-sheet peptide assemblies for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Yu, Zhiqiang; Cai, Zheng; Chen, Qiling; Liu, Menghua; Ye, Ling; Ren, Jiaoyan; Liao, Wenzhen; Liu, Shuwen

2016-03-01

Hydrogels have been widely studied in various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, cell culture, immunotherapy and vaccines, and drug delivery. Peptide-based nanofibers represent a promising new strategy for current drug delivery approaches and cell carriers for tissue engineering. This review focuses on the recent advances in the use of self-assembling engineered β-sheet peptide assemblies for biomedical applications. The applications of peptide nanofibers in biomedical fields, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, immunotherapy, and vaccines, are highlighted. The current challenges and future perspectives for self-assembling peptide nanofibers in biomedical applications are discussed.

Flow-through nanohole array based sensor implemented on analogue smartphone components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Cruz, Juan; Nair, Srijit; Ascanio, Gabriel; Escobedo, Carlos

2017-08-01

Mobile communications have massively populated the consumer electronics market over the past few years and it is now ubiquitous, providing a timeless opportunity for the development of smartphone-based technologies as point-of-care (POC) diagnosis tools1 . The expectation for a fully integrated smartphone-based sensor that enables applications such as environmental monitoring, explosive detection and biomedical analysis has increased among the scientific community in the past few years2,3. The commercialization forecast for smartphone-based sensing technologies is very promising, but reliable, miniature and cost-effective sensing platforms that can adapt to portable electronics in still under development. In this work, we present an integrated sensing platform based on flow-through metallic nanohole arrays. The nanohole arrays are 260 nm in diameter and 520 nm in pitch, fabricated using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) lithography. A white LED resembling a smartphone flash LED serves as light source to excite surface plasmons and the signal is recorded via a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) module. The sensing abilities of the integrated sensing platform is demonstrated for the detection of (i) changes in bulk refractive index (RI), (ii) real-time monitoring of surface modification by receptor-analyte system of streptavidin-biotin.

Green synthesis of manganese oxide nanoparticles for the electrochemical sensing of p-nitrophenol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Vineet; Singh, Kulvinder; Panwar, Shaily; Mehta, Surinder Kumar

2017-03-01

Manganese oxide (MnO) NPs are widely used in contaminant sensing, drug delivery, data storage, catalysis and biomedical imaging. Green synthesis of NPs is important due to increased concern of environmental pollution. Green chemistry based synthesis of NPs is preferred due to its ecofriendly nature. In this study, MnO NPs of different sizes were synthesized in aqueous medium using clove, i.e., Syzygium aromaticum extract (CE) as reducing and stabilizing agents. These NPs were used for the electrochemical sensing of p-nitrophenol (PNP). The synthesis of MnO NPs was over in 30 min. MnO NPs of different sizes were obtained by varying metal ion concentration, metal ion volume ratio, CE concentration, CE volume ratio, and incubation temperature. Selectively, 4 nm MnO NPs were used for electrochemical sensing of paranitrophenol. The MnO NPs modified gold electrodes detected PNP with good sensitivity, 0.16 µA µM-1 cm2. The limit of PNP detection was 15.65 µM. The MnO NPs prepared using CE based green chemistry approach is useful for PNP sensing. These NPs can also be useful for various in vivo applications in which the NPs come in human contact.

Nuclear microscopy in biomedical analysis with special emphasis on clinical metal biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindh, Ulf; Frisk, Peter; Nyström, Joakim; Danersund, Antero; Hudecek, Romuald; Lindvall, Anders; Thunell, Stig

1997-07-01

Nuclear microscopy based upon developments in high energy ion beam techniques is by now an accepted technique in many fields of research. The advancements into the biomedical field have, however, been slower than expected. A major factor explaining this tendency is the availability of nuclear microscopy. This paper reviews briefly the biomedical work using nuclear microscopy that has been carried out since the 4 th International Conference on Nuclear Microprobe Technology and Applications held in Shanghai. Nuclear microscopy of isolated individual blood cells from patients adversely affected by metal exposure from dental amalgam has been performed both before and after removal of the metallic fillings. The elemental profile of blood cells was more or less normalised after treatment. Some of these results will be presented to illustrate a medical application. Results from bulk analysis by ICP-MS of erythrocytes and plasma before and after treatment will also be presented to illustrate the difference in information content between these two approaches as well as the need for complementary information in solving biomedical problems. As part of a larger study of acute porphyria, nuclear microscopy of blood cells was included among the 78 laboratory tests. The approach in this study was unbiased in the sense that no hypothesis was formulated as to which laboratory parameters would be the most explanatory for health or disease. Multivariate discriminant analysis was applied to the large amounts of data acquired. This approach led to the hypothesis that oxidative stress increased the synthesis of manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase in the mitochondria of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, explaining the increase of manganese in these cells. Antioxidant therapy was therefore applied to a couple of patients with porphyria, however, without clinical success.

Magnetic Field Triggered Multicycle Damage Sensing and Self Healing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Anansa S.; Ramanujan, R. V.

2015-09-01

Multifunctional materials inspired by biological structures have attracted great interest, e.g. for wearable/ flexible “skin” and smart coatings. A current challenge in this area is to develop an artificial material which mimics biological skin by simultaneously displaying color change on damage as well as self healing of the damaged region. Here we report, for the first time, the development of a damage sensing and self healing magnet-polymer composite (Magpol), which actively responds to an external magnetic field. We incorporated reversible sensing using mechanochromic molecules in a shape memory thermoplastic matrix. Exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) triggers shape recovery and facilitates damage repair. Magpol exhibited a linear strain response upto 150% strain and complete recovery after healing. We have demonstrated the use of this concept in a reusable biomedical device i.e., coated guidewires. Our findings offer a new synergistic method to bestow multifunctionality for applications ranging from medical device coatings to adaptive wing structures.

Plasmonic gold mushroom arrays with refractive index sensing figures of merit approaching the theoretical limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yang; Zhou, Jianhua; Liu, Tianran; Tao, Yuting; Jiang, Ruibin; Liu, Mingxuan; Xiao, Guohui; Zhu, Jinhao; Zhou, Zhang-Kai; Wang, Xuehua; Jin, Chongjun; Wang, Jianfang

2013-08-01

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based sensing has found wide applications in medical diagnosis, food safety regulation and environmental monitoring. Compared with commercial propagating surface plasmon resonance (PSPR)-based sensors, LSPR ones are simple, cost-effective and suitable for measuring local refractive index changes. However, the figure of merit (FOM) values of LSPR sensors are generally 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller than those of PSPR ones, preventing the widespread use of LSPR sensors. Here we describe an array of submicrometer gold mushrooms with a FOM reaching ~108, which is comparable to the theoretically predicted upper limit for standard PSPR sensors. Such a high FOM arises from the interference between Wood’s anomaly and the LSPRs. We further demonstrate the array as a biosensor for detecting cytochrome c and alpha-fetoprotein, with their detection limits down to 200 pM and 15 ng ml-1, respectively, suggesting that the array is a promising candidate for label-free biomedical sensing.

Magnetic Field Triggered Multicycle Damage Sensing and Self Healing

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Anansa S.; Ramanujan, R. V.

2015-01-01

Multifunctional materials inspired by biological structures have attracted great interest, e.g. for wearable/ flexible “skin” and smart coatings. A current challenge in this area is to develop an artificial material which mimics biological skin by simultaneously displaying color change on damage as well as self healing of the damaged region. Here we report, for the first time, the development of a damage sensing and self healing magnet-polymer composite (Magpol), which actively responds to an external magnetic field. We incorporated reversible sensing using mechanochromic molecules in a shape memory thermoplastic matrix. Exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) triggers shape recovery and facilitates damage repair. Magpol exhibited a linear strain response upto 150% strain and complete recovery after healing. We have demonstrated the use of this concept in a reusable biomedical device i.e., coated guidewires. Our findings offer a new synergistic method to bestow multifunctionality for applications ranging from medical device coatings to adaptive wing structures. PMID:26348284

Camera systems in human motion analysis for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Lim Chee; Basah, Shafriza Nisha; Yaacob, Sazali; Juan, Yeap Ewe; Kadir, Aida Khairunnisaa Ab.

2015-05-01

Human Motion Analysis (HMA) system has been one of the major interests among researchers in the field of computer vision, artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering and sciences. This is due to its wide and promising biomedical applications, namely, bio-instrumentation for human computer interfacing and surveillance system for monitoring human behaviour as well as analysis of biomedical signal and image processing for diagnosis and rehabilitation applications. This paper provides an extensive review of the camera system of HMA, its taxonomy, including camera types, camera calibration and camera configuration. The review focused on evaluating the camera system consideration of the HMA system specifically for biomedical applications. This review is important as it provides guidelines and recommendation for researchers and practitioners in selecting a camera system of the HMA system for biomedical applications.

Optimized computational imaging methods for small-target sensing in lens-free holographic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhen; Engle, Isaiah; Garan, Jacob; Melzer, Jeffrey E.; McLeod, Euan

2018-02-01

Lens-free holographic microscopy is a promising diagnostic approach because it is cost-effective, compact, and suitable for point-of-care applications, while providing high resolution together with an ultra-large field-of-view. It has been applied to biomedical sensing, where larger targets like eukaryotic cells, bacteria, or viruses can be directly imaged without labels, and smaller targets like proteins or DNA strands can be detected via scattering labels like micro- or nano-spheres. Automated image processing routines can count objects and infer target concentrations. In these sensing applications, sensitivity and specificity are critically affected by image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Pixel super-resolution approaches have been shown to boost resolution and SNR by synthesizing a high-resolution image from multiple, partially redundant, low-resolution images. However, there are several computational methods that can be used to synthesize the high-resolution image, and previously, it has been unclear which methods work best for the particular case of small-particle sensing. Here, we quantify the SNR achieved in small-particle sensing using regularized gradient-descent optimization method, where the regularization is based on cardinal-neighbor differences, Bayer-pattern noise reduction, or sparsity in the image. In particular, we find that gradient-descent with sparsity-based regularization works best for small-particle sensing. These computational approaches were evaluated on images acquired using a lens-free microscope that we assembled from an off-the-shelf LED array and color image sensor. Compared to other lens-free imaging systems, our hardware integration, calibration, and sample preparation are particularly simple. We believe our results will help to enable the best performance in lens-free holographic sensing.

Multilayer ZnO/Pd/ZnO Structure as Sensing Membrane for Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) with High pH Sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasheed, Hiba S.; Ahmed, Naser M.; Matjafri, M. Z.; Al-Hardan, Naif H.; Almessiere, Munirah Abdullah; Sabah, Fayroz A.; Al-Hazeem, Nabeel Z.

2017-10-01

Metal oxide nanostructures have attracted considerable attention as pH-sensitive membranes because of their unique advantages. Specifically, the special properties of ZnO thin film, including high surface-to-volume ratio, nontoxicity, thermal stability, chemical stability, electrochemical activity, and high mechanical strength, have attracted massive interest. ZnO exhibits wide bandgap of 3.37 eV, good biocompatibility, high reactivity, robustness, and environmental stability. These unique properties explain why ZnO has the most applications among all nanostructured metal oxides based on its structure and properties. Moreover, ZnO has excellent electrical characteristics, enabling its use in accurate sensors with rapid response. ZnO nanostructures can be used in novel pH and biomedical sensing applications. However, ZnO thin film exhibits large sheet resistance and low conductivity. Increasing the conductivity or reducing the resistivity of ZnO sensing membranes is important to achieve low impedance. We propose herein a new design using a multilayer ZnO/Pd/ZnO structure as a pH-sensing membrane. Multiple layers were deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering for ZnO and direct current (DC) sputtering for Pd to achieve low sheet resistance. These multilayers with low sheet resistance of 15.8 Ω/sq were then successfully used to control the conductivity in extended-gate field-effect transistors (EGFETs). The resulting multilayered EGFET pH-sensor demonstrated improved sensing performance. The measured sensitivity of the pH sensor was 40 μA/pH and 52 mV/pH within the pH range from 2 to 12, rendering this structure suitable for use in various applications, including pH sensors and biosensors.

Working principle and application of magnetic separation for biomedical diagnostic at high- and low-field gradients.

PubMed

Leong, Sim Siong; Yeap, Swee Pin; Lim, JitKang

2016-12-06

Magnetic separation is a versatile technique used in sample preparation for diagnostic purpose. For such application, an external magnetic field is applied to drive the separation of target entity (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites and cancer cells) from a complex raw sample in order to ease the subsequent task(s) for disease diagnosis. This separation process not only can be achieved via the utilization of high magnetic field gradient, but also, in most cases, low magnetic field gradient with magnitude less than 100 T m -1 is equally feasible. It is the aim of this review paper to summarize the usage of both high gradient magnetic separation and low gradient magnetic separation (LGMS) techniques in this area of research. It is noteworthy that effectiveness of the magnetic separation process not only determines the outcome of a diagnosis but also directly influences its accuracy as well as sensing time involved. Therefore, understanding the factors that simultaneously influence the efficiency of both magnetic separation process and target detection is necessary. Moreover, for LGMS, there are several important considerations that should be taken into account in order to ensure its successful implementation. Hence, this review paper aims to provide an overview to relate all this crucial information by linking the magnetic separation theory to biomedical diagnostic applications.

Designing deoxidation inhibiting encapsulation of metal oxide nanostructures for fluidic and biological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Moumita; Ghosh, Siddharth; Seibt, Michael; Schaap, Iwan A. T.; Schmidt, Christoph F.; Mohan Rao, G.

2016-12-01

Due to their photoluminescence, metal oxide nanostructures such as ZnO nanostructures are promising candidates in biomedical imaging, drug delivery and bio-sensing. To apply them as label for bio-imaging, it is important to study their structural stability in a bio-fluidic environment. We have explored the effect of water, the main constituent of biological solutions, on ZnO nanostructures with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL) studies which show ZnO nanorod degeneration in water. In addition, we propose and investigate a robust and inexpensive method to encapsulate these nanostructures (without structural degradation) using bio-compatible non-ionic surfactant in non-aqueous medium, which was not reported earlier. This new finding is an immediate interest to the broad audience of researchers working in biophysics, sensing and actuation, drug delivery, food and cosmetics technology, etc.

Label-free sensing of the binding state of MUC1 peptide and anti-MUC1 aptamer solution in fluidic chip by terahertz spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiang; Zhang, Mingkun; Wei, Dongshan; Wang, Yunxia; Yan, Shihan; Liu, Mengwan; Yang, Xiang; Yang, Ke; Cui, Hong-Liang; Fu, Weiling

2017-10-01

The aptamer and target molecule binding reaction has been widely applied for construction of aptasensors, most of which are labeled methods. In contrast, terahertz technology proves to be a label-free sensing tool for biomedical applications. We utilize terahertz absorption spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the variation of binding-induced collective vibration of hydrogen bond network in a mixed solution of MUC1 peptide and anti-MUC1 aptamer. The results show that binding-induced alterations of hydrogen bond numbers could be sensitively reflected by the variation of terahertz absorption coefficients of the mixed solution in a customized fluidic chip. The minimal detectable concentration is determined as 1 pmol/μL, which is approximately equal to the optimal immobilized concentration of aptasensors.

Nanomaterials and nanofabrication for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Chao-Min; Chia-Wen Wu, Kevin

2013-08-01

Traditional boundaries between materials science and engineering and life sciences are rapidly disintegrating as interdisciplinary research teams develop new materials-science-based tools for exploring fundamental issues in both medicine and biology. With recent technological advances in multiple research fields such as materials science, cell and molecular biology and micro-/nano-technology, much attention is shifting toward evaluating the functional advantages of nanomaterials and nanofabrication, at the cellular and molecular levels, for specific, biomedically relevant applications. The pursuit of this direction enhances the understanding of the mechanisms of, and therapeutic potentials for, some of the most lethal diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, organ fibrosis and cancers. This interdisciplinary approach has generated great interest among researchers working in a wide variety of communities including industry, universities and research laboratories. The purpose of this focus issue in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials is to bridge nanotechnology and biology with medicine, focusing more on the applications of nanomaterials and nanofabrication in biomedically relevant issues. This focus issue, we believe, will provide a more comprehensive understanding of (i) the preparation of nanomaterials and the underlying mechanisms of nanofabrication, and (ii) the linkage of nanomaterials and nanofabrication with biomedical applications. The multidisciplinary focus issue that we have attempted to organize is of interest to various research fields including biomaterials and tissue engineering, bioengineering, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, i.e. chemistry, physics and engineering. Nanomaterials and nanofabrication topics addressed in this focus issue include sensing and diagnosis (e.g. immunosensing and diagnostic devices for diseases), cellular and molecular biology (e.g. probing cellular behaviors and stem cell differentiation) and drug delivery carriers (e.g. polymers, gold nanoparticles, Prussian blue nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials). Here, we would like to show our deep appreciation to all authors and reviewers. Without their great help and contributions, this focus issue, including the review and original papers, would not have been published on schedule. This focus issue may not cover all issues in this emerging scientific field; however, we believe that our efforts have great potential 'to hurl a boulder to draw a jade' and ignite innovation and challenging discussion in the relevant scientific communities.

Biomimetic synthesis of highly biocompatible gold nanoparticles with amino acid-dithiocarbamate as a precursor for SERS imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li; Liu, Jianbo; Yang, Xiaohai; Huang, Jin; He, Dinggeng; Guo, Xi; Wan, Lan; He, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Kemin

2016-03-01

Amino acid-dithiocarbamate (amino acid-DTC) was developed as both the reductant and ligand stabilizer for biomimetic synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which served as an excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) contrast nanoprobe for cell imaging. Glycine (Gly), glutamic acid (Glu), and histidine (His) with different isoelectric points were chosen as representative amino acid candidates to synthesize corresponding amino acid-DTC compounds through mixing with carbon disulfide (CS2), respectively. The pyrogenic decomposition of amino acid-DTC initiated the reduction synthesis of AuNPs, and the strong coordinating dithiocarbamate group of amino acid-DTC served as a stabilizer that grafted onto the surface of the AuNPs, which rendered the as-prepared nanoparticles a negative surface charge and high colloidal stability. MTT cell viability assay demonstrated that the biomimetic AuNPs possessed neglectful toxicity to the human hepatoma cell, which guaranteed them good biocompatibility for biomedical application. Meanwhile, the biomimetic AuNPs showed a strong SERS effect with an enhancement factor of 9.8 × 105 for the sensing of Rhodamine 6G, and two distinct Raman peaks located at 1363 and 1509 cm-1 could be clearly observed in the cell-imaging experiments. Therefore, biomimetic AuNPs can be explored as an excellent SERS contrast nanoprobe for biomedical imaging, and the amino acid-DTC mediated synthesis of the AuNPs has a great potential in bio-engineering and biomedical imaging applications.

Nondestructive sensing technologies using micro-optical elements for applications in the NIR-MIR spectral regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otto, Thomas; Saupe, Ray; Bruch, Reinhard F.; Fritzsch, Uwe; Stock, Volker; Gessner, Thomas; Afanasyeva, Natalia I.

2001-11-01

The field of microtechnology is an important industrial and scientific resource for the 21st century. There is a great interest in spectroscopic sensors in the near and middle infrared (NIR-MIR) wavelength regions (1 - 2.5 micrometers ; 2.5 - 4.5 micrometers ; 4 - 6 micrometers ). The potential for cheap and small devices for nondestructive, remote sensing techniques at a molecular level has stimulated the design and development of more compact analyzer systems. Therefore we will try to build analyzers using micro optical components such as micromirrors and embossed micro gratings optimized for the above mentioned spectral ranges. Potentially, infrared sensors can be used for rapid nondestructive diagnostics of surfaces, liquids, gases, polymers and complex biological systems including proteins, blood, cells and cellular debris as well as body tissue. Furthermore, NIR-MIR microsensing spectroscopy will be utilized to monitor the chemical composition of petrochemical products like gasoline and diesel. In addition, miniature analyzers will be used for rapid measuring of food, in particular oil, starch and meat. In this paper we will present an overview of several new approaches for subsurface and surface sensing technologies based on the integration of optical micro devices, the most promising sensors for biomedical, environmental and industrial applications, data processing and evaluation algorithms for classification of the results. Both scientific and industrial applications will be discussed.

Dendritic Fibrous Nanosilica for Catalysis, Energy Harvesting, Carbon Dioxide Mitigation, Drug Delivery, and Sensing

PubMed Central

Maity, Ayan

2017-01-01

Abstract Morphology‐controlled nanomaterials such as silica play a crucial role in the development of technologies for addressing challenges in the fields of energy, environment, and health. After the discovery of Stöber silica, followed by that of mesoporous silica materials, such as MCM‐41 and SBA‐15, a significant surge in the design and synthesis of nanosilica with various sizes, shapes, morphologies, and textural properties has been observed in recent years. One notable invention is dendritic fibrous nanosilica, also known as KCC‐1. This material possesses a unique fibrous morphology, unlike the tubular porous structure of various conventional silica materials. It has a high surface area with improved accessibility to the internal surface, tunable pore size and pore volume, controllable particle size, and, importantly, improved stability. Since its discovery, a large number of studies have been reported concerning its use in applications such as catalysis, solar‐energy harvesting, energy storage, self‐cleaning antireflective coatings, surface plasmon resonance‐based ultrasensitive sensors, CO2 capture, and biomedical applications. These reports indicate that dendritic fibrous nanosilica has excellent potential as an alternative to popular silica materials such as MCM‐41, SBA‐15, Stöber silica, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles. This Review provides a critical survey of the dendritic fibrous nanosilica family of materials, and the discussion includes the synthesis and formation mechanism, applications in catalysis and photocatalysis, applications in energy harvesting and storage, applications in magnetic and composite materials, applications in CO2 mitigation, biomedical applications, and analytical applications. PMID:28834600

Predicting Transition and Adjustment to College: Biomedical and Behavioral Science Aspirants' and Minority Students' First Year of College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurtado, Sylvia; Han, June C.; Saenz, Victor B.; Espinosa, Lorelle L.; Cabrera, Nolan L.; Cerna, Oscar S.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore key factors that impact the college transition of aspiring underrepresented minority students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, in comparison with White, Asian students and non-science minority students. We examined successful management of the academic environment and sense of belonging during the…

The Role of Biomedical Librarians in a Local Basic Unit Library Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Ruth

The quality of library service in biomedical institutions ultimately depends upon basic unit librarians. Although the hierarchy is necessary, it can only have as much real authority and cooperation as institutions vest in it by their degree of understanding and sense of personal worth. Vital to this is the local peer groups, which serves two basic…

Generating quality word sense disambiguation test sets based on MeSH indexing.

PubMed

Fan, Jung-Wei; Friedman, Carol

2009-11-14

Word sense disambiguation (WSD) determines the correct meaning of a word that has more than one meaning, and is a critical step in biomedical natural language processing, as interpretation of information in text can be correct only if the meanings of their component terms are correctly identified first. Quality evaluation sets are important to WSD because they can be used as representative samples for developing automatic programs and as referees for comparing different WSD programs. To help create quality test sets for WSD, we developed a MeSH-based automatic sense-tagging method that preferentially annotates terms being topical of the text. Preliminary results were promising and revealed important issues to be addressed in biomedical WSD research. We also suggest that, by cross-validating with 2 or 3 annotators, the method should be able to efficiently generate quality WSD test sets. Online supplement is available at: http://www.dbmi.columbia.edu/~juf7002/AMIA09.

Advances in Electronic-Nose Technologies Developed for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Wilson, Alphus D.; Baietto, Manuela

2011-01-01

The research and development of new electronic-nose applications in the biomedical field has accelerated at a phenomenal rate over the past 25 years. Many innovative e-nose technologies have provided solutions and applications to a wide variety of complex biomedical and healthcare problems. The purposes of this review are to present a comprehensive analysis of past and recent biomedical research findings and developments of electronic-nose sensor technologies, and to identify current and future potential e-nose applications that will continue to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of biomedical treatments and healthcare services for many years. An abundance of electronic-nose applications has been developed for a variety of healthcare sectors including diagnostics, immunology, pathology, patient recovery, pharmacology, physical therapy, physiology, preventative medicine, remote healthcare, and wound and graft healing. Specific biomedical e-nose applications range from uses in biochemical testing, blood-compatibility evaluations, disease diagnoses, and drug delivery to monitoring of metabolic levels, organ dysfunctions, and patient conditions through telemedicine. This paper summarizes the major electronic-nose technologies developed for healthcare and biomedical applications since the late 1980s when electronic aroma detection technologies were first recognized to be potentially useful in providing effective solutions to problems in the healthcare industry. PMID:22346620

Bio-medical telemetry: Sensing and transmitting biological information from animals to man

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackay, S.

1971-01-01

The application of small radio transmitters for monitoring biological activity in animals and humans is discussed. The microminiaturization of the electronic transmitters makes it possible for them to be swallowed and to operate within the body with no external connections. The small size also makes it possible for the transmitters to be surgically implanted or carried externally to monitor specific bodily functions. The use of satellites to monitor the activity of birds and animals carrying small transmitters is described. Photographs of birds, fish, and reptiles which were equipped with miniature electronic monitors are provided.

Biomedical Biopolymers, their Origin and Evolution in Biomedical Sciences: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Yadav, Harsh; Shah, Veena Gowri; Shah, Gaurav; Dhaka, Gaurav

2015-01-01

Biopolymers provide a plethora of applications in the pharmaceutical and medical applications. A material that can be used for biomedical applications like wound healing, drug delivery and tissue engineering should possess certain properties like biocompatibility, biodegradation to non-toxic products, low antigenicity, high bio-activity, processability to complicated shapes with appropriate porosity, ability to support cell growth and proliferation and appropriate mechanical properties, as well as maintaining mechanical strength. This paper reviews biodegradable biopolymers focusing on their potential in biomedical applications. Biopolymers most commonly used and most abundantly available have been described with focus on the properties relevant to biomedical importance. PMID:26501034

Optimizing biomedical science learning in a veterinary curriculum: a review.

PubMed

Warren, Amy L; Donnon, Tyrone

2013-01-01

As veterinary medical curricula evolve, the time dedicated to biomedical science teaching, as well as the role of biomedical science knowledge in veterinary education, has been scrutinized. Aside from being mandated by accrediting bodies, biomedical science knowledge plays an important role in developing clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic reasoning skills in the application of clinical skills, in supporting evidence-based veterinary practice and life-long learning, and in advancing biomedical knowledge and comparative medicine. With an increasing volume and fast pace of change in biomedical knowledge, as well as increased demands on curricular time, there has been pressure to make biomedical science education efficient and relevant for veterinary medicine. This has lead to a shift in biomedical education from fact-based, teacher-centered and discipline-based teaching to applicable, student-centered, integrated teaching. This movement is supported by adult learning theories and is thought to enhance students' transference of biomedical science into their clinical practice. The importance of biomedical science in veterinary education and the theories of biomedical science learning will be discussed in this article. In addition, we will explore current advances in biomedical teaching methodologies that are aimed to maximize knowledge retention and application for clinical veterinary training and practice.

Carbon nanotubes: a novel material for multifaceted applications in human healthcare.

PubMed

Kumar, Sandeep; Rani, Ruma; Dilbaghi, Neeraj; Tankeshwar, K; Kim, Ki-Hyun

2017-01-03

Remarkable advances have been achieved in modern material technology, especially in device fabrication, and these have facilitated the use of diverse materials in various applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being successfully implemented in drug delivery, sensing, water purification, composite materials, and bone scaffolds. Thus, CNTs must meet a wide range of criteria such as surface modification, high aspect ratio, desired conductivity, high porosity and loading, non-toxicity, specificity, and selectivity, and compatibility for device fabrication. The main focus of this review is to explore the maximum applications of CNTs for human health, and we particularly focus on nanocarrier and biomedical applications. The scope of this review initially covers the basic aspects of CNTs and is also extended further to describe their synthesis strategies as well as various challenges encountered in their functionalization, dispersion, and toxicity. Our discussion also emphasizes future directions for these emerging fields of research.

Novel solid state lasers for Lidar applications at 2 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della Valle, G.; Galzerano, G.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Laporta, P.

2005-09-01

A review on the results achieved by our group in the development of novel solid-state lasers for Lidar applications at 2 μm is presented. These lasers, based on fluoride crystals (YLF4, BaY2F8, and KYF4) doped with Tm and Ho ions, are characterized by high-efficiency and wide wavelength tunability around 2 μm. Single crystals of LiYF4, BaY2F8, and KYF4 codoped with the same Tm3+ and Ho3+ concentrations were successfully grown by the Czochralski method. The full spectroscopic characterization of the different laser crystals and the comparison between the laser performance are presented. Continuous wave operation was efficiently demonstrated by means of a CW diode-pumping. These oscillators find interesting applications in the field of remote sensing (Lidar and Dial systems) as well as in high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, frequency metrology, and biomedical applications.

Colloidal chitin nanogels: A plethora of applications under one shell.

PubMed

Vishnu Priya, M; Sabitha, M; Jayakumar, R

2016-01-20

Chitin nanogels (CNGs) are a relatively new class of natural polymeric nanomaterials which have a large potential in the field of drug delivery and nanotherapeutics. These nanogels being very biocompatible are non-toxic when internalized by cells. In this review various properties, preparation techniques and applications of CNGs have been described. CNGs because of their nano-size possess certain unique properties which enable them to be used in a number of biomedical applications. CNGs are prepared by simple regeneration technique without using any cross-linkers. Various polymers, drugs and fluorescent dyes can be blended or incorporated or labelled with the chitin hydrogel network. Drugs and molecules encapsulated within CNGs can be used for targeted delivery, in vivo monitoring or even for therapeutic purposes. Here various applications of CNGs in the field of drug delivery, imaging, sensing and therapeutics have been discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnetic porous carbon nanocomposites derived from metal-organic frameworks as a sensing platform for DNA fluorescent detection.

PubMed

Tan, Hongliang; Tang, Gonge; Wang, Zhixiong; Li, Qian; Gao, Jie; Wu, Shimeng

2016-10-12

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as very fascinating functional materials due to their tunable nature and diverse applications. In this work, we prepared a magnetic porous carbon (MPC) nanocomposite by employing iron-containing MOFs (MIL-88A) as precursors through a one-pot thermolysis method. It was found that the MPC can absorb selectively single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe to form MPC/ssDNA complex and subsequently quench the labelled fluorescent dye of the ssDNA probe, which is resulted from the synergetic effect of magnetic nanoparticles and carbon matrix. Upon the addition of complementary target DNA, however, the absorbed ssDNA probe could be released from MPC surface by forming double-stranded DNA with target DNA, and accompanied by the recovery of the fluorescence of ssDNA probe. Based on these findings, a sensing platform with low background signal for DNA fluorescent detection was developed. The proposed sensing platform exhibits high sensitivity with detection limit of 1 nM and excellent selectivity to specific target DNA, even single-base mismatched nucleotide can be distinguished. We envision that the presented study would provide a new perspective on the potential applications of MOF-derived nanocomposites in biomedical fields. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wireless energizing system for an automated implantable sensor.

PubMed

Swain, Biswaranjan; Nayak, Praveen P; Kar, Durga P; Bhuyan, Satyanarayan; Mishra, Laxmi P

2016-07-01

The wireless drive of an automated implantable electronic sensor has been explored for health monitoring applications. The proposed system comprises of an automated biomedical sensing system which is energized through resonant inductive coupling. The implantable sensor unit is able to monitor the body temperature parameter and sends back the corresponding telemetry data wirelessly to the data recoding unit. It has been observed that the wireless power delivery system is capable of energizing the automated biomedical implantable electronic sensor placed over a distance of 3 cm from the power transmitter with an energy transfer efficiency of 26% at the operating resonant frequency of 562 kHz. This proposed method ensures real-time monitoring of different human body temperatures around the clock. The monitored temperature data have been compared with a calibrated temperature measurement system to ascertain the accuracy of the proposed system. The investigated technique can also be useful for monitoring other body parameters such as blood pressure, bladder pressure, and physiological signals of the patient in vivo using various implantable sensors.

Solid state tritium detector for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, J. S.; Farrell, R.; Daley, K.; Oakes, C. E.

1994-08-01

Radioactive labeling of proteins is a very important technique used in biomedical research to identify, isolate, and investigate the expression and properties of proteins in biological systems. In such procedures, the preferred radiolabel is often tritium. Presently, binding assays involving tritium are carried out using inconvenient and expensive techniques which rely on the use of scintillation fluid counting systems. This traditional method involves both time-consuming laboratory protocols and the generation of substantial quantities of radioactive and chemical waste. We have developed a novel technology to measure the tritium content of biological specimens that does not rely on scintillation fluids. The tritiated samples can be positioned directly under a large area, monolithic array of specially prepared avalanche photodiodes (APDs) which record the tritium activity distribution at each point within the field of view of the array. The 1 mm(sup 2) sensing elements exhibit an intrinsic tritium beta detection efficiency of 27% with high gain uniformity and very low cross talk.

Evaluation of research in biomedical ontologies

PubMed Central

Dumontier, Michel; Gkoutos, Georgios V.

2013-01-01

Ontologies are now pervasive in biomedicine, where they serve as a means to standardize terminology, to enable access to domain knowledge, to verify data consistency and to facilitate integrative analyses over heterogeneous biomedical data. For this purpose, research on biomedical ontologies applies theories and methods from diverse disciplines such as information management, knowledge representation, cognitive science, linguistics and philosophy. Depending on the desired applications in which ontologies are being applied, the evaluation of research in biomedical ontologies must follow different strategies. Here, we provide a classification of research problems in which ontologies are being applied, focusing on the use of ontologies in basic and translational research, and we demonstrate how research results in biomedical ontologies can be evaluated. The evaluation strategies depend on the desired application and measure the success of using an ontology for a particular biomedical problem. For many applications, the success can be quantified, thereby facilitating the objective evaluation and comparison of research in biomedical ontology. The objective, quantifiable comparison of research results based on scientific applications opens up the possibility for systematically improving the utility of ontologies in biomedical research. PMID:22962340

Sparse signals recovered by non-convex penalty in quasi-linear systems.

PubMed

Cui, Angang; Li, Haiyang; Wen, Meng; Peng, Jigen

2018-01-01

The goal of compressed sensing is to reconstruct a sparse signal under a few linear measurements far less than the dimension of the ambient space of the signal. However, many real-life applications in physics and biomedical sciences carry some strongly nonlinear structures, and the linear model is no longer suitable. Compared with the compressed sensing under the linear circumstance, this nonlinear compressed sensing is much more difficult, in fact also NP-hard, combinatorial problem, because of the discrete and discontinuous nature of the [Formula: see text]-norm and the nonlinearity. In order to get a convenience for sparse signal recovery, we set the nonlinear models have a smooth quasi-linear nature in this paper, and study a non-convex fraction function [Formula: see text] in this quasi-linear compressed sensing. We propose an iterative fraction thresholding algorithm to solve the regularization problem [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. With the change of parameter [Formula: see text], our algorithm could get a promising result, which is one of the advantages for our algorithm compared with some state-of-art algorithms. Numerical experiments show that our method performs much better than some state-of-the-art methods.

Organic fluorescent dye-based nanomaterials: Advances in the rational design for imaging and sensing applications.

PubMed

Svechkarev, Denis; Mohs, Aaron M

2018-02-25

Self-assembled fluorescent nanomaterials based on small-molecule organic dyes are gaining increasing popularity in imaging and sensing applications over the past decade. This is primarily due to their ability to combine spectral property tunability and biocompatibility of small molecule organic fluorophores with brightness, chemical, and colloidal stability of inorganic materials. Such a unique combination of features comes with rich versatility of dye-based nanomaterials: from aggregates of small molecules to sophisticated core-shell nanoarchitectures involving hyperbranched polymers. Along with the ongoing discovery of new materials and better ways of their synthesis, it is very important to continue systematic studies of fundamental factors that regulate the key properties of fluorescent nanomaterials: their size, polydispersity, colloidal stability, chemical stability, absorption and emission maxima, biocompatibility, and interactions with biological interfaces. In this review, we focus on the systematic description of various types of organic fluorescent nanomaterials, approaches to their synthesis, and ways to optimize and control their characteristics. The discussion is built on examples from reports on recent advances in design and applications of such materials. Conclusions made from this analysis allow a perspective on future development of fluorescent nanomaterials design for biomedical and related applications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The Role of Professional Identity in Graduate School Success for Under-Represented Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim-Prieto, Chu; Copeland, H. Liesel; Hopson, Rodney; Simmons, Toya; Leibowitz, Michael J.

2013-01-01

We examined the relationship between sense of professional identity and academic success among under-represented minority graduate students in a biomedical doctoral program. We found that a sense of professional identity is related to science success among under-represented minority students, but not for non-underrepresented minority students.…

When Technique Is the Foundation of Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downing, Raymond

2012-01-01

One of the clearest examples of a technological system, in the sense that Ellul discussed it, is contemporary biomedical health care. The foundation of technological systems is technique: efficient methods for achieving isolated goals. However, the goal of health care should be to achieve health in the full sense of wholeness. Traditional healing…

Bio-Inspired Extreme Wetting Surfaces for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Shin, Sera; Seo, Jungmok; Han, Heetak; Kang, Subin; Kim, Hyunchul; Lee, Taeyoon

2016-01-01

Biological creatures with unique surface wettability have long served as a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers. More specifically, materials exhibiting extreme wetting properties, such as superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces, have attracted considerable attention because of their potential use in various applications, such as self-cleaning fabrics, anti-fog windows, anti-corrosive coatings, drag-reduction systems, and efficient water transportation. In particular, the engineering of surface wettability by manipulating chemical properties and structure opens emerging biomedical applications ranging from high-throughput cell culture platforms to biomedical devices. This review describes design and fabrication methods for artificial extreme wetting surfaces. Next, we introduce some of the newer and emerging biomedical applications using extreme wetting surfaces. Current challenges and future prospects of the surfaces for potential biomedical applications are also addressed. PMID:28787916

Low cost fiber optic sensing of sugar solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthuraju, M. E.; Patlolla, Anurag Reddy; Vadakkapattu Canthadai, Badrinath; Pachava, Vengalrao

2015-03-01

The demand for highly sensitive and reliable sensors to assess the refractive index of liquid get many applications in chemical and biomedical areas. Indeed, the physical parameters such as concentration, pressure and density, etc., can be found using the refractive index of liquid. In contrast to the conventional refractometer for measurement, optical fiber sensor has several advantages like remote sensing, small in size, low cost, immune to EMI etc., In this paper we have discussed determination of refractive index of sugar solution using optical fiber. An intensity modulated low cost plastic fiber optic refractive index sensor has been designed for the study. The sensor is based on principle of change in angle of reflected light caused by refractive index change of the medium surrounding the fiber. The experimental results obtained for the sugar solution of different refractive indices prove that the fiber optic sensor is cable of measuring the refractive indices as well as the concentrations.

Carbon Nanomaterial Based Biosensors for Non-Invasive Detection of Cancer and Disease Biomarkers for Clinical Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Tung, Thanh Tran

2017-01-01

The early diagnosis of diseases, e.g., Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and various types of cancer, and monitoring the response of patients to the therapy plays a critical role in clinical treatment; therefore, there is an intensive research for the determination of many clinical analytes. In order to achieve point-of-care sensing in clinical practice, sensitive, selective, cost-effective, simple, reliable, and rapid analytical methods are required. Biosensors have become essential tools in biomarker sensing, in which electrode material and architecture play critical roles in achieving sensitive and stable detection. Carbon nanomaterials in the form of particle/dots, tube/wires, and sheets have recently become indispensable elements of biosensor platforms due to their excellent mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. This review summarizes developments in this lucrative field by presenting major biosensor types and variability of sensor platforms in biomedical applications. PMID:28825646

An external-cavity quantum cascade laser operating near 5.2 µm combined with cavity ring-down spectroscopy for multi-component chemical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta Banik, Gourab; Maity, Abhijit; Som, Suman; Pal, Mithun; Pradhan, Manik

2018-04-01

We report on the performance of a widely tunable continuous wave mode-hop-free external-cavity quantum cascade laser operating at λ ~ 5.2 µm combined with cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technique for high-resolution molecular spectroscopy. The CRDS system has been utilized for simultaneous and molecule-specific detection of several environmentally and bio-medically important trace molecular species such as nitric oxide, nitrous oxide, carbonyl sulphide and acetylene (C2H2) at ultra-low concentrations by probing numerous rotationally resolved ro-vibrational transitions in the mid-IR spectral region within a relatively small spectral range of ~0.035 cm-1. This continuous wave external-cavity quantum cascade laser-based multi-component CRDS sensor with high sensitivity and molecular specificity promises applications in environmental sensing as well as non-invasive medical diagnosis through human breath analysis.

Status and Perspectives of Ion Track Electronics for Advanced Biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fink, D.; Muñoz, H. Gerardo; Alfonta, L.; Mandabi, Y.; Dias, J. F.; de Souza, C. T.; Bacakova, L. E.; Vacík, J.; Hnatowicz, V.; Kiv, A. E.; Fuks, D.; Papaleo, R. M.

New multifunctional ion irradiation-based three-dimensional electronic structures are developed for biotechnological applications, specifically for sensing of biomaterials, bacteria and mammalian cells. This is accomplished by combined micrometric surface and nanometric bulk microstructuring of insulators (specifically of polymer foils and SiO2/Si hybride structures) by adequate ion beams. Our main goal is the production of a cheap small universal generic working platform with multifunctional properties for biomedical analysis. Surface engineering of this platform enables cell bonding and its bulk engineering enables the extraction of cell secrets, for the sake of intercepting and analyzing the biomolecules used in cell communication. The exact knowledge of the spectrum of these cell-secreted signalling molecules should enable one to identify unambiguously the cell type. This knowledge will help developing strategies for preventive quorum sensing of bacteria, with the aim of fighting bacterial infections in an ecologically secure way.

Highly sensitive in-line microfluidic sensor based on microfiber-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer for glucose sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Nanjie; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Bo; Wu, Jixuan; Song, Binbin; Han, Tingting

2017-11-01

A highly sensitive microfluidic sensor based on a microfiber-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MAMZI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the detection of low-concentration glucose solution. A segment of microfiber tapered from standard single-mode fiber (SMF) is spliced between two SMFs with pre-designed lateral offset to constitute the miniaturized MAMZI probe. The transmission spectral response to environmental refractive index variation has been experimentally investigated for glucose concentration ranges of 300 mg dL-1 to 3000 mg dL-1 and 0 to 270 mg dL-1 and the glucose concentration detection limit is 3 mg dL-1, and the experimentally observed transmission spectral responses are in accordance with our theoretical simulation results. Owing to its high sensitivity, non-enzymatic operation method, ease of fabrication and compact size, our proposed MAMZI for glucose sensing is anticipated to be employed in biomedical applications.

Antimicrobial enzymes: an emerging strategy to fight microbes and microbial biofilms.

PubMed

Thallinger, Barbara; Prasetyo, Endry N; Nyanhongo, Gibson S; Guebitz, Georg M

2013-01-01

With the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial enzymes aimed at the disruption of bacterial cellular machinery and biofilm formation are under intense investigation. Several enzyme-based products have already been commercialized for application in the healthcare, food and biomedical industries. Successful removal of complex biofilms requires the use of multi-enzyme formulations that contain enzymes capable of degrading microbial DNA, polysaccharides, proteins and quorum-sensing molecules. The inclusion of anti-quorum sensing enzymes prevents biofilm reformation. The development of effective complex enzyme formulations is urgently needed to deal with the problems associated with biofilm formation in manufacturing, environmental protection and healthcare settings. Nevertheless, advances in synthetic biology, enzyme engineering and whole DNA-Sequencing technologies show great potential to facilitate the development of more effective antimicrobial and anti-biofilm enzymes. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Analysis and Design of Novel Nanophotonic Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shugayev, Roman

Nanophotonic devices hold promise to revolutionize the fields of optical communications, quantum computing and bioimaging. Designing viable solutions to these pressing problems require developing accurate models of the relevant systems. While a great deal of work has been performed in terms of developing individual models with varying levels of fidelity, some of these more complex systems still require improved links between scales to allow for accurate design and optimization within a reasonable amount of computing time. For instance, color centers in nanocrystals appear to be a promising platform for room-temperature scalable quantum information science, but questions still remain about the optimal structures to control single-photon emitter rates, coupling fidelity, and suitable scaling architectures. In this work, a method for efficient optical access and readout of nanocrystal states via magnetic transitions was demonstrated. Separately novel Mie resonant devices that guarantee on-demand enhancement of emission from the single vacancy sources were shown. To improve addressability of the crystal-based impurities, a new approach for realization of single photon electro-optical devices is also proposed in this work. Furthermore, this work on color centers in nanocrystals has been shown to be sensitive to the local refractive index environment. This allows this system to be adapted to biomedical applications, such as sensitive, minimally invasive cancer detection. In this work, a novel scheme for propagation loss-free sensing of local refractive index using nanocrystal probes with broken symmetry is carefully investigated. In conclusion, this thesis develops several novel simulation and optimization techniques that combine existing nanophotonic modeling tools into a unique multi-scale modeling tool. It has been successfully applied to nanophotonically-tuned color vacancy centers. Potential applications span optical communications, quantum information processing, and biomedical sensing.

Wafer-scale fabrication of polymer-based microdevices via injection molding and photolithographic micropatterning protocols.

PubMed

Lee, Dae-Sik; Yang, Haesik; Chung, Kwang-Hyo; Pyo, Hyeon-Bong

2005-08-15

Because of their broad applications in biomedical analysis, integrated, polymer-based microdevices incorporating micropatterned metallic and insulating layers are significant in contemporary research. In this study, micropatterns for temperature sensing and microelectrode sets for electroanalysis have been implemented on an injection-molded thin polymer membrane by employing conventional semiconductor processing techniques (i.e., standard photolithographic methods). Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) is chosen as the polymer substrate because of its high chemical and thermal stability. A COC 5-in. wafer (1-mm thickness) is manufactured using an injection molding method, in which polymer membranes (approximately 130 microm thick and 3 mm x 6 mm in area) are implemented simultaneously in order to reduce local thermal mass around micropatterned heaters and temperature sensors. The highly polished surface (approximately 4 nm within 40 microm x 40 microm area) of the fabricated COC wafer as well as its good resistance to typical process chemicals makes it possible to use the standard photolithographic and etching protocols on the COC wafer. Gold micropatterns with a minimum 5-microm line width are fabricated for making microheaters, temperature sensors, and microelectrodes. An insulating layer of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is prepared at a COC-endurable low temperature (approximately 120 degrees C) by using atomic layer deposition and micropatterning for the electrode contacts. The fabricated microdevice for heating and temperature sensing shows improved performance of thermal isolation, and microelectrodes display good electrochemical performances for electrochemical sensors. Thus, this novel 5-in. wafer-level microfabrication method is a simple and cost-effective protocol to prepare polymer substrate and demonstrates good potential for application to highly integrated and miniaturized biomedical devices.

EDITORIAL: Recent developments in biomedical optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ruikang K.; Hebden, Jeremy C.; Tuchin, Valery V.

2004-04-01

The rapid growth in laser and photonic technology has resulted in new tools being proposed and developed for use in the medical and biological sciences. Specifically, a discipline known as biomedical optics has emerged which is providing a broad variety of optical techniques and instruments for diagnostic, therapeutic and basic science applications. New laser sources, detectors and measurement techniques are yielding powerful new methods for the study of diseases on all scales, from single molecules, to specific tissues and whole organs. For example, novel laser microscopes permit spectroscopic and force measurements to be performed on single protein molecules; new optical devices provide information on molecular dynamics and structure to perform `optical biopsy' non-invasively and almost instantaneously; and optical coherence tomography and diffuse optical tomography allow visualization of specific tissues and organs. Using genetic promoters to derive luciferase expression, bioluminescence methods can generate molecular light switches, which serve as functional indicator lights reporting cellular conditions and responses in living animals. This technique could allow rapid assessment of and response to the effects of anti-tumour drugs, antibiotics, or antiviral drugs. This issue of Physics in Medicine and Biology highlights recent research in biomedical optics, and is based on invited contributions to the International Conference on Advanced Laser Technology (Focused on Biomedical Optics) held at Cranfield University at Silsoe on 19--23 September 2003. This meeting included sessions devoted to: diffuse optical imaging and spectroscopy; optical coherence tomography and coherent domain techniques; optical sensing and applications in life science; microscopic, spectroscopic and opto-acoustic imaging; therapeutic and diagnostic applications; and laser interaction with organic and inorganic materials. Twenty-one papers are included in this special issue. The first paper gives an overview on the current status of scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and its role in bioscience and medicine, while the second paper describes the current problems in tissue engineering and the potential role for optical coherence tomography. The following seven papers present and discuss latest developments in infrared spectroscopy and diffuse optical tomography for medical diagnostics. Eight further papers report recent advances in optical coherence tomography, covering new and evolving methods and instrumentation, theoretical and numerical modelling, and its clinical applications. The remaining papers cover miscellaneous topics in biomedical optics, including new developments in opto-acoustic imaging techniques, laser speckle imaging of blood flow in microcirculations, and potential of hollow-core photonic-crystal fibres for laser dentistry. We thank all the authors for their valuable contributions and their prompt responses to reviewers' comments. We are also very grateful to the reviewers for their hard work and their considerable efforts to meet tight deadlines.

Functionalized carbon nanotubes: biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Vardharajula, Sandhya; Ali, Sk Z; Tiwari, Pooja M; Eroğlu, Erdal; Vig, Komal; Dennis, Vida A; Singh, Shree R

2012-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are emerging as novel nanomaterials for various biomedical applications. CNTs can be used to deliver a variety of therapeutic agents, including biomolecules, to the target disease sites. In addition, their unparalleled optical and electrical properties make them excellent candidates for bioimaging and other biomedical applications. However, the high cytotoxicity of CNTs limits their use in humans and many biological systems. The biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity of CNTs are attributed to size, dose, duration, testing systems, and surface functionalization. The functionalization of CNTs improves their solubility and biocompatibility and alters their cellular interaction pathways, resulting in much-reduced cytotoxic effects. Functionalized CNTs are promising novel materials for a variety of biomedical applications. These potential applications are particularly enhanced by their ability to penetrate biological membranes with relatively low cytotoxicity. This review is directed towards the overview of CNTs and their functionalization for biomedical applications with minimal cytotoxicity. PMID:23091380

Functionalized carbon nanotubes: biomedical applications.

PubMed

Vardharajula, Sandhya; Ali, Sk Z; Tiwari, Pooja M; Eroğlu, Erdal; Vig, Komal; Dennis, Vida A; Singh, Shree R

2012-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are emerging as novel nanomaterials for various biomedical applications. CNTs can be used to deliver a variety of therapeutic agents, including biomolecules, to the target disease sites. In addition, their unparalleled optical and electrical properties make them excellent candidates for bioimaging and other biomedical applications. However, the high cytotoxicity of CNTs limits their use in humans and many biological systems. The biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity of CNTs are attributed to size, dose, duration, testing systems, and surface functionalization. The functionalization of CNTs improves their solubility and biocompatibility and alters their cellular interaction pathways, resulting in much-reduced cytotoxic effects. Functionalized CNTs are promising novel materials for a variety of biomedical applications. These potential applications are particularly enhanced by their ability to penetrate biological membranes with relatively low cytotoxicity. This review is directed towards the overview of CNTs and their functionalization for biomedical applications with minimal cytotoxicity.

Biomedical Ontologies in Action: Role in Knowledge Management, Data Integration and Decision Support

PubMed Central

Bodenreider, O.

2008-01-01

Summary Objectives To provide typical examples of biomedical ontologies in action, emphasizing the role played by biomedical ontologies in knowledge management, data integration and decision support. Methods Biomedical ontologies selected for their practical impact are examined from a functional perspective. Examples of applications are taken from operational systems and the biomedical literature, with a bias towards recent journal articles. Results The ontologies under investigation in this survey include SNOMED CT, the Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes (LOINC), the Foundational Model of Anatomy, the Gene Ontology, RxNorm, the National Cancer Institute Thesaurus, the International Classification of Diseases, the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). The roles played by biomedical ontologies are classified into three major categories: knowledge management (indexing and retrieval of data and information, access to information, mapping among ontologies); data integration, exchange and semantic interoperability; and decision support and reasoning (data selection and aggregation, decision support, natural language processing applications, knowledge discovery). Conclusions Ontologies play an important role in biomedical research through a variety of applications. While ontologies are used primarily as a source of vocabulary for standardization and integration purposes, many applications also use them as a source of computable knowledge. Barriers to the use of ontologies in biomedical applications are discussed. PMID:18660879

Engineering responsive supramolecular biomaterials: Toward smart therapeutics.

PubMed

Webber, Matthew J

2016-09-01

Engineering materials using supramolecular principles enables generalizable and modular platforms that have tunable chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Applying this bottom-up, molecular engineering-based approach to therapeutic design affords unmatched control of emergent properties and functionalities. In preparing responsive materials for biomedical applications, the dynamic character of typical supramolecular interactions facilitates systems that can more rapidly sense and respond to specific stimuli through a fundamental change in material properties or characteristics, as compared to cases where covalent bonds must be overcome. Several supramolecular motifs have been evaluated toward the preparation of "smart" materials capable of sensing and responding to stimuli. Triggers of interest in designing materials for therapeutic use include applied external fields, environmental changes, biological actuators, applied mechanical loading, and modulation of relative binding affinities. In addition, multistimuli-responsive routes can be realized that capture combinations of triggers for increased functionality. In sum, supramolecular engineering offers a highly functional strategy to prepare responsive materials. Future development and refinement of these approaches will improve precision in material formation and responsiveness, seek dynamic reciprocity in interactions with living biological systems, and improve spatiotemporal sensing of disease for better therapeutic deployment.

Multi-parameter fiber optic sensors based on fiber random grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yanping; Zhang, Mingjiang; Lu, Ping; Mihailov, Stephen; Bao, Xiaoyi

2017-04-01

Two novel configurations of multi-parameter fiber-optic sensing systems based on the fiber random grating are reported. The fiber random grating is fabricated through femtosecond laser induced refractive index modification over a 10cm standard telecom single mode fiber. In one configuration, the reflective spectrum of the fiber random grating is directly detected and a wavelength-division spectral cross-correlation algorithm is adopted to extract the spectral shifts for simultaneous measurement of temperature, axial strain, and surrounding refractive index. In the other configuration, a random fiber ring laser is constructed by incorporating the random feedback from the random grating. Numerous polarization-dependent spectral filters are formed along the random grating and superimposed to provide multiple lasing lines with high signal-to-noise ratio up to 40dB, which enables a high-fidelity multi-parameter sensing scheme by monitoring the spectral shifts of the lasing lines. Without the need of phase mask for fabrication and with the high physical strength, the random grating based sensors are much simpler and more compact, which could be potentially an excellent alternative for liquid medical sample sensing in biomedical and biochemical applications.

Remote and in situ sensing products in chemical reaction using a flexible terahertz pipe waveguide.

PubMed

You, Borwen; Lu, Ja-Yu

2016-08-08

The feasibility of remote chemical detection is experimentally demonstrated by using a Teflon pipe as a scanning arm in a continuous-terahertz wave sensing and imaging system. Different tablets with distinct mixed ratios of aluminum and polyethylene powders are well distinguished by measuring the power reflectivities of 0.4 THz wave associated with their distinct terahertz refractive indices. Given its refractive index sensitivity and fast response, the reflective terahertz sensing system can be used to real-time trace and quantitatively analyze the ammonium-chloride aerosols produced by the chemical reaction between hydrochloric acid and ammonia vapors. With a tightly focusing terahertz beam spot, the spatial and concentration distributions of the generated chemical product are successfully mapped out by the 1D scan of the flexible pipe probe. In consideration of the responsitivity, power stability, and focused spot size of the system, its detection limit for the ammonium-chloride aerosol is estimated to be approximately 165 nmol/mm². The reliable and compact terahertz pipe scan system is potentially suitable for practical applications, such as biomedical or industrial fiber endoscopy.

Advanced biosensing methodologies developed for evaluating performance quality and safety of emerging biophotonics technologies and medical devices (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilev, Ilko K.; Walker, Bennett; Calhoun, William; Hassan, Moinuddin

2016-03-01

Biophotonics is an emerging field in modern biomedical technology that has opened up new horizons for transfer of state-of-the-art techniques from the areas of lasers, fiber optics and biomedical optics to the life sciences and medicine. This field continues to vastly expand with advanced developments across the entire spectrum of biomedical applications ranging from fundamental "bench" laboratory studies to clinical patient "bedside" diagnostics and therapeutics. However, in order to translate these technologies to clinical device applications, the scientific and industrial community, and FDA are facing the requirement for a thorough evaluation and review of laser radiation safety and efficacy concerns. In many cases, however, the review process is complicated due the lack of effective means and standard test methods to precisely analyze safety and effectiveness of some of the newly developed biophotonics techniques and devices. There is, therefore, an immediate public health need for new test protocols, guidance documents and standard test methods to precisely evaluate fundamental characteristics, performance quality and safety of these technologies and devices. Here, we will overview our recent developments of novel test methodologies for safety and efficacy evaluation of some emerging biophotonics technologies and medical devices. These methodologies are based on integrating the advanced features of state-of-the-art optical sensor technologies and approaches such as high-resolution fiber-optic sensing, confocal and optical coherence tomography imaging, and infrared spectroscopy. The presentation will also illustrate some methodologies developed and implemented for testing intraocular lens implants, biochemical contaminations of medical devices, ultrahigh-resolution nanoscopy, and femtosecond laser therapeutics.

Ultra-wideband sensors for improved magnetic resonance imaging, cardiovascular monitoring and tumour diagnostics.

PubMed

Thiel, Florian; Kosch, Olaf; Seifert, Frank

2010-01-01

The specific advantages of ultra-wideband electromagnetic remote sensing (UWB radar) make it a particularly attractive technique for biomedical applications. We partially review our activities in utilizing this novel approach for the benefit of high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other applications, e.g., for intensive care medicine and biomedical research. We could show that our approach is beneficial for applications like motion tracking for high resolution brain imaging due to the non-contact acquisition of involuntary head motions with high spatial resolution, navigation for cardiac MRI due to our interpretation of the detected physiological mechanical contraction of the heart muscle and for MR safety, since we have investigated the influence of high static magnetic fields on myocardial mechanics. From our findings we could conclude, that UWB radar can serve as a navigator technique for high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging and can be beneficial preserving the high resolution capability of this imaging modality. Furthermore it can potentially be used to support standard ECG analysis by complementary information where sole ECG analysis fails. Further analytical investigations have proven the feasibility of this method for intracranial displacements detection and the rendition of a tumour's contrast agent based perfusion dynamic. Beside these analytical approaches we have carried out FDTD simulations of a complex arrangement mimicking the illumination of a human torso model incorporating the geometry of the antennas applied.

Synthesis of multifunctional clustered nano-Fe3O4 chitosan nanocomposite for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villamin, Maria Emma; Kitamoto, Yoshitaka

2018-01-01

Clustered iron oxide nanoparticles covered with chitosan hydrogel (FeOx/Ch NC) have multiple potential functionalities in biomedical applications such as pH-controlled drug release, magnetic hyperthermia, and magnetic non-contact pH sensing. In the present study, the synthesis and characterization of FeOx/Ch NC are demonstrated. Moreover, the heating capability of the nanocomposites is also explored for the potential magnetic hyperthermia application by measuring the temperature curves under different AC frequencies (900 kHz to 2500 kHz). Monodispersed FeOx NPs are first synthesized via thermal decomposition. Then, dried FeOx NPs are combined with chitosan using a homogenizer to form the clustered composites. Synthesized composites are then characterized using XRD, TEM, and FTIR. Temperature curves are measured via a custom-built hyperthermia setup. Results show successful synthesis of clustered Fe3O4-chitosan nanocomposite with XRD peaks corresponding to magnetite (Fe3O4) structure. FTIR results show the presence of functional groups of chitosan (N-H, C-O) and FeOx NPs (Fe-O). These confirms the successful fabrication of FeOx/Ch NC. The temperature curves show maximum temperature changes of about 2°C to 22°C depending on the AC frequency. The heating rate is found to increase with the frequency, which suggests that the resonance frequency is higher than 2500 kHz.

Vision-guided micromanipulation system for biomedical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, Jae-Hong; Cho, Sung-Yong; Cha, Dong-Hyuk

2004-10-01

In these days, various researches for biomedical application of robots have been carried out. Particularly, robotic manipulation of the biological cells has been studied by many researchers. Usually, most of the biological cell's shape is sphere. Commercial biological manipulation systems have been utilized the 2-Dimensional images through the optical microscopes only. Moreover, manipulation of the biological cells mainly depends on the subjective viewpoint of an operator. Due to these reasons, there exist lots of problems such as slippery and destruction of the cell membrane and damage of the pipette tip etc. In order to overcome the problems, we have proposed a vision-guided biological cell manipulation system. The newly proposed manipulation system makes use of vision and graphic techniques. Through the proposed procedures, an operator can inject the biological cell scientifically and objectively. Also, the proposed manipulation system can measure the contact force occurred at injection of a biological cell. It can be transmitted a measured force to the operator by the proposed haptic device. Consequently, the proposed manipulation system could safely handle the biological cells without any damage. This paper presents the introduction of our vision-guided manipulation techniques and the concept of the contact force sensing. Through a series of experiments the proposed vision-guided manipulation system shows the possibility of application for precision manipulation of the biological cell such as DNA.

Working principle and application of magnetic separation for biomedical diagnostic at high- and low-field gradients

PubMed Central

Yeap, Swee Pin; Lim, JitKang

2016-01-01

Magnetic separation is a versatile technique used in sample preparation for diagnostic purpose. For such application, an external magnetic field is applied to drive the separation of target entity (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites and cancer cells) from a complex raw sample in order to ease the subsequent task(s) for disease diagnosis. This separation process not only can be achieved via the utilization of high magnetic field gradient, but also, in most cases, low magnetic field gradient with magnitude less than 100 T m−1 is equally feasible. It is the aim of this review paper to summarize the usage of both high gradient magnetic separation and low gradient magnetic separation (LGMS) techniques in this area of research. It is noteworthy that effectiveness of the magnetic separation process not only determines the outcome of a diagnosis but also directly influences its accuracy as well as sensing time involved. Therefore, understanding the factors that simultaneously influence the efficiency of both magnetic separation process and target detection is necessary. Moreover, for LGMS, there are several important considerations that should be taken into account in order to ensure its successful implementation. Hence, this review paper aims to provide an overview to relate all this crucial information by linking the magnetic separation theory to biomedical diagnostic applications. PMID:27920891

Synthesis and size classification of metal oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atsumi, Takashi; Jeyadevan, Balachandran; Sato, Yoshinori; Tamura, Kazuchika; Aiba, Setsuya; Tohji, Kazuyuki

2004-12-01

Magnetic nanoparticles are considered for biomedical applications, such as the medium in magnetic resonance imaging, hyperthermia, drug delivery, and for the purification or classification of DNA or virus. The performance of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical application such as hyperthermia depends very much on the magnetic properties, size and size distribution. We briefly described the basic idea behind their use in drug delivery, magnetic separation and hyperthermia and discussed the prerequisite properties magnetic particles for biomedical applications. Finally reported the synthesis and classification scheme to prepare magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with narrow size distribution for magnetic fluid hyperthermia.

Multi-spectral fiber spectroscopy in 0,4-16μm range for biomedical applications(Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artyushenko, Viacheslav

2017-02-01

Various biomedical applications of fiber optics in a broad spectral range 0,4-16μm span from endoscopic imaging and Photo Dynamic Diagnostics (PDD) to laser power delivery for minimal invasive laser surgery, tissue coagulation and welding, Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDT), etc. Present review will highlight the latest results in advanced fiber solutions for a precise tissue diagnostics and control of some therapy methods - for so called "theranostic". Spectral fiber sensing for label free analysis of tissue composition helps to differentiate malignant and normal tissue to secure minimal invasive, but complete tumor removal or treatment. All key methods of Raman, fluorescence, diffuse reflection & MIR-absorption spectroscopy will be compared when used for the same spot of tissue - to select the most specific, sensitive and accurate method or to combine them for the synergy enhanced effect. The most informative spectral features for distinct organs/ tumor can be used to design special fiber sensors to be developed for portable and low cost applications with modern IT-features. Examples of multi-spectral tissue diagnostics promising for the future clinical applications will be presented to enable reduced mortality from cancer in the future. Translation of described methods into clinical practice will be discussed in comparison with the other method of optical diagnostics which should enhance modern medicine by less invasive, more precise and more effective methods of therapy to be fused with in-vivo diagnostics sensors & systems.

Photovoltaic cells and photodetectors made with semiconductor polymers: recent progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Gang; Srdanov, Gordana; Wang, Hailiang; Cao, Yong; Heeger, Alan J.

2000-05-01

In this presentation, we discuss recent progress on polymer photovoltaic cells and polymer photodetectors. By improving the fill-factor of polymer photovoltaic cells, the energy conversion efficiency was improved significantly to over 4 percent. Such high efficiency polymer photovoltaic cells are promising for many applications including e-papers, e-books and smart-windows. Polymer photodetectors with similar device configuration show high photosensitivity, low dark current, large dynamic range, linear intensity dependence, low noise level and fast response time. These parameters are comparable to or even better than their inorganic counterparts. The advantages of low manufacturing cost, large detection area, and easy hybridization and integration with other electronic or optical components make them promising for a variety of applications including chemical/biomedical analysis, full-color digital image sensing and high energy radiation detection.

Lipid Nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Mashaghi, Samaneh; Jadidi, Tayebeh; Koenderink, Gijsje; Mashaghi, Alireza

2013-01-01

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that covers a vast and diverse array of devices and machines derived from engineering, physics, materials science, chemistry and biology. These devices have found applications in biomedical sciences, such as targeted drug delivery, bio-imaging, sensing and diagnosis of pathologies at early stages. In these applications, nano-devices typically interface with the plasma membrane of cells. On the other hand, naturally occurring nanostructures in biology have been a source of inspiration for new nanotechnological designs and hybrid nanostructures made of biological and non-biological, organic and inorganic building blocks. Lipids, with their amphiphilicity, diversity of head and tail chemistry, and antifouling properties that block nonspecific binding to lipid-coated surfaces, provide a powerful toolbox for nanotechnology. This review discusses the progress in the emerging field of lipid nanotechnology. PMID:23429269

Review on developments in fiber optical sensors and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annamdas, Kiran Kishore Kumar; Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav

2010-04-01

The last couple of decades had witnessed a rise in the research of optoelectronic and fiber optical communication fields, which resulted in applications focused initially in military and aerospace equipments, and later in health monitoring for medicine, heritage culture and various engineering fields. The monitoring of existing or /and new engineering, biomedical structures has become a regular feature throughout the world. Monitoring is fast emerging as a pioneering field with high precision and quality equipments. This field is very vast, consisting of both traditional as well as smart materials based methods. The fiber optics belong to the finest class of smart materials, there are many types and classifications based on the necessity, manufacturer and the end user. In this paper, a complete over view of fiber sensing systems and their usefulness is briefly presented.

Advances in electronic-nose technologies developed for biomedical applications

Treesearch

Dan Wilson; Manuela Baietto

2011-01-01

The research and development of new electronic-nose applications in the biomedical field has accelerated at a phenomenal rate over the past 25 years. Many innovative e-nose technologies have provided solutions and applications to a wide variety of complex biomedical and healthcare problems. The purposes of this review are to present a comprehensive analysis of past and...

Functionalization of nanostructured gold substrates with chiral chromophores for SERS applications: The case of 5-Aza[5]helicene.

PubMed

Zanchi, Chiara; Lucotti, Andrea; Cancogni, Damiano; Fontana, Francesca; Trusso, Sebastiano; Ossi, Paolo M; Tommasini, Matteo

2018-05-31

Nanostructured gold thin films can be fabricated by controlled pulsed laser deposition to get efficient sensors, with uniform morphology and optimized plasmon resonance, to be employed as plasmonic substrates in surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy. By attaching 5-aza[5]helicen-6-yl-6-hexanethiol to such gold nanostructures, used in a previous work for label-free drug sensing with biomedical purposes, we successfully prepared functionalized substrates with remarkable surface enhanced Raman scattering activity. The long-term motivation is to develop probes for drug detection at low concentrations, where sensitivity to specific chiral targets is required. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Poly((meth)acrylic acid) Brushes.

PubMed

Qu, Zhenyuan; Xu, Hong; Gu, Hongchen

2015-07-15

Poly((meth)acrylic acid) (P(M)AA) brushes possess a number of distinctive properties that are particularly attractive for biomedical applications. This minireview summarizes recent advances in the synthesis and biomedical applications of P(M)AA brushes and brushes containing P(M)AA segments. First, we review different surface-initiated polymerization (SIP) methods, with a focus on recent progress in the surface-initiated controlled/living radical polymerization (SI-CLRP) techniques used to generate P(M)AA brushes with a tailored structure. Next, we discuss biomolecule immobilization methods for P(M)AA brushes, including physical adsorption, covalent binding, and affinity interactions. Finally, typical biomedical applications of P(M)AA brushes are reviewed, and their performance is discussed based on their unique properties. We conclude that P(M)AA brushes are promising biomaterials, and more potential biomedical applications are expected to emerge with the further development of synthetic techniques and increased understanding of their interactions with biological systems.

Quantum dots in imaging, drug delivery and sensor applications

PubMed Central

Matea, Cristian T; Mocan, Teodora; Tabaran, Flaviu; Pop, Teodora; Mosteanu, Ofelia; Puia, Cosmin; Iancu, Cornel; Mocan, Lucian

2017-01-01

Quantum dots (QDs), also known as nanoscale semiconductor crystals, are nanoparticles with unique optical and electronic properties such as bright and intensive fluorescence. Since most conventional organic label dyes do not offer the near-infrared (>650 nm) emission possibility, QDs, with their tunable optical properties, have gained a lot of interest. They possess characteristics such as good chemical and photo-stability, high quantum yield and size-tunable light emission. Different types of QDs can be excited with the same light wavelength, and their narrow emission bands can be detected simultaneously for multiple assays. There is an increasing interest in the development of nano-theranostics platforms for simultaneous sensing, imaging and therapy. QDs have great potential for such applications, with notable results already published in the fields of sensors, drug delivery and biomedical imaging. This review summarizes the latest developments available in literature regarding the use of QDs for medical applications. PMID:28814860

Enzyme-MOF (metal-organic framework) composites.

PubMed

Lian, Xizhen; Fang, Yu; Joseph, Elizabeth; Wang, Qi; Li, Jialuo; Banerjee, Sayan; Lollar, Christina; Wang, Xuan; Zhou, Hong-Cai

2017-06-06

The ex vivo application of enzymes in various processes, especially via enzyme immobilization techniques, has been extensively studied in recent years in order to enhance the recyclability of enzymes, to minimize enzyme contamination in the product, and to explore novel horizons for enzymes in biomedical applications. Possessing remarkable amenability in structural design of the frameworks as well as almost unparalelled surface tunability, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have been gaining popularity as candidates for enzyme immobilization platforms. Many MOF-enzyme composites have achieved unprecedented results, far outperforming free enzymes in many aspects. This review summarizes recent developments of MOF-enzyme composites with special emphasis on preparative techniques and the synergistic effects of enzymes and MOFs. The applications of MOF-enzyme composites, primarily in transferation, catalysis and sensing, are presented as well. The enhancement of enzymatic activity of the composites over free enzymes in biologically incompatible conditions is emphasized in many cases.

Combined Néel and Brown rotational Langevin dynamics in magnetic particle imaging, sensing, and therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, Daniel B.; Weaver, John B.

2015-11-01

Magnetic nanoparticles have been studied intensely because of their possible uses in biomedical applications. Biosensing using the rotational freedom of particles has been used to detect biomarkers for cancer, hyperthermia therapy has been used to treat tumors, and magnetic particle imaging is a promising new imaging modality that can spatially resolve the concentration of nanoparticles. There are two mechanisms by which the magnetization of a nanoparticle can rotate, a fact that poses a challenge for applications that rely on precisely one mechanism. The challenge is exacerbated by the high sensitivity of the dominant mechanism to applied fields. Here, we demonstrate stochastic Langevin equation simulations for the combined rotation in magnetic nanoparticles exposed to oscillating applied fields typical to these applications to both highlight the existing relevant theory and quantify which mechanism should occur in various parameter ranges.

Quantum dots in imaging, drug delivery and sensor applications.

PubMed

Matea, Cristian T; Mocan, Teodora; Tabaran, Flaviu; Pop, Teodora; Mosteanu, Ofelia; Puia, Cosmin; Iancu, Cornel; Mocan, Lucian

2017-01-01

Quantum dots (QDs), also known as nanoscale semiconductor crystals, are nanoparticles with unique optical and electronic properties such as bright and intensive fluorescence. Since most conventional organic label dyes do not offer the near-infrared (>650 nm) emission possibility, QDs, with their tunable optical properties, have gained a lot of interest. They possess characteristics such as good chemical and photo-stability, high quantum yield and size-tunable light emission. Different types of QDs can be excited with the same light wavelength, and their narrow emission bands can be detected simultaneously for multiple assays. There is an increasing interest in the development of nano-theranostics platforms for simultaneous sensing, imaging and therapy. QDs have great potential for such applications, with notable results already published in the fields of sensors, drug delivery and biomedical imaging. This review summarizes the latest developments available in literature regarding the use of QDs for medical applications.

Graph-based word sense disambiguation of biomedical documents.

PubMed

Agirre, Eneko; Soroa, Aitor; Stevenson, Mark

2010-11-15

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD), automatically identifying the meaning of ambiguous words in context, is an important stage of text processing. This article presents a graph-based approach to WSD in the biomedical domain. The method is unsupervised and does not require any labeled training data. It makes use of knowledge from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus which is represented as a graph. A state-of-the-art algorithm, Personalized PageRank, is used to perform WSD. When evaluated on the NLM-WSD dataset, the algorithm outperforms other methods that rely on the UMLS Metathesaurus alone. The WSD system is open source licensed and available from http://ixa2.si.ehu.es/ukb/. The UMLS, MetaMap program and NLM-WSD corpus are available from the National Library of Medicine https://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/, http://mmtx.nlm.nih.gov and http://wsd.nlm.nih.gov. Software to convert the NLM-WSD corpus into a format that can be used by our WSD system is available from http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/∼marks/biomedical_wsd under open source license.

Can multilinguality improve Biomedical Word Sense Disambiguation?

PubMed

Duque, Andres; Martinez-Romo, Juan; Araujo, Lourdes

2016-12-01

Ambiguity in the biomedical domain represents a major issue when performing Natural Language Processing tasks over the huge amount of available information in the field. For this reason, Word Sense Disambiguation is critical for achieving accurate systems able to tackle complex tasks such as information extraction, summarization or document classification. In this work we explore whether multilinguality can help to solve the problem of ambiguity, and the conditions required for a system to improve the results obtained by monolingual approaches. Also, we analyze the best ways to generate those useful multilingual resources, and study different languages and sources of knowledge. The proposed system, based on co-occurrence graphs containing biomedical concepts and textual information, is evaluated on a test dataset frequently used in biomedicine. We can conclude that multilingual resources are able to provide a clear improvement of more than 7% compared to monolingual approaches, for graphs built from a small number of documents. Also, empirical results show that automatically translated resources are a useful source of information for this particular task. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 46.301 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Additional Protections Pertaining to Biomedical and Behavioral Research Involving Prisoners as Subjects § 46.301 Applicability. (a) The regulations in this subpart are applicable to all biomedical and behavioral...

45 CFR 46.301 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Additional Protections Pertaining to Biomedical and Behavioral Research Involving Prisoners as Subjects § 46.301 Applicability. (a) The regulations in this subpart are applicable to all biomedical and behavioral...

45 CFR 46.301 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Additional Protections Pertaining to Biomedical and Behavioral Research Involving Prisoners as Subjects § 46.301 Applicability. (a) The regulations in this subpart are applicable to all biomedical and behavioral...

45 CFR 46.301 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Additional Protections Pertaining to Biomedical and Behavioral Research Involving Prisoners as Subjects § 46.301 Applicability. (a) The regulations in this subpart are applicable to all biomedical and behavioral...

Assistance to NASA in biomedical areas of the technology utilization program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culclasure, D. F.; Eckhardt, L.

1972-01-01

The applications of aerospace technology to biomedical research are reported. The medical institutions participating in the Biomedical Applications Program are listed along with the institutions currently utilizing the services of the Southwest Research Institute Biomedical Applications Team. Significant accomplishments during this period include: ultra-low bandpass amplifier for gastro-intestinal electric potentials; non-encumbering EEG electrode assembly suitable for long term sleep research; accurate cardiac telemetry system for active subjects; warning system for the deaf; tracking cane for the blind; and an improved control mechanism to expand the self-sufficiency of quadriplegics.

Black Phosphorus and its Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Choi, Jane Ru; Yong, Kar Wey; Choi, Jean Yu; Nilghaz, Azadeh; Lin, Yang; Xu, Jie; Lu, Xiaonan

2018-01-01

Black phosphorus (BP), also known as phosphorene, has attracted recent scientific attention since its first successful exfoliation in 2014 owing to its unique structure and properties. In particular, its exceptional attributes, such as the excellent optical and mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and electron-transfer capacity, contribute to its increasing demand as an alternative to graphene-based materials in biomedical applications. Although the outlook of this material seems promising, its practical applications are still highly challenging. In this review article, we discuss the unique properties of BP, which make it a potential platform for biomedical applications compared to other 2D materials, including graphene, molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), tungsten diselenide (WSe2) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). We then introduce various synthesis methods of BP and review its latest progress in biomedical applications, such as biosensing, drug delivery, photoacoustic imaging and cancer therapies (i.e., photothermal and photodynamic therapies). Lastly, the existing challenges and future perspective of BP in biomedical applications are briefly discussed. PMID:29463996

Southwest Research Institute assistance to NASA in biomedical areas of the technology utilization program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culclasure, D. F.; Sigmon, J. L.; Carter, J. M.

1973-01-01

The activities are reported of the NASA Biomedical Applications Team at Southwest Research Institute between 25 August, 1972 and 15 November, 1973. The program background and methodology are discussed along with the technology applications, and biomedical community impacts.

Label-free and non-contact optical biosensing of glucose with quantum dots.

PubMed

Khan, Saara A; Smith, Gennifer T; Seo, Felix; Ellerbee, Audrey K

2015-02-15

We present a label-free, optical sensor for biomedical applications based on changes in the visible photoluminescence (PL) of quantum dots in a thin polymer film. Using glucose as the target molecule, the screening of UV excitation due to pre-absorption by the product of an enzymatic assay leads to quenching of the PL of quantum dots (QDs) in a non-contact scheme. The irradiance changes in QD PL indicate quantitatively the level of glucose present. The non-contact nature of the assay prevents surface degradation of the QDs, which yields an efficient, waste-free, cost-effective, portable, and sustainable biosensor with attractive market features. The limit of detection of the demonstrated biosensor is ~3.5 µm, which is competitive with existing contact-based bioassays. In addition, the biosensor operates over the entire clinically relevant range of glucose concentrations of biological fluids including urine and whole blood. The comparable results achieved across a range of cost-affordable detectors, including a spectrophotometer, portable spectrometer, and iPhone camera, suggest that label-free and visible quantification of glucose with QD films can be applied to low-cost, point-of-care biomedical sensing as well as scientific applications in the laboratory for characterizing glucose or other analytes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smart dual-mode fluorescent gold nanoparticle agents.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung A; Wang, Jianting

2014-01-01

Fluorophore-mediated, molecular sensing is one of the most popular and important technique in biomedical studies. As in any sensing technique, the two most important factors in this sensing are the sensitivity and specificity. Since the fluorescence of a fluorophore is emitted in the process of fluorophore electrons returning from their excited to ground state, a tool that can locally manipulate the electron state can be useful to maximize the sensitivity and specificity. A good tool candidate for this purpose is nanosized metal particles that can form an electromagnetic (EM) field at a sufficiently strong level, upon receiving a particular wavelength that fits the excitation wavelength of the fluorophore to be used. There are several metal nanoparticle types that can generate a sufficiently strong EM field for this purpose. Nevertheless, for the biomedical studies, which require minimal toxicity, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are known to be the most suitable. In this article, various methods for fluorescence alteration using GNPs, which can be beneficially utilized for biomarker-specific, highly sensitive molecular sensing and imaging, are discussed. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Novel Tactile Sensor Technology and Smart Tactile Sensing Systems: A Review

PubMed Central

Ge, Chang; Wang, Z. Jane; Cretu, Edmond; Li, Xiaoou

2017-01-01

During the last decades, smart tactile sensing systems based on different sensing techniques have been developed due to their high potential in industry and biomedical engineering. However, smart tactile sensing technologies and systems are still in their infancy, as many technological and system issues remain unresolved and require strong interdisciplinary efforts to address them. This paper provides an overview of smart tactile sensing systems, with a focus on signal processing technologies used to interpret the measured information from tactile sensors and/or sensors for other sensory modalities. The tactile sensing transduction and principles, fabrication and structures are also discussed with their merits and demerits. Finally, the challenges that tactile sensing technology needs to overcome are highlighted. PMID:29149080

Biomedical applications engineering tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laenger, C. J., Sr.

1976-01-01

The engineering tasks performed in response to needs articulated by clinicians are described. Initial contacts were made with these clinician-technology requestors by the Southwest Research Institute NASA Biomedical Applications Team. The basic purpose of the program was to effectively transfer aerospace technology into functional hardware to solve real biomedical problems.

Carbon Nanotubes in Biomedical Applications: Factors, Mechanisms, and Remedies of Toxicity.

PubMed

Alshehri, Reem; Ilyas, Asad Muhammad; Hasan, Anwarul; Arnaout, Adnan; Ahmed, Farid; Memic, Adnan

2016-09-22

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) represent one of the most studied allotropes of carbon. The unique physicochemical properties of CNTs make them among prime candidates for numerous applications in biomedical fields including drug delivery, gene therapy, biosensors, and tissue engineering applications. However, toxicity of CNTs has been a major concern for their use in biomedical applications. In this review, we present an overview of carbon nanotubes in biomedical applications; we particularly focus on various factors and mechanisms affecting their toxicity. We have discussed various parameters including the size, length, agglomeration, and impurities of CNTs that may cause oxidative stress, which is often the main mechanism of CNTs' toxicity. Other toxic pathways are also examined, and possible ways to overcome these challenges have been discussed.

Few-Layered Black Phosphorus: From Fabrication and Customization to Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Wang, Huaiyu; Yu, Xue-Feng

2018-02-01

As a new kind of 2D material, black phosphorus has gained increased attention in the past three years. Although few-layered black phosphorus nanosheets (BPs) degrade quickly under ambient conditions to phosphate anions, which greatly hampers their optical and electronic applications, this property also makes BPs highly biocompatible and biodegradable, and is regarded as an advantage for various biomedical applications. This Concept summarizes the state-of-art progresses of BPs, from fabrication and surface modification to biomedical applications. It is expected that BPs with such fascinating properties will encourage more scientists to engage in expanding its biomedical applications by tackling the scientific challenges involved in their development. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Facile synthesis of carbon dot and residual carbon nanobeads: Implications for ion sensing, medicinal and biological applications.

PubMed

Gaddam, Rohit Ranganathan; Mukherjee, Sudip; Punugupati, Neelambaram; Vasudevan, D; Patra, Chitta Ranjan; Narayan, Ramanuj; Vsn Kothapalli, Raju

2017-04-01

Synthesis of carbon dots (Cdots) via chemical route involves disintegration of carbon materials into nano-domains, wherein, after extraction of Cdots, the remaining carbon material is discarded. The present work focuses on studying even the leftover carbon residue namely, carbon nanobeads (CNBs) as an equally important material for applications on par with that of carbon dot. It employs oxidative treatment of carbonised gum olibanum resin (GOR) to produce the carbons namely Cdots and CNBs (as the residue). The Cdots (~5-10nm) exhibit blue-green fluorescence with an optical absorption at ~300nm unlike the CNBs (40-50nm) which fail to exhibit fluorescence. The fluorescence behaviour exhibited by Cdots were utilized for heavy metal ion sensing of Pb 2+ , Hg 2+ and Cd 2+ ions in aqueous media. Interestingly, both Cdots and CNBs are biocompatible to normal cell lines but cytotoxic to cancer cell lines, observed during several in vitro experiments (cell viability assay, cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, ROS determination assay, caspase-9 activity assay). Additionally, Cdots exhibit bright green fluorescence in B16F10 cells. The Cdots and CNB's demonstrate multifunctional activities (sensor, cellular imaging and cancer therapy) in biomedical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strong Electro‐Optic Effect and Spontaneous Domain Formation in Self‐Assembled Peptide Structures

PubMed Central

Lafargue, Clément; Handelman, Amir; Shimon, Linda J. W.; Rosenman, Gil; Zyss, Joseph

2017-01-01

Short peptides made from repeating units of phenylalanine self‐assemble into a remarkable variety of micro‐ and nanostructures including tubes, tapes, spheres, and fibrils. These bio‐organic structures are found to possess striking mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, which are rarely seen in organic materials, and are therefore shown useful for diverse applications including regenerative medicine, targeted drug delivery, and biocompatible fluorescent probes. Consequently, finding new optical properties in these materials can significantly advance their practical use, for example, by allowing new ways to visualize, manipulate, and utilize them in new, in vivo, sensing applications. Here, by leveraging a unique electro‐optic phase microscopy technique, combined with traditional structural analysis, it is measured in di‐ and triphenylalanine peptide structures a surprisingly large electro‐optic response of the same order as the best performing inorganic crystals. In addition, spontaneous domain formation is observed in triphenylalanine tapes, and the origin of their electro‐optic activity is unveiled to be related to a porous triclinic structure, with extensive antiparallel beta‐sheet arrangement. The strong electro‐optic response of these porous peptide structures with the capability of hosting guest molecules opens the door to create new biocompatible, environmental friendly functional materials for electro‐optic applications, including biomedical imaging, sensing, and optical manipulation. PMID:28932664

One-step, green, and economic synthesis of water-soluble photoluminescent carbon dots by hydrothermal treatment of wheat straw, and their bio-applications in labeling, imaging, and sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ming; Zhong, Ruibo; Gao, Haiyang; Li, Wanrong; Yun, Xiaoling; Liu, Jingran; Zhao, Xinmin; Zhao, Guofen; Zhang, Feng

2015-11-01

The use of biomass as renewable and sustainable energy source has attracted the attention of politics and research and development (R&D) facilities around the world. Agricultural straw acts as a typical biowaste, which still needs highly effective recycling to save the biomass urgently at present. Photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) are novel biocompatible nanomaterials that have been proved to be produced from many carbon-abundant materials and hold great promise for the modern nanobiomedicine. In order to realize a "one-stone-two-birds" strategy, we report a green, economic, one-pot method in this article for synthesizing photoluminescent C-dots by hydrothermal treatment of wheat straw. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), we show that the as-prepared C-dots are amorphous in structure and are mainly composed of carbon. Their tiny size (<2 nm), combined with the characteristic excitation-dependent relatively bright emission, and robust photostability made the C-dots a potential biocompatible nanomaterial for bio-applications. We have experimentally demonstrated their potential applications in biomedical labeling, imaging, and sensing/detecting. The high yield (∼20%) of C-dots from wheat straw may suggest a new economic strategy for recycling biowaste.

Shaping of Looped Miniaturized Chalcogenide Fiber Sensing Heads for Mid-Infrared Sensing

PubMed Central

Houizot, Patrick; Anne, Marie-Laure; Boussard-Plédel, Catherine; Loréal, Olivier; Tariel, Hugues; Lucas, Jacques; Bureau, Bruno

2014-01-01

Chalcogenide glass fibers are promising photonic tools to develop Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy (FEWS) optical sensors working in the mid-infrared region. Numerous pioneering works have already been carried out showing their efficiency, especially for bio-medical applications. Nevertheless, this technology remains confined to academic studies at the laboratory scale because chalcogenide glass fibers are difficult to shape to produce reliable, sensitive and compact sensors. In this paper, a new method for designing and fabricating a compact and robust sensing head with a selenide glass fiber is described. Compact looped sensing heads with diameter equal to 2 mm were thus shaped. This represents an outstanding achievement considering the brittleness of such uncoated fibers. FEWS experiments were implemented using alcoholic solutions as target samples showing that the sensitivity is higher than with the routinely used classical fiber. It is also shown that the best compromise in term of sensitivity is to fabricate a sensing head including two full loops. From a mechanical point of view, the breaking loads of the loop shaped head are also much higher than with classical fiber. Finally, this achievement paves the way for the use of mid-infrared technology during in situ and even in vivo medical operations. Indeed, is is now possible to slide a chalcogenide glass fiber in the operating channel of a standard 2.8 mm diameter catheter. PMID:25264953

A natural fit: home healthcare and biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Damasco, Nestor; Abe, Chris

2010-01-01

The involvement of Biomed in management of home care equipment has become a natural fit for Rady Children's Hospital. Managing all aspects of home care equipment through an in-house biomedical engineering department is cost-effective, efficient, provides excellent customer service, and enhances the relationship with the clinical staff and patients. It develops a sense of security for patients and staff that home care equipment is tested and maintained in a stringent manner that promotes safety.

Load estimation from photoelastic fringe patterns under combined normal and shear forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubey, V. N.; Grewal, G. S.

2009-08-01

Recently there has been some spurt of interests to use photoelastic materials for sensing applications. This has been successfully applied for designing a number of signal-based sensors, however, there have been limited efforts to design image-based sensors on photoelasticity which can have wider applications in term of actual loading and visualisation. The main difficulty in achieving this is the infinite loading conditions that may generate same image on the material surface. This, however, can be useful for known loading situations as this can provide dynamic and actual conditions of loading in real time. This is particularly useful for separating components of forces in and out of the loading plane. One such application is the separation of normal and shear forces acting on the plantar surface of foot of diabetic patients for predicting ulceration. In our earlier work we have used neural networks to extract normal force information from the fringe patterns using image intensity. This paper considers geometric and various other statistical parameters in addition to the image intensity to extract normal as well as shear force information from the fringe pattern in a controlled experimental environment. The results of neural network output with the above parameters and their combinations are compared and discussed. The aim is to generalise the technique for a range of loading conditions that can be exploited for whole-field load visualisation and sensing applications in biomedical field.

Molecular Assembly of Polysaccharide-Based Microcapsules and Their Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Feng, Xiyun; Du, Cuiling; Li, Junbai

2016-08-01

Advanced multifunctional microcapsules have revealed great potential in biomedical applications owing to their tunable size, shape, surface properties, and stimuli responsiveness. Polysaccharides are one of the most acceptable biomaterials for biomedical applications because of their outstanding virtues such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Many efforts have been devoted to investigating novel molecular design and efficient building blocks for polysaccharide-based microcapsules. In this Personal Account, we first summarize the common features of polysaccharides and the main principles of the design and fabrication of polysaccharide-based microcapsules, and further discuss their applications in biomedical areas and perspectives for future research. © 2016 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stimuli-responsive magnetic particles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Medeiros, S F; Santos, A M; Fessi, H; Elaissari, A

2011-01-17

In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles have been studied due to their potential applications as magnetic carriers in biomedical area. These materials have been increasingly exploited as efficient delivery vectors, leading to opportunities of use as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents, mediators of hyperthermia cancer treatment and in targeted therapies. Much attention has been also focused on "smart" polymers, which are able to respond to environmental changes, such as changes in the temperature and pH. In this context, this article reviews the state-of-the art in stimuli-responsive magnetic systems for biomedical applications. The paper describes different types of stimuli-sensitive systems, mainly temperature- and pH sensitive polymers, the combination of this characteristic with magnetic properties and, finally, it gives an account of their preparation methods. The article also discusses the main in vivo biomedical applications of such materials. A survey of the recent literature on various stimuli-responsive magnetic gels in biomedical applications is also included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensing magnetic flux density of artificial neurons with a MEMS device.

PubMed

Tapia, Jesus A; Herrera-May, Agustin L; García-Ramírez, Pedro J; Martinez-Castillo, Jaime; Figueras, Eduard; Flores, Amira; Manjarrez, Elías

2011-04-01

We describe a simple procedure to characterize a magnetic field sensor based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, which exploits the Lorentz force principle. This sensor is designed to detect, in future applications, the spiking activity of neurons or muscle cells. This procedure is based on the well-known capability that a magnetic MEMS device can be used to sense a small magnetic flux density. In this work, an electronic neuron (FitzHugh-Nagumo) is used to generate controlled spike-like magnetic fields. We show that the magnetic flux density generated by the hardware of this neuron can be detected with a new MEMS magnetic field sensor. This microdevice has a compact resonant structure (700 × 600 × 5 μm) integrated by an array of silicon beams and p-type piezoresistive sensing elements, which need an easy fabrication process. The proposed microsensor has a resolution of 80 nT, a sensitivity of 1.2 V.T(-1), a resonant frequency of 13.87 kHz, low power consumption (2.05 mW), quality factor of 93 at atmospheric pressure, and requires a simple signal processing circuit. The importance of our study is twofold. First, because the artificial neuron can generate well-controlled magnetic flux density, we suggest it could be used to analyze the resolution and performance of different magnetic field sensors intended for neurobiological applications. Second, the introduced MEMS magnetic field sensor may be used as a prototype to develop new high-resolution biomedical microdevices to sense magnetic fields from cardiac tissue, nerves, spinal cord, or the brain.

Recent progress in mesoporous titania materials: adjusting morphology for innovative applications.

PubMed

Vivero-Escoto, Juan L; Chiang, Ya-Dong; Wu, Kevin; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2012-02-01

This review article summarizes recent developments in mesoporous titania materials, particularly in the fields of morphology control and applications. We first briefly introduce the history of mesoporous titania materials and then review several synthesis approaches. Currently, mesoporous titania nanoparticles (MTNs) have attracted much attention in various fields, such as medicine, catalysis, separation and optics. Compared with bulk mesoporous titania materials, which are above a micrometer in size, nanometer-sized MTNs have additional properties, such as fast mass transport, strong adhesion to substrates and good dispersion in solution. However, it has generally been known that the successful synthesis of MTNs is very difficult owing to the rapid hydrolysis of titanium-containing precursors and the crystallization of titania upon thermal treatment. Finally, we review four emerging fields including photocatalysis, photovoltaic devices, sensing and biomedical applications of mesoporous titania materials. Because of its high surface area, controlled porous structure, suitable morphology and semiconducting behavior, mesoporous titania is expected to be used in innovative applications.

Triarylborane-Based Materials for OLED Applications.

PubMed

Turkoglu, Gulsen; Cinar, M Emin; Ozturk, Turan

2017-09-13

Multidisciplinary research on organic fluorescent molecules has been attracting great interest owing to their potential applications in biomedical and material sciences. In recent years, electron deficient systems have been increasingly incorporated into fluorescent materials. Triarylboranes with the empty p orbital of their boron centres are electron deficient and can be used as strong electron acceptors in conjugated organic fluorescent materials. Moreover, their applications in optoelectronic devices, energy harvesting materials and anion sensing, due to their natural Lewis acidity and remarkable solid-state fluorescence properties, have also been investigated. Furthermore, fluorescent triarylborane-based materials have been commonly utilized as emitters and electron transporters in organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications. In this review, triarylborane-based small molecules and polymers will be surveyed, covering their structure-property relationships, intramolecular charge transfer properties and solid-state fluorescence quantum yields as functional emissive materials in OLEDs. Also, the importance of the boron atom in triarylborane compounds is emphasized to address the key issues of both fluorescent emitters and their host materials for the construction of high-performance OLEDs.

A low-power inverter-based CMOS level-crossing analog-to-digital converter for low-frequency biosignal sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Suiki; Niitsu, Kiichi; Nakazato, Kazuo

2016-03-01

Low-power analog-to-digital conversion is a key technique for power-limited biomedical applications such as power-limited continuous glucose monitoring. However, a conventional uniform-sampling analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is not suitable for nonuniform biosignals. A level-crossing ADC (LC-ADC) is a promising candidate for low-power biosignal processing because of its event-driven properties. The LC-ADC acquires data by level-crossing sampling. When an input signal crosses the threshold level, the LC-ADC samples the signal. The conventional LC-ADC employs a power-hungry comparator. In this paper, we present a low-power inverter-based LC-ADC. By adjusting the threshold level of the inverter, it can be used as a threshold-fixed window comparator. By using the inverter as an alternative to a comparator, power consumption can be markedly reduced. As a result, the total power consumption is successfully reduced by 90% of that of previous LC-ADC. The inverter-based LC-ADC was found to be very suitable for use in power-limited biomedical devices.

Encapsulated Optically Responsive Cell Systems: Toward Smart Implants in Biomedicine.

PubMed

Boss, Christophe; Bouche, Nicolas; De Marchi, Umberto

2018-04-01

Managing increasingly prevalent chronic diseases will require close continuous monitoring of patients. Cell-based biosensors may be used for implantable diagnostic systems to monitor health status. Cells are indeed natural sensors in the body. Functional cellular systems can be maintained in the body for long-term implantation using cell encapsulation technology. By taking advantage of recent progress in miniaturized optoelectronic systems, the genetic engineering of optically responsive cells may be combined with cell encapsulation to generate smart implantable cell-based sensing systems. In biomedical research, cell-based biosensors may be used to study cell signaling, therapeutic effects, and dosing of bioactive molecules in preclinical models. Today, a wide variety of genetically encoded fluorescent sensors have been developed for real-time imaging of living cells. Here, recent developments in genetically encoded sensors, cell encapsulation, and ultrasmall optical systems are highlighted. The integration of these components in a new generation of biosensors is creating innovative smart in vivo cell-based systems, bringing novel perspectives for biomedical research and ultimately allowing unique health monitoring applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ambient intelligence for monitoring and research in clinical neurophysiology and medicine: the MIMERICA* project and prototype.

PubMed

Pignolo, L; Riganello, F; Dolce, G; Sannita, W G

2013-04-01

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) provides extended but unobtrusive sensing and computing devices and ubiquitous networking for human/environment interaction. It is a new paradigm in information technology compliant with the international Integrating Healthcare Enterprise board (IHE) and eHealth HL7 technological standards in the functional integration of biomedical domotics and informatics in hospital and home care. AmI allows real-time automatic recording of biological/medical information and environmental data. It is extensively applicable to patient monitoring, medicine and neuroscience research, which require large biomedical data sets; for example, in the study of spontaneous or condition-dependent variability or chronobiology. In this respect, AML is equivalent to a traditional laboratory for data collection and processing, with minimal dedicated equipment, staff, and costs; it benefits from the integration of artificial intelligence technology with traditional/innovative sensors to monitor clinical or functional parameters. A prototype AmI platform (MIMERICA*) has been implemented and is operated in a semi-intensive unit for the vegetative and minimally conscious states, to investigate the spontaneous or environment-related fluctuations of physiological parameters in these conditions.

Wireless energizing system for an automated implantable sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swain, Biswaranjan; Nayak, Praveen P.; Kar, Durga P.

The wireless drive of an automated implantable electronic sensor has been explored for health monitoring applications. The proposed system comprises of an automated biomedical sensing system which is energized through resonant inductive coupling. The implantable sensor unit is able to monitor the body temperature parameter and sends back the corresponding telemetry data wirelessly to the data recoding unit. It has been observed that the wireless power delivery system is capable of energizing the automated biomedical implantable electronic sensor placed over a distance of 3 cm from the power transmitter with an energy transfer efficiency of 26% at the operating resonantmore » frequency of 562 kHz. This proposed method ensures real-time monitoring of different human body temperatures around the clock. The monitored temperature data have been compared with a calibrated temperature measurement system to ascertain the accuracy of the proposed system. The investigated technique can also be useful for monitoring other body parameters such as blood pressure, bladder pressure, and physiological signals of the patient in vivo using various implantable sensors.« less

DNA nanotechnology and its applications in biomedical research.

PubMed

Sun, Lifan; Yu, Lu; Shen, Wanqiu

2014-09-01

DNA nanotechnology, which uses DNA as a material to self-assemble designed nanostructures, including DNA 2D arrays, 3D nanostructures, DNA nanotubes and DNA nanomechanical devices, has showed great promise in biomedical applications. Various DNA nanostructures have been used for protein characterization, enzyme assembly, biosensing, drug delivery and biomimetic assemblies. In this review, we will present recent advances of DNA nanotechnology and its applications in biomedical research field.

Nanomaterials driven energy, environmental and biomedical research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, Prakash C.; Srinivasan, Sesha S.; Wilson, Jeremiah F.

We have developed state-of-the-art nanomaterials such as nanofibers, nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanocatalysts and nanostructures for clean energy, environmental and biomedical research. Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. Based on this principle, chemical energy such as hydrogen has been produced from water electrolysis at a much lower voltage using RuO{sub 2} nanoparticles on the Si wafer substrate. Once the hydrogen is produced from the clean sources such as solar energy and water, it has to be stored by physisorption or chemisorption processes on to the solid state systems. For themore » successful physical adsorption of hydrogen molecule, we have developed novel polyaniline nanostructures via chemical templating and electrospinning routes. Chemical or complex hydrides involving nano MgH{sub 2} and transition metal nanocatalysts have been synthesized to tailor both the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen (chemi) sorption respectively. Utilization of solar energy (UV-Vis) and a coupling of novel semiconductor oxide nanoparticles have been recently demonstrated with enhancement in photo-oxidation and/or photo-reduction processes for the water/air detoxification and sustainable liquid fuel production respectively. Magnetic nanoparticles such as ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} have been synthesized and optimized for biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and tumor diagnostic sensing (MRI)« less

UK science press officers, professional vision and the generation of expectations

PubMed Central

Samuel, Gabrielle; Williams, Clare; Gardner, John

2015-01-01

Science press officers can play an integral role in helping promote expectations and hype about biomedical research. Using this as a starting point, this article draws on interviews with 10 UK-based science press officers, which explored how they view their role as science reporters and as generators of expectations. Using Goodwin’s notion of ‘professional vision’, we argue that science press officers have a specific professional vision that shapes how they produce biomedical press releases, engage in promotion of biomedical research and make sense of hype. We discuss how these insights can contribute to the sociology of expectations, as well as inform responsible science communication. PMID:26265709

The theory and design of piezoelectric/pyroelectric polymer film sensors for biomedical engineering applications.

PubMed

Brown, L F

1989-01-01

The unique properties of piezoelectric/pyroelectric polymers offer many new opportunities for biomedical engineering sensor applications. Since their discovery nearly 20 years ago, the polymer films have been used for many novel switching and sensor applications. Despite the prodigious exposure from many recent publications describing piezo film applications, methods of sensor fabrication and circuit interfacing still elude most engineers. This paper is presented as a tutorial guide to applying piezo polymers to biomedical engineering applications. A review of the fundamentals of piezoelectricity/pyroelectricity in piezo polymers is first presented. Their material properties are contrasted with piezoelectric ceramic materials. Some advantages and disadvantages of the films for biomedical sensors are discussed. Specific details on the fabrication of piezo film sensors are presented. Methods are described for forming, cutting, and mounting film sensors, and making lead connections. A brief discussion of equivalent circuit models for the design and simulation of piezoelectric/pyroelectric sensors is included, as well as common circuit interface techniques. Finally, several sources are recommended for further information on a variety of biomedical sensor applications.

Recent Development in Optical Chemical Sensors Coupling with Flow Injection Analysis

PubMed Central

Ojeda, Catalina Bosch; Rojas, Fuensanta Sánchez

2006-01-01

Optical techniques for chemical analysis are well established and sensors based on these techniques are now attracting considerable attention because of their importance in applications such as environmental monitoring, biomedical sensing, and industrial process control. On the other hand, flow injection analysis (FIA) is advisable for the rapid analysis of microliter volume samples and can be interfaced directly to the chemical process. The FIA has become a widespread automatic analytical method for more reasons; mainly due to the simplicity and low cost of the setups, their versatility, and ease of assembling. In this paper, an overview of flow injection determinations by using optical chemical sensors is provided, and instrumentation, sensor design, and applications are discussed. This work summarizes the most relevant manuscripts from 1980 to date referred to analysis using optical chemical sensors in FIA.

Guidance of neurite outgrowth on aligned electrospun polypyrrole/poly(styrene-beta-isobutylene-beta-styrene) fiber platforms.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao; Chen, Jun; Gilmore, Kerry J; Higgins, Michael J; Liu, Yong; Wallace, Gordon G

2010-09-15

The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential biomedical application of novel aligned electrospun polypyrrole (PPy)/poly(styrene-beta-isobutylene-beta-styrene) (SIBS) fibers. After successfully aligning the electroactive PPy/SIBS fibers based on our modified electrospinning method, we demonstrated that neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells could be highly orientated parallel to the aligned PPy/SIBS fibers. Physical interactions between the nerve cells and PPy/SIBS fibers through filopodia "sensing" were observed using atomic force microscopy. These observations indicate a role of contact guidance as a mechanism for the observed alignment. This work highlights the capacity for electroactive PPy/SIBS fibers to support and guide nerve cell differentiation through topographic cues, which is a highly desirable characteristic in medical implants for neurological applications. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Challenges and practical approaches with word sense disambiguation of acronyms and abbreviations in the clinical domain.

PubMed

Moon, Sungrim; McInnes, Bridget; Melton, Genevieve B

2015-01-01

Although acronyms and abbreviations in clinical text are used widely on a daily basis, relatively little research has focused upon word sense disambiguation (WSD) of acronyms and abbreviations in the healthcare domain. Since clinical notes have distinctive characteristics, it is unclear whether techniques effective for acronym and abbreviation WSD from biomedical literature are sufficient. The authors discuss feature selection for automated techniques and challenges with WSD of acronyms and abbreviations in the clinical domain. There are significant challenges associated with the informal nature of clinical text, such as typographical errors and incomplete sentences; difficulty with insufficient clinical resources, such as clinical sense inventories; and obstacles with privacy and security for conducting research with clinical text. Although we anticipated that using sophisticated techniques, such as biomedical terminologies, semantic types, part-of-speech, and language modeling, would be needed for feature selection with automated machine learning approaches, we found instead that simple techniques, such as bag-of-words, were quite effective in many cases. Factors, such as majority sense prevalence and the degree of separateness between sense meanings, were also important considerations. The first lesson is that a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of clinical text is important for automatic acronym and abbreviation WSD. The second lesson learned is that investigators may find that using simple approaches is an effective starting point for these tasks. Finally, similar to other WSD tasks, an understanding of baseline majority sense rates and separateness between senses is important. Further studies and practical solutions are needed to better address these issues.

Theory for polymer analysis using nanopore-based single-molecule mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Reiner, Joseph E.; Kasianowicz, John J.; Nablo, Brian J.; Robertson, Joseph W. F.

2010-01-01

Nanometer-scale pores have demonstrated potential for the electrical detection, quantification, and characterization of molecules for biomedical applications and the chemical analysis of polymers. Despite extensive research in the nanopore sensing field, there is a paucity of theoretical models that incorporate the interactions between chemicals (i.e., solute, solvent, analyte, and nanopore). Here, we develop a model that simultaneously describes both the current blockade depth and residence times caused by individual poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) molecules in a single α-hemolysin ion channel. Modeling polymer-cation binding leads to a description of two significant effects: a reduction in the mobile cation concentration inside the pore and an increase in the affinity between the polymer and the pore. The model was used to estimate the free energy of formation for K+-PEG inside the nanopore (≈-49.7 meV) and the free energy of PEG partitioning into the nanopore (≈0.76 meV per ethylene glycol monomer). The results suggest that rational, physical models for the analysis of analyte-nanopore interactions will develop the full potential of nanopore-based sensing for chemical and biological applications. PMID:20566890

Securing While Sampling in Wireless Body Area Networks With Application to Electrocardiography.

PubMed

Dautov, Ruslan; Tsouri, Gill R

2016-01-01

Stringent resource constraints and broadcast transmission in wireless body area network raise serious security concerns when employed in biomedical applications. Protecting data transmission where any minor alteration is potentially harmful is of significant importance in healthcare. Traditional security methods based on public or private key infrastructure require considerable memory and computational resources, and present an implementation obstacle in compact sensor nodes. This paper proposes a lightweight encryption framework augmenting compressed sensing with wireless physical layer security. Augmenting compressed sensing to secure information is based on the use of the measurement matrix as an encryption key, and allows for incorporating security in addition to compression at the time of sampling an analog signal. The proposed approach eliminates the need for a separate encryption algorithm, as well as the predeployment of a key thereby conserving sensor node's limited resources. The proposed framework is evaluated using analysis, simulation, and experimentation applied to a wireless electrocardiogram setup consisting of a sensor node, an access point, and an eavesdropper performing a proximity attack. Results show that legitimate communication is reliable and secure given that the eavesdropper is located at a reasonable distance from the sensor node and the access point.

Reversible Gating of Plasmonic Coupling for Optical Signal Amplification.

PubMed

Khoury, Christopher G; Fales, Andrew M; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2016-07-20

Amplification of optical signals is useful for a wide variety of applications, ranging from data signal transmission to chemical sensing and biomedical diagnostics. One such application in chemical sensing is surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), an important technique for increasing the Raman signal using the plasmonic effect of enhanced electromagnetic fields associated with metallic nanostructures. One of the most important limitations of SERS-based amplification is the difficulty to reproducibly control the SERS signal. Here, we describe the design and implementation of a unique hybrid system capable of producing reversible gating of plasmonic coupling for Raman signal amplification. The hybrid system is composed of two subsystems: (1) colloidal magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles for SERS enhancement and (2) a micromagnet substrate with an externally applied magnetic field to modulate the colloidal nanoparticles. For this proof of concept demonstration, the nanoparticles were labeled with a Raman-active dye, and it was shown that the detected SERS signal could be reproducibly modulated by controlling the externally applied magnetic field. The developed system provides a simple, robust, inexpensive, and reusable device for SERS signal modulation. These properties will open up new possibilities for optical signal amplification and gating as well for high-throughput, reproducible SERS detection.

Biomedical applications of aerospace technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castles, T. R.

1971-01-01

Aerospace technology transfer to biomedical research problems is discussed, including transfer innovations and potential applications. Statistical analysis of the transfer activities and impact is also presented.

Ultra-Wideband Sensors for Improved Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cardiovascular Monitoring and Tumour Diagnostics

PubMed Central

Thiel, Florian; Kosch, Olaf; Seifert, Frank

2010-01-01

The specific advantages of ultra-wideband electromagnetic remote sensing (UWB radar) make it a particularly attractive technique for biomedical applications. We partially review our activities in utilizing this novel approach for the benefit of high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other applications, e.g., for intensive care medicine and biomedical research. We could show that our approach is beneficial for applications like motion tracking for high resolution brain imaging due to the non-contact acquisition of involuntary head motions with high spatial resolution, navigation for cardiac MRI due to our interpretation of the detected physiological mechanical contraction of the heart muscle and for MR safety, since we have investigated the influence of high static magnetic fields on myocardial mechanics. From our findings we could conclude, that UWB radar can serve as a navigator technique for high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging and can be beneficial preserving the high resolution capability of this imaging modality. Furthermore it can potentially be used to support standard ECG analysis by complementary information where sole ECG analysis fails. Further analytical investigations have proven the feasibility of this method for intracranial displacements detection and the rendition of a tumour’s contrast agent based perfusion dynamic. Beside these analytical approaches we have carried out FDTD simulations of a complex arrangement mimicking the illumination of a human torso model incorporating the geometry of the antennas applied. PMID:22163498

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence: magnetic hyperthermia.

PubMed

Baker, Ian; Fiering, Steve N; Griswold, Karl E; Hoopes, P Jack; Kekalo, Katerina; Ndong, Christian; Paulsen, Keith; Petryk, Alicea A; Pogue, Brian; Shubitidze, Fridon; Weaver, John

2015-01-01

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence - one of nine funded by the National Cancer Institute as part of the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer - focuses on the use of magnetic nanoparticles for cancer diagnostics and hyperthermia therapy. It brings together a diverse team of engineers and biomedical researchers with expertise in nanomaterials, molecular targeting, advanced biomedical imaging and translational in vivo studies. The goal of successfully treating cancer is being approached by developing nanoparticles, conjugating them with Fabs, hyperthermia treatment, immunotherapy and sensing treatment response.

Preparation of Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes (Mag-CNTs) for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications

PubMed Central

Masotti, Andrea; Caporali, Andrea

2013-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely studied for their potential applications in many fields from nanotechnology to biomedicine. The preparation of magnetic CNTs (Mag-CNTs) opens new avenues in nanobiotechnology and biomedical applications as a consequence of their multiple properties embedded within the same moiety. Several preparation techniques have been developed during the last few years to obtain magnetic CNTs: grafting or filling nanotubes with magnetic ferrofluids or attachment of magnetic nanoparticles to CNTs or their polymeric coating. These strategies allow the generation of novel versatile systems that can be employed in many biotechnological or biomedical fields. Here, we review and discuss the most recent papers dealing with the preparation of magnetic CNTs and their application in biomedical and biotechnological fields. PMID:24351838

Preparation of magnetic carbon nanotubes (Mag-CNTs) for biomedical and biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Masotti, Andrea; Caporali, Andrea

2013-12-18

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely studied for their potential applications in many fields from nanotechnology to biomedicine. The preparation of magnetic CNTs (Mag-CNTs) opens new avenues in nanobiotechnology and biomedical applications as a consequence of their multiple properties embedded within the same moiety. Several preparation techniques have been developed during the last few years to obtain magnetic CNTs: grafting or filling nanotubes with magnetic ferrofluids or attachment of magnetic nanoparticles to CNTs or their polymeric coating. These strategies allow the generation of novel versatile systems that can be employed in many biotechnological or biomedical fields. Here, we review and discuss the most recent papers dealing with the preparation of magnetic CNTs and their application in biomedical and biotechnological fields.

A Review on Graphene-Based Nanomaterials in Biomedical Applications and Risks in Environment and Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasari Shareena, Thabitha P.; McShan, Danielle; Dasmahapatra, Asok K.; Tchounwou, Paul B.

2018-07-01

Graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) have attracted increasing interests of the scientific community due to their unique physicochemical properties and their applications in biotechnology, biomedicine, bioengineering, disease diagnosis and therapy. Although a large amount of researches have been conducted on these novel nanomaterials, limited comprehensive reviews are published on their biomedical applications and potential environmental and human health effects. The present research aimed at addressing this knowledge gap by examining and discussing: (1) the history, synthesis, structural properties and recent developments of GBNs for biomedical applications; (2) GBNs uses as therapeutics, drug/gene delivery and antibacterial materials; (3) GBNs applications in tissue engineering and in research as biosensors and bioimaging materials; and (4) GBNs potential environmental effects and human health risks. It also discussed the perspectives and challenges associated with the biomedical applications of GBNs.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Shape-Memory Polymers for Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakacki, Christopher M.; Gall, Ken

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of mechanically functional "smart" materials that have generated substantial interest for biomedical applications. SMPs offer the ability to promote minimally invasive surgery, provide structural support, exert stabilizing forces, elute therapeutic agents, and biodegrade. This review focuses on several areas of biomedicine including vascular, orthopedic, and neuronal applications with respect to the progress and potential for SMPs to improve the standard of treatment in these areas. Fundamental studies on proposed biomedical SMP systems are discussed with regards to biodegradability, tailorability, sterilization, and biocompatibility. Lastly, a proposed research and development pathway for SMP-based biomedical devices is proposed based on trends in the recent literature.

Advances in nanowire bioelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei; Dai, Xiaochuan; Lieber, Charles M.

2017-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires represent powerful building blocks for next generation bioelectronics given their attractive properties, including nanometer-scale footprint comparable to subcellular structures and bio-molecules, configurable in nonstandard device geometries readily interfaced with biological systems, high surface-to-volume ratios, fast signal responses, and minimum consumption of energy. In this review article, we summarize recent progress in the field of nanowire bioelectronics with a focus primarily on silicon nanowire field-effect transistor biosensors. First, the synthesis and assembly of semiconductor nanowires will be described, including the basics of nanowire FETs crucial to their configuration as biosensors. Second, we will introduce and review recent results in nanowire bioelectronics for biomedical applications ranging from label-free sensing of biomolecules, to extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological recording.

Miniature Cavity-Enhanced Diamond Magnetometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidrosos, Georgios; Wickenbrock, Arne; Bougas, Lykourgos; Leefer, Nathan; Wu, Teng; Jensen, Kasper; Dumeige, Yannick; Budker, Dmitry

2017-10-01

We present a highly sensitive miniaturized cavity-enhanced room-temperature magnetic-field sensor based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The magnetic resonance signal is detected by probing absorption on the 1042-nm spin-singlet transition. To improve the absorptive signal the diamond is placed in an optical resonator. The device has a magnetic-field sensitivity of 28 pT /√{Hz } , a projected photon shot-noise-limited sensitivity of 22 pT /√{Hz } , and an estimated quantum projection-noise-limited sensitivity of 0.43 pT /√{Hz } with the sensing volume of ˜390 μ m ×4500 μ m2 . The presented miniaturized device is the basis for an endoscopic magnetic-field sensor for biomedical applications.

Computational optical palpation: a finite-element approach to micro-scale tactile imaging using a compliant sensor

PubMed Central

Sampson, David D.; Kennedy, Brendan F.

2017-01-01

High-resolution tactile imaging, superior to the sense of touch, has potential for future biomedical applications such as robotic surgery. In this paper, we propose a tactile imaging method, termed computational optical palpation, based on measuring the change in thickness of a thin, compliant layer with optical coherence tomography and calculating tactile stress using finite-element analysis. We demonstrate our method on test targets and on freshly excised human breast fibroadenoma, demonstrating a resolution of up to 15–25 µm and a field of view of up to 7 mm. Our method is open source and readily adaptable to other imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography and confocal microscopy. PMID:28250098

Electroactive polymer-based devices for e-textiles in biomedicine.

PubMed

Carpi, Federico; De Rossi, Danilo

2005-09-01

This paper describes the early conception and latest developments of electroactive polymer (EAP)-based sensors, actuators, electronic components, and power sources, implemented as wearable devices for smart electronic textiles (e-textiles). Such textiles, functioning as multifunctional wearable human interfaces, are today considered relevant promoters of progress and useful tools in several biomedical fields, such as biomonitoring, rehabilitation, and telemedicine. After a brief outline on ongoing research and the first products on e-textiles under commercial development, this paper presents the most highly performing EAP-based devices developed by our lab and other research groups for sensing, actuation, electronics, and energy generation/storage, with reference to their already demonstrated or potential applicability to electronic textiles.

Grating-Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) Optimization for Phase-Interrogation Biosensing in a Microfluidic Chamber.

PubMed

Rossi, Stefano; Gazzola, Enrico; Capaldo, Pietro; Borile, Giulia; Romanato, Filippo

2018-05-18

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based sensors have the advantage of being label-free, enzyme-free and real-time. However, their spreading in multidisciplinary research is still mostly limited to prism-coupled devices. Plasmonic gratings, combined with a simple and cost-effective instrumentation, have been poorly developed compared to prism-coupled system mainly due to their lower sensitivity. Here we describe the optimization and signal enhancement of a sensing platform based on phase-interrogation method, which entails the exploitation of a nanostructured sensor. This technique is particularly suitable for integration of the plasmonic sensor in a lab-on-a-chip platform and can be used in a microfluidic chamber to ease the sensing procedures and limit the injected volume. The careful optimization of most suitable experimental parameters by numerical simulations leads to a 30⁻50% enhancement of SPR response, opening new possibilities for applications in the biomedical research field while maintaining the ease and versatility of the configuration.

Grating-Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) Optimization for Phase-Interrogation Biosensing in a Microfluidic Chamber

PubMed Central

Rossi, Stefano; Gazzola, Enrico; Capaldo, Pietro; Borile, Giulia; Romanato, Filippo

2018-01-01

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based sensors have the advantage of being label-free, enzyme-free and real-time. However, their spreading in multidisciplinary research is still mostly limited to prism-coupled devices. Plasmonic gratings, combined with a simple and cost-effective instrumentation, have been poorly developed compared to prism-coupled system mainly due to their lower sensitivity. Here we describe the optimization and signal enhancement of a sensing platform based on phase-interrogation method, which entails the exploitation of a nanostructured sensor. This technique is particularly suitable for integration of the plasmonic sensor in a lab-on-a-chip platform and can be used in a microfluidic chamber to ease the sensing procedures and limit the injected volume. The careful optimization of most suitable experimental parameters by numerical simulations leads to a 30–50% enhancement of SPR response, opening new possibilities for applications in the biomedical research field while maintaining the ease and versatility of the configuration. PMID:29783711

Toxicity of graphene nanoflakes evaluated by cell-based electrochemical impedance biosensing.

PubMed

Yoon, Ok Ja; Kim, Insu; Sohn, Il Yung; Kieu, Truong Thuy; Lee, Nae-Eung

2014-07-01

Graphene nanoflake toxicity was analyzed using cell-based electrochemical impedance biosensing with interdigitated indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes installed in a custom-built mini-incubator positioned on an inverted optical microscope. Sensing with electrochemical measurements from interdigitated ITO electrodes was highly linear (R(2) = 0.93 and 0.96 for anodic peak current (Ipa) and cathodic peak current (Ipc), respectively). Size-dependent analysis of Graphene nanoflake toxicity was carried out in a mini-incubator system with cultured HeLa cells treated with Graphene nanoflakes having an average size of 80 or 30 nm for one day. Biological assays of cell proliferation and viability complemented electrochemical impedance measurements. The increased toxicity of smaller Graphene nanoflakes (30 nm) as measured by electrochemical impedance sensing and optical monitoring of treated cells was consistent with the biological assay results. Cell-based electrochemical impedance biosensing can be used to assess the toxicity of nanomaterials with different biomedical and environmental applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

DNA Dendrimer: An Efficient Nanocarrier of Functional Nucleic Acids for Intracellular Molecular Sensing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Functional nucleic acid (FNA)-based sensing systems have been developed for efficient detection of a wide range of biorelated analytes by employing DNAzymes or aptamers as recognition units. However, their intracellular delivery has always been a concern, mainly in delivery efficiency, kinetics, and the amount of delivered FNAs. Here we report a DNA dendrimer scaffold as an efficient nanocarrier to deliver FNAs and to conduct in situ monitoring of biological molecules in living cells. A histidine-dependent DNAzyme and an anti-ATP aptamer were chosen separately as the model FNAs to make the FNA dendrimer. The FNA-embedded DNA dendrimers maintained the catalytic activity of the DNAzyme or the aptamer recognition function toward ATP in the cellular environment, with no change in sensitivity or specificity. Moreover, these DNA dendrimeric nanocarriers show excellent biocompatibility, high intracellular delivery efficiency, and sufficient stability in a cellular environment. This FNA dendrimeric nanocarrier may find a broad spectrum of applications in biomedical diagnosis and therapy. PMID:24806614

Improvement of insertion loss and quality factor of flexural plate-wave-based alpha-fetoprotein biosensor using groove-type reflective grating structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chang-Yu; Huang, I.-Yu; Lan, Je-Wei

2013-01-01

Conventional flexural plate-wave (FPW) transducers have limited applications in biomedical sensing due to their disadvantages such as high insertion loss and low quality factor. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose a FPW transducer on a low phase velocity insulator membrane (5-μm-thick SiO2) with a novel groove-type reflective grating structure design. Additionally, a cystamine self-assembly monolayer and a glutaraldehyde cross-linking layer are implemented on the backside of the FPW device to immobilize alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) antibody. A FPW-based AFP biosensor with low detection limit (5 ng/mL) can be achieved and used to measure the extreme low concentration of AFP antigen in human serum for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. The proposed FPW-based AFP biosensor also demonstrates a very high quality factor (206), low insertion loss (-40.854 dB), low operating frequency (6.388 MHz), and high sensing linearity (90.7%).

Nanoparticles for Biomedical Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nune, Satish K.; Gunda, Padmaja; Thallapally, Praveen K.

2009-11-01

Background: Synthetic nanoparticles are emerging as versatile tools in biomedical applications, particularly in the area of biomedical imaging. Nanoparticles 1 to 100 nm in diameter possess dimensions comparable to biological functional units. Diverse surface chemistries, unique magnetic properties, tunable absorption and emission properties, and recent advances in the synthesis and engineering of various nanoparticles suggest their potential as probes for early detection of diseases such as cancer. Surface functionalization has further expanded the potential of nanoparticles as probes for molecular imaging. Objective: To summarize emerging research of nanoparticles for biomedical imaging with increased selectivity and reduced non-specific uptake with increasedmore » spatial resolution containing stabilizers conjugated with targeting ligands. Methods: This review summarizes recent technological advances in the synthesis of various nanoparticle probes, and surveys methods to improve the targeting of nanoparticles for their applications in biomedical imaging. Conclusion: Structural design of nanomaterials for biomedical imaging continues to expand and diversify. Synthetic methods have aimed to control the size and surface characteristics of nanoparticles to control distribution, half-life and elimination. Although molecular imaging applications using nanoparticles are advancing into clinical applications, challenges such as storage stability and long-term toxicology should continue to be addressed. Keywords: nanoparticle synthesis, surface modification, targeting, molecular imaging, and biomedical imaging.« less

42 CFR 52c.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH... Biomedical Research Support Program) awarded in accordance with section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health... investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical...

42 CFR 52c.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH... Biomedical Research Support Program) awarded in accordance with section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health... investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical...

42 CFR 52c.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH... Biomedical Research Support Program) awarded in accordance with section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health... investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical...

42 CFR 52c.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH... Biomedical Research Support Program) awarded in accordance with section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health... investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical...

42 CFR 52c.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH... Biomedical Research Support Program) awarded in accordance with section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health... investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical...

FlySPEX: a flexible multi-angle spectropolarimetric sensing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snik, Frans; Keller, Christoph U.; Wijnen, Merijn; Peters, Hubert; Derks, Roy; Smulders, Edwin

2016-05-01

Accurate multi-angle spectropolarimetry permits the detailed and unambiguous characterization of a wide range of objects. Science cases and commercial applications include atmospheric aerosol studies, biomedical sensing, and food quality control. We introduce the FlySPEX spectropolarimetric fiber-head that constitutes the essential building block of a novel multi-angle sensing system. A combination of miniaturized standard polarization optics inside every fiber-head encodes the full linear polarization information as a spectral modulation of the light that enters two regular optical fibers. By orienting many FlySPEX fiber-heads in any desired set of directions, a fiber bundle contains the complete instantaneous information on polarization as a function of wavelength and as a function of the set of viewing directions. This information is to be recorded by one or several multi-fiber spectrometers. Not only is this system flexible in the amount of viewing directions and their configuration, it also permits multiplexing different wavelength ranges and spectral resolutions by implementing different spectrometers. We present the design and prototyping for a FlySPEX fiber-head that is optimized for both polarimetric accuracy and commercial series production. We integrate the polarimetric calibration of each FlySPEX fiber-head in the manufacturing process.

Magnetic nanoparticles as potential candidates for biomedical and biological applications.

PubMed

Zeinali Sehrig, Fatemeh; Majidi, Sima; Nikzamir, Nasrin; Nikzamir, Nasim; Nikzamir, Mohammad; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl

2016-05-01

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have become the main candidates for biomedical and biological applications, and the application of small iron oxide nanoparticles in in vitro diagnostics has been practiced for about half a century. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), in combination with an external magnetic field and/or magnetizable grafts, allow the delivery of particles to the chosen target area, fix them at the local site while the medication is released, and act locally. In this review, we focus mostly on the potential use of MNPs for biomedical and biotechnological applications, and the improvements made in using these nanoparticles (NPs) in biological applications.

Biomedical applications of nano-titania in theranostics and photodynamic therapy.

PubMed

Rehman, F U; Zhao, C; Jiang, H; Wang, X

2016-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most abundantly used nanomaterials for human life. It is used in sunscreen, photovoltaic devices, biomedical applications and as a food additive and environmental scavenger. Nano-TiO2 in biomedical applications is well documented. It is used in endoprosthetic implants and early theranostics of neoplastic and non-neoplastic maladies as a photodynamic therapeutic agent and as vehicles in nano-drug delivery systems. Herein, we focus on the recent advancements and applications of nano-TiO2 in bio-nanotechnology, nanomedicine and photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Alginate: properties and biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Lee, Kuen Yong; Mooney, David J.

2011-01-01

Alginate is a biomaterial that has found numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering due to its favorable properties, including biocompatibility and ease of gelation. Alginate hydrogels have been particularly attractive in wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications to date, as these gels retain structural similarity to the extracellular matrices in tissues and can be manipulated to play several critical roles. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of general properties of alginate and its hydrogels, their biomedical applications, and suggest new perspectives for future studies with these polymers. PMID:22125349

PATTERNS IN BIOMEDICAL DATA-HOW DO WE FIND THEM?

PubMed

Basile, Anna O; Verma, Anurag; Byrska-Bishop, Marta; Pendergrass, Sarah A; Darabos, Christian; Lester Kirchner, H

2017-01-01

Given the exponential growth of biomedical data, researchers are faced with numerous challenges in extracting and interpreting information from these large, high-dimensional, incomplete, and often noisy data. To facilitate addressing this growing concern, the "Patterns in Biomedical Data-How do we find them?" session of the 2017 Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing (PSB) is devoted to exploring pattern recognition using data-driven approaches for biomedical and precision medicine applications. The papers selected for this session focus on novel machine learning techniques as well as applications of established methods to heterogeneous data. We also feature manuscripts aimed at addressing the current challenges associated with the analysis of biomedical data.

Applicability Analysis of Validation Evidence for Biomedical Computational Models

DOE PAGES

Pathmanathan, Pras; Gray, Richard A.; Romero, Vicente J.; ...

2017-09-07

Computational modeling has the potential to revolutionize medicine the way it transformed engineering. However, despite decades of work, there has only been limited progress to successfully translate modeling research to patient care. One major difficulty which often occurs with biomedical computational models is an inability to perform validation in a setting that closely resembles how the model will be used. For example, for a biomedical model that makes in vivo clinically relevant predictions, direct validation of predictions may be impossible for ethical, technological, or financial reasons. Unavoidable limitations inherent to the validation process lead to challenges in evaluating the credibilitymore » of biomedical model predictions. Therefore, when evaluating biomedical models, it is critical to rigorously assess applicability, that is, the relevance of the computational model, and its validation evidence to the proposed context of use (COU). However, there are no well-established methods for assessing applicability. In this paper, we present a novel framework for performing applicability analysis and demonstrate its use with a medical device computational model. The framework provides a systematic, step-by-step method for breaking down the broad question of applicability into a series of focused questions, which may be addressed using supporting evidence and subject matter expertise. The framework can be used for model justification, model assessment, and validation planning. While motivated by biomedical models, it is relevant to a broad range of disciplines and underlying physics. Finally, the proposed applicability framework could help overcome some of the barriers inherent to validation of, and aid clinical implementation of, biomedical models.« less

Applicability Analysis of Validation Evidence for Biomedical Computational Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pathmanathan, Pras; Gray, Richard A.; Romero, Vicente J.

Computational modeling has the potential to revolutionize medicine the way it transformed engineering. However, despite decades of work, there has only been limited progress to successfully translate modeling research to patient care. One major difficulty which often occurs with biomedical computational models is an inability to perform validation in a setting that closely resembles how the model will be used. For example, for a biomedical model that makes in vivo clinically relevant predictions, direct validation of predictions may be impossible for ethical, technological, or financial reasons. Unavoidable limitations inherent to the validation process lead to challenges in evaluating the credibilitymore » of biomedical model predictions. Therefore, when evaluating biomedical models, it is critical to rigorously assess applicability, that is, the relevance of the computational model, and its validation evidence to the proposed context of use (COU). However, there are no well-established methods for assessing applicability. In this paper, we present a novel framework for performing applicability analysis and demonstrate its use with a medical device computational model. The framework provides a systematic, step-by-step method for breaking down the broad question of applicability into a series of focused questions, which may be addressed using supporting evidence and subject matter expertise. The framework can be used for model justification, model assessment, and validation planning. While motivated by biomedical models, it is relevant to a broad range of disciplines and underlying physics. Finally, the proposed applicability framework could help overcome some of the barriers inherent to validation of, and aid clinical implementation of, biomedical models.« less

Biomedical Applications of Enzymes From Marine Actinobacteria.

PubMed

Kamala, K; Sivaperumal, P

Marine microbial enzyme technologies have progressed significantly in the last few decades for different applications. Among the various microorganisms, marine actinobacterial enzymes have significant active properties, which could allow them to be biocatalysts with tremendous bioactive metabolites. Moreover, marine actinobacteria have been considered as biofactories, since their enzymes fulfill biomedical and industrial needs. In this chapter, the marine actinobacteria and their enzymes' uses in biological activities and biomedical applications are described. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomedical Applications of Carbon Nanotubes: A Critical Review.

PubMed

Sharma, Priyanka; Mehra, Neelesh Kumar; Jain, Keerti; Jain, N K

2016-08-01

The convergence of nano and biotechnology is enabling scientific and technical knowledge for improving human well being. Carbon nanotubes have become most fascinating material to be studied and unveil new avenues in the field of nanobiotechnology. The nanometer size and high aspect ratio of the CNTs are the two distinct features, which have contributed to diverse biomedical applications. They have captured the attention as nanoscale materials due to their nanometric structure and remarkable list of superlative and extravagant properties that encouraged their exploitation for promising applications. Significant progress has been made in order to overcome some of the major hurdles towards biomedical application of nanomaterials, especially on issues regarding the aqueous solubility/dispersion and safety of CNTs. Functionalized CNTs have been used in drug targeting, imaging, and in the efficient delivery of gene and nucleic acids. CNTs have also demonstrated great potential in diverse biomedical uses like drug targeting, imaging, cancer treatment, tissue regeneration, diagnostics, biosensing, genetic engineering and so forth. The present review highlights the possible potential of CNTs in diagnostics, imaging and targeted delivery of bioactives and also outlines the future opportunities for biomedical applications.

Fast max-margin clustering for unsupervised word sense disambiguation in biomedical texts

PubMed Central

Duan, Weisi; Song, Min; Yates, Alexander

2009-01-01

Background We aim to solve the problem of determining word senses for ambiguous biomedical terms with minimal human effort. Methods We build a fully automated system for Word Sense Disambiguation by designing a system that does not require manually-constructed external resources or manually-labeled training examples except for a single ambiguous word. The system uses a novel and efficient graph-based algorithm to cluster words into groups that have the same meaning. Our algorithm follows the principle of finding a maximum margin between clusters, determining a split of the data that maximizes the minimum distance between pairs of data points belonging to two different clusters. Results On a test set of 21 ambiguous keywords from PubMed abstracts, our system has an average accuracy of 78%, outperforming a state-of-the-art unsupervised system by 2% and a baseline technique by 23%. On a standard data set from the National Library of Medicine, our system outperforms the baseline by 6% and comes within 5% of the accuracy of a supervised system. Conclusion Our system is a novel, state-of-the-art technique for efficiently finding word sense clusters, and does not require training data or human effort for each new word to be disambiguated. PMID:19344480

Material Processing and Design of Biodegradable Metal Matrix Composites for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Yang, Jingxin; Guo, Jason L; Mikos, Antonios G; He, Chunyan; Cheng, Guang

2018-06-04

In recent years, biodegradable metallic materials have played an important role in biomedical applications. However, as typical for the metal materials, their structure, general properties, preparation technology and biocompatibility are hard to change. Furthermore, biodegradable metals are susceptible to excessive degradation and subsequent disruption of their mechanical integrity; this phenomenon limits the utility of these biomaterials. Therefore, the use of degradable metals, as the base material to prepare metal matrix composite materials, it is an excellent alternative to solve the problems above described. Biodegradable metals can thus be successfully combined with other materials to form biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical applications and functions. The present article describes the processing methods currently available to design biodegradable metal matrix composites for biomedical applications and provides an overview of the current existing biodegradable metal systems. At the end, the manuscript presents and discusses the challenges and future research directions for development of biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical purposes.

Photoreconfigurable polymers for biomedical applications: chemistry and macromolecular engineering.

PubMed

Zhu, Congcong; Ninh, Chi; Bettinger, Christopher J

2014-10-13

Stimuli-responsive polymers play an important role in many biomedical technologies. Light responsive polymers are particularly desirable because the parameters of irradiated light and diverse photoactive chemistries produce a large number of combinations between functional materials and associated stimuli. This Review summarizes recent advances in utilizing photoactive chemistries in macromolecules for prospective use in biomedical applications. Special focus is granted to selection criterion when choosing photofunctional groups. Synthetic strategies to incorporate these functionalities into polymers and networks with different topologies are also highlighted herein. Prospective applications of these materials are discussed including programmable matrices for controlled release, dynamic scaffolds for tissue engineering, and functional coatings for medical devices. The article concludes by summarizing the state of the art in photoresponsive polymers for biomedical applications including current challenges and future opportunities.

Silicon Mach-Zehnder interferometer racetrack microring for sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Yule; Ye, Winnie N.

2014-03-01

SOI-based microring resonators (MRRs) have attracted extensive attentions as ultra-compact sensors. Recently, a new structure design combining a ring and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) was proposed as sensors for biomedical applications, and as modulators for communications applications. In this design, the MZI uses two identical couplers, where one arm is formed by connecting the access waveguide of the couplers, while the other arm is part of the microring. Such a device may have only one major resonance with a high extinction ratio in a very broad wavelength span (quasi-free spectral range, quasi-FSR), which offers a very large measurement range for sensing applications. 2×2 multimode interference (MMI) couplers are used to couple the microring and the bus waveguides as MMI couplers have broader wavelength responses. We present the first experimental demonstration of the MMI-coupled MZI racetrack microrings for sensing applications. Two types of MMI-coupled MZI racetrack microrings are discussed: one with wire waveguides, and the other using slotted waveguides. For the MZI racetrack microring using wire waveguides, we achieve a quasi-FSR of 34.3 nm near the wavelength of 1520 nm. The corresponding major resonance of the MZI racetrack microring demonstrates a high extinction ratio of ~22.4 dB with a full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) of 1.94 nm, and a quality factor Q of ~800. On the other hand, the quasi-FSR of the MZI racetrack microring with slot waveguides is 23.2 nm near the wavelength of 1540 nm; and the extinction ratio of the major resonance is ~24.5 dB with λFWHM=0.82 nm and Q=~1,900. To demonstrate the uses for sensing applications, we measure the resonance shifts corresponding to the concentration change of the ambient aqueous solutions of sucrose. DI water is used as the reference for calibration to avoid any other variations, e.g. temperature change. Experiments show that the sensitivities of the MZI racetrack microring sensors with wire and slot waveguides are 101.7 nm/RIU and 166.7 nm/RIU, respectively.

Interaction of gold nanostars with neuronal cells and single negative terahertz metamaterials with barium titanate resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kereselidze, Zurab

As the title implies, this dissertation covers two independent topics. The first topic is concerned with biomedical applications of nanoparticles while the second topic presents our results in developing all-dielectric single negative metamaterials at terahertz frequencies. In recent years, the interest in using nanoparticles for biomedical applications has greatly increased. Therefore, there is a need to understand the mechanism of interactions as well as any non-lethal effects nanoparticles may have on biological systems. The first part of this dissertation is focused on advancing the field of nanomedicine by developing gold nanostars with a surface plasmon resonance in the infrared that can be used for photothermal ablation. In addition it seeks to quantify the effect gold nanostars have on the firing rate of neuronal cells. The terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is located between microwaves and infrared where 1 THz corresponds to wavelengths of 300 microns and energies of 3 meV. There are several emerging applications for THz technology spanning biomedical and security imaging, chemical/biological sensing and communications. However, the development of these applications has been hindered because of the lack of electrically and magnetically active natural materials at these frequencies. By designing all-dielectric resonators in which we take advantage of Mie resonances, we can construct metamaterials with effective negative permeabilities and permittivities. In the second topic of this dissertation we present our results developing all-dielectric metamaterials with single negative values. Using a commercial-grade simulator based on the finite-difference time-domain method, we obtained the scattering parameters of the resonators. From the S parameters, we calculated the effective permittivity and permeability of the metamaterials. Using realistic values for the constituent dielectric's permittivity and loss tangent we performed a systematic study of two different resonator geometries: rectangular and triangular prisms. We varied the resonator dimensions, their periodicity and the orientation of the polarization of the incident electric field and were able to obtain negative permeabilities for the rectangular prisms and negative permittivities for the triangular prisms for both orientations of the electric field. Increasing the loss tangent in the rectangular prisms has the effect of removing the region of negative permeabilities.

Nanoscaling laws of magnetic nanoparticles and their applicabilities in biomedical sciences.

PubMed

Jun, Young-Wook; Seo, Jung-Wook; Cheon, Jinwoo

2008-02-01

Magnetic nanoparticles, which exhibit a variety of unique magnetic phenomena that are drastically different from those of their bulk counterparts, are garnering significant interest since these properties can be advantageous for utilization in a variety of applications ranging from storage media for magnetic memory devices to probes and vectors in the biomedical sciences. In this Account, we discuss the nanoscaling laws of magnetic nanoparticles including metals, metal ferrites, and metal alloys, while focusing on their size, shape, and composition effects. Their fundamental magnetic properties such as blocking temperature (Tb), spin life time (tau), coercivity (Hc), and susceptibility (chi) are strongly influenced by the nanoscaling laws, and as a result, these scaling relationships can be leveraged to control magnetism from the ferromagnetic to the superparamagnetic regimes. At the same time, they can be used in order to tune magnetic values including Hc, chi, and remanence (Mr). For example, life time of magnetic spin is directly related to the magnetic anisotropy energy (KuV) and also the size and volume of nanoparticles. The blocking temperature (Tb) changes from room temperature to 10 K as the size of cobalt nanoparticles is reduced from 13 to 2 nm. Similarly, H c is highly susceptible to the anisotropy of nanoparticles, while saturation magnetization is directly related to the canting effects of the disordered surface magnetic spins and follows a linear relationship upon plotting of ms (1/3) vs r(-1). Therefore, the nanoscaling laws of magnetic nanoparticles are important not only for understanding the behavior of existing materials but also for developing novel nanomaterials with superior properties. Since magnetic nanoparticles can be easily conjugated with biologically important constituents such as DNA, peptides, and antibodies, it is possible to construct versatile nano-bio hybrid particles, which simultaneously possess magnetic and biological functions for biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics. As demonstrated in this Account, nanoscaling laws for magnetic components are found to be critical to the design of optimized magnetic characteristics of hybrid nanoparticles and their enhanced applicability in the biomedical sciences including their utilizations as contrast enhancement agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ferromagnetic components for nano-bio hybrid structures, and translational vectors for magnetophoretic sensing of biological species. In particular, systematic modulation of saturation magnetization of nanoparticle probes is important to maximize MR contrast effects and magnetic separation of biological targets.

Biomolecular logic systems: applications to biosensors and bioactuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Evgeny

2014-05-01

The paper presents an overview of recent advances in biosensors and bioactuators based on the biocomputing concept. Novel biosensors digitally process multiple biochemical signals through Boolean logic networks of coupled biomolecular reactions and produce output in the form of YES/NO response. Compared to traditional single-analyte sensing devices, biocomputing approach enables a high-fidelity multi-analyte biosensing, particularly beneficial for biomedical applications. Multi-signal digital biosensors thus promise advances in rapid diagnosis and treatment of diseases by processing complex patterns of physiological biomarkers. Specifically, they can provide timely detection and alert to medical emergencies, along with an immediate therapeutic intervention. Application of the biocomputing concept has been successfully demonstrated for systems performing logic analysis of biomarkers corresponding to different injuries, particularly exemplified for liver injury. Wide-ranging applications of multi-analyte digital biosensors in medicine, environmental monitoring and homeland security are anticipated. "Smart" bioactuators, for example for signal-triggered drug release, were designed by interfacing switchable electrodes and biocomputing systems. Integration of novel biosensing and bioactuating systems with the biomolecular information processing systems keeps promise for further scientific advances and numerous practical applications.

Development of thermal energy storage materials for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Shukla, A; Sharma, Atul; Shukla, Manjari; Chen, C R

2015-01-01

The phase change materials (PCMs) have been utilized widely for solar thermal energy storage (TES) devices. The quality of these materials to remain at a particular temperature during solid-liquid, liquid-solid phase transition can also be utilized for many biomedical applications as well and has been explored in recent past already. This study reports some novel PCMs developed by them, along with some existing PCMs, to be used for such biomedical applications. Interestingly, it was observed that the heating/cooling properties of these PCMs enhance the quality of a variety of biomedical applications with many advantages (non-electric, no risk of electric shock, easy to handle, easy to recharge thermally, long life, cheap and easily available, reusable) over existing applications. Results of the present study are quite interesting and exciting, opening a plethora of opportunities for more work on the subject, which require overlapping expertise of material scientists, biochemists and medical experts for broader social benefits.

Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Composites for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei; Zhu, Yuhe; Liao, Susan; Li, Jiajia

2014-01-01

This review paper reported carbon nanotubes reinforced composites for biomedical applications. Several studies have found enhancement in the mechanical properties of CNTs-based reinforced composites by the addition of CNTs. CNTs reinforced composites have been intensively investigated for many aspects of life, especially being made for biomedical applications. The review introduced fabrication of CNTs reinforced composites (CNTs reinforced metal matrix composites, CNTs reinforced polymer matrix composites, and CNTs reinforced ceramic matrix composites), their mechanical properties, cell experiments in vitro, and biocompatibility tests in vivo. PMID:24707488

Medical benefits from the NASA biomedical applications program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sigmon, J. L.

1974-01-01

To achieve its goals the NASA Biomedical Applications Program performs four basic tasks: (1) identification of major medical problems which lend themselves to solution by relevant aerospace technology; (2) identification of relevant aerospace technology which can be applied to those problems; (3) application of that technology to demonstrate the feasibility as real solutions to the identified problems; and, (4) motivation of the industrial community to manufacture and market the identified solution to maximize the utilization of aerospace solutions to the biomedical community.

Polydopamine--a nature-inspired polymer coating for biomedical science.

PubMed

Lynge, Martin E; van der Westen, Rebecca; Postma, Almar; Städler, Brigitte

2011-12-01

Polymer coatings are of central importance for many biomedical applications. In the past few years, poly(dopamine) (PDA) has attracted considerable interest for various types of biomedical applications. This feature article outlines the basic chemistry and material science regarding PDA and discusses its successful application from coatings for interfacing with cells, to drug delivery and biosensing. Although many questions remain open, the primary aim of this feature article is to illustrate the advent of PDA on its way to become a popular polymer for bioengineering purposes.

Carbon nanotubes reinforced composites for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Zhu, Yuhe; Liao, Susan; Li, Jiajia

2014-01-01

This review paper reported carbon nanotubes reinforced composites for biomedical applications. Several studies have found enhancement in the mechanical properties of CNTs-based reinforced composites by the addition of CNTs. CNTs reinforced composites have been intensively investigated for many aspects of life, especially being made for biomedical applications. The review introduced fabrication of CNTs reinforced composites (CNTs reinforced metal matrix composites, CNTs reinforced polymer matrix composites, and CNTs reinforced ceramic matrix composites), their mechanical properties, cell experiments in vitro, and biocompatibility tests in vivo.

Smart nanomaterials for biomedics.

PubMed

Choi, Soonmo; Tripathi, Anuj; Singh, Deepti

2014-10-01

Nanotechnology has become important in various disciplines of technology and science. It has proven to be a potential candidate for various applications ranging from biosensors to the delivery of genes and therapeutic agents to tissue engineering. Scaffolds for every application can be tailor made to have the appropriate physicochemical properties that will influence the in vivo system in the desired way. For highly sensitive and precise detection of specific signals or pathogenic markers, or for sensing the levels of particular analytes, fabricating target-specific nanomaterials can be very useful. Multi-functional nano-devices can be fabricated using different approaches to achieve multi-directional patterning in a scaffold with the ability to alter topographical cues at scale of less than or equal to 100 nm. Smart nanomaterials are made to understand the surrounding environment and act accordingly by either protecting the drug in hostile conditions or releasing the "payload" at the intended intracellular target site. All of this is achieved by exploiting polymers for their functional groups or incorporating conducting materials into a natural biopolymer to obtain a "smart material" that can be used for detection of circulating tumor cells, detection of differences in the body analytes, or repair of damaged tissue by acting as a cell culture scaffold. Nanotechnology has changed the nature of diagnosis and treatment in the biomedical field, and this review aims to bring together the most recent advances in smart nanomaterials.

A self-strain feedback tuning-fork-shaped ionic polymer metal composite clamping actuator with soft matter elasticity-detecting capability for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Feng, Guo-Hua; Huang, Wei-Lun

2014-12-01

This paper presents a smart tuning-fork-shaped ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) clamping actuator for biomedical applications. The two fingers of the actuator, which perform the clamping motion, can be electrically controlled through a unique electrode design on the IPMC material. The generated displacement or strain of the fingers can be sensed using an integrated soft strain-gage sensor. The IPMC actuator and associated soft strain gage were fabricated using a micromachining technique. A 13.5×4×2 mm(3) actuator was shaped from Nafion solution and a selectively grown metal electrode formed the active region. The strain gage consisted of patterned copper foil and polyethylene as a substrate. The relationship between the strain gage voltage output and the displacement at the front end of the actuator's fingers was characterized. The equivalent Young's modulus, 13.65 MPa, of the soft-strain-gage-integrated IPMC finger was analyzed. The produced clamping force exhibited a linear increasing rate of 1.07 mN/s, based on a dc driving voltage of 7 V. Using the developed actuator to clamp soft matter and simultaneously acquire its Young's modulus was achieved. This demonstrated the feasibility of the palpation function and the potential use of the actuator in minimally invasive surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescent sensors of protein kinases: from basics to biomedical applications.

PubMed

Nhu Ngoc Van, Thi; Morris, May C

2013-01-01

Protein kinases constitute a major class of enzymes underlying essentially all biological processes. These enzymes present similar structural folds, yet their mechanism of action and of regulation vary largely, as well as their substrate specificity and their subcellular localization. Classical approaches to study the function/activity of protein kinases rely on radioactive endpoint assays, which do not allow for characterization of their dynamic activity in their native environment. The development of fluorescent biosensors has provided a whole new avenue for studying protein kinase behavior and regulation in living cells in real time with high spatial and temporal resolution. Two major classes of biosensors have been developed: genetically encoded single-chain fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensors and peptide/protein biosensors coupled to small synthetic fluorophores which are sensitive to changes in their environment. In this review, we discuss the developments in fluorescent biosensor technology related to protein kinase sensing and the different strategies employed to monitor protein kinase activity, conformation, or relative abundance, as well as kinase regulation and subcellular dynamics in living cells. Moreover, we discuss their application in biomedical settings, for diagnostics and therapeutics, to image disease progression and monitor response to therapeutics, in drug discovery programs, for high-throughput screening assays, for postscreen characterization of drug candidates, and for clinical evaluation of novel drugs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deterministic compressive sampling for high-quality image reconstruction of ultrasound tomography.

PubMed

Huy, Tran Quang; Tue, Huynh Huu; Long, Ton That; Duc-Tan, Tran

2017-05-25

A well-known diagnostic imaging modality, termed ultrasound tomography, was quickly developed for the detection of very small tumors whose sizes are smaller than the wavelength of the incident pressure wave without ionizing radiation, compared to the current gold-standard X-ray mammography. Based on inverse scattering technique, ultrasound tomography uses some material properties such as sound contrast or attenuation to detect small targets. The Distorted Born Iterative Method (DBIM) based on first-order Born approximation is an efficient diffraction tomography approach. One of the challenges for a high quality reconstruction is to obtain many measurements from the number of transmitters and receivers. Given the fact that biomedical images are often sparse, the compressed sensing (CS) technique could be therefore effectively applied to ultrasound tomography by reducing the number of transmitters and receivers, while maintaining a high quality of image reconstruction. There are currently several work on CS that dispose randomly distributed locations for the measurement system. However, this random configuration is relatively difficult to implement in practice. Instead of it, we should adopt a methodology that helps determine the locations of measurement devices in a deterministic way. For this, we develop the novel DCS-DBIM algorithm that is highly applicable in practice. Inspired of the exploitation of the deterministic compressed sensing technique (DCS) introduced by the authors few years ago with the image reconstruction process implemented using l 1 regularization. Simulation results of the proposed approach have demonstrated its high performance, with the normalized error approximately 90% reduced, compared to the conventional approach, this new approach can save half of number of measurements and only uses two iterations. Universal image quality index is also evaluated in order to prove the efficiency of the proposed approach. Numerical simulation results indicate that CS and DCS techniques offer equivalent image reconstruction quality with simpler practical implementation. It would be a very promising approach in practical applications of modern biomedical imaging technology.

Low-loss plasmon-assisted electro-optic modulator.

PubMed

Haffner, Christian; Chelladurai, Daniel; Fedoryshyn, Yuriy; Josten, Arne; Baeuerle, Benedikt; Heni, Wolfgang; Watanabe, Tatsuhiko; Cui, Tong; Cheng, Bojun; Saha, Soham; Elder, Delwin L; Dalton, Larry R; Boltasseva, Alexandra; Shalaev, Vladimir M; Kinsey, Nathaniel; Leuthold, Juerg

2018-04-01

For nearly two decades, researchers in the field of plasmonics 1 -which studies the coupling of electromagnetic waves to the motion of free electrons near the surface of a metal 2 -have sought to realize subwavelength optical devices for information technology 3-6 , sensing 7,8 , nonlinear optics 9,10 , optical nanotweezers 11 and biomedical applications 12 . However, the electron motion generates heat through ohmic losses. Although this heat is desirable for some applications such as photo-thermal therapy, it is a disadvantage in plasmonic devices for sensing and information technology 13 and has led to a widespread view that plasmonics is too lossy to be practical. Here we demonstrate that the ohmic losses can be bypassed by using 'resonant switching'. In the proposed approach, light is coupled to the lossy surface plasmon polaritons only in the device's off state (in resonance) in which attenuation is desired, to ensure large extinction ratios between the on and off states and allow subpicosecond switching. In the on state (out of resonance), destructive interference prevents the light from coupling to the lossy plasmonic section of a device. To validate the approach, we fabricated a plasmonic electro-optic ring modulator. The experiments confirm that low on-chip optical losses, operation at over 100 gigahertz, good energy efficiency, low thermal drift and a compact footprint can be combined in a single device. Our result illustrates that plasmonics has the potential to enable fast, compact on-chip sensing and communications technologies.

A CMOS wireless biomolecular sensing system-on-chip based on polysilicon nanowire technology.

PubMed

Huang, C-W; Huang, Y-J; Yen, P-W; Tsai, H-H; Liao, H-H; Juang, Y-Z; Lu, S-S; Lin, C-T

2013-11-21

As developments of modern societies, an on-field and personalized diagnosis has become important for disease prevention and proper treatment. To address this need, in this work, a polysilicon nanowire (poly-Si NW) based biosensor system-on-chip (bio-SSoC) is designed and fabricated by a 0.35 μm 2-Poly-4-Metal (2P4M) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process provided by a commercialized semiconductor foundry. Because of the advantages of CMOS system-on-chip (SoC) technologies, the poly-Si NW biosensor is integrated with a chopper differential-difference amplifier (DDA) based analog-front-end (AFE), a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC), and a microcontroller to have better sensing capabilities than a traditional Si NW discrete measuring system. In addition, an on-off key (OOK) wireless transceiver is also integrated to form a wireless bio-SSoC technology. This is pioneering work to harness the momentum of CMOS integrated technology into emerging bio-diagnosis technologies. This integrated technology is experimentally examined to have a label-free and low-concentration biomolecular detection for both Hepatitis B Virus DNA (10 fM) and cardiac troponin I protein (3.2 pM). Based on this work, the implemented wireless bio-SSoC has demonstrated a good biomolecular sensing characteristic and a potential for low-cost and mobile applications. As a consequence, this developed technology can be a promising candidate for on-field and personalized applications in biomedical diagnosis.

Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles and Their Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Tiwari, Pooja M.; Vig, Komal; Dennis, Vida A.; Singh, Shree R.

2011-01-01

Metal nanoparticles are being extensively used in various biomedical applications due to their small size to volume ratio and extensive thermal stability. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are an obvious choice due to their amenability of synthesis and functionalization, less toxicity and ease of detection. The present review focuses on various methods of functionalization of GNPs and their applications in biomedical research. Functionalization facilitates targeted delivery of these nanoparticles to various cell types, bioimaging, gene delivery, drug delivery and other therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This review is an amalgamation of recent advances in the field of functionalization of gold nanoparticles and their potential applications in the field of medicine and biology. PMID:28348279

Self-powered vision electronic-skin basing on piezo-photodetecting Ppy/PVDF pixel-patterned matrix for mimicking vision.

PubMed

Han, Wuxiao; Zhang, Linlin; He, Haoxuan; Liu, Hongmin; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

2018-06-22

The development of multifunctional electronic-skin that establishes human-machine interfaces, enhances perception abilities or has other distinct biomedical applications is the key to the realization of artificial intelligence. In this paper, a new self-powered (battery-free) flexible vision electronic-skin has been realized from pixel-patterned matrix of piezo-photodetecting PVDF/Ppy film. The electronic-skin under applied deformation can actively output piezoelectric voltage, and the outputting signal can be significantly influenced by UV illumination. The piezoelectric output can act as both the photodetecting signal and electricity power. The reliability is demonstrated over 200 light on-off cycles. The sensing unit matrix of 6 × 6 pixels on the electronic-skin can realize image recognition through mapping multi-point UV stimuli. This self-powered vision electronic-skin that simply mimics human retina may have potential application in vision substitution.

Self-powered vision electronic-skin basing on piezo-photodetecting Ppy/PVDF pixel-patterned matrix for mimicking vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Wuxiao; Zhang, Linlin; He, Haoxuan; Liu, Hongmin; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

2018-06-01

The development of multifunctional electronic-skin that establishes human-machine interfaces, enhances perception abilities or has other distinct biomedical applications is the key to the realization of artificial intelligence. In this paper, a new self-powered (battery-free) flexible vision electronic-skin has been realized from pixel-patterned matrix of piezo-photodetecting PVDF/Ppy film. The electronic-skin under applied deformation can actively output piezoelectric voltage, and the outputting signal can be significantly influenced by UV illumination. The piezoelectric output can act as both the photodetecting signal and electricity power. The reliability is demonstrated over 200 light on–off cycles. The sensing unit matrix of 6 × 6 pixels on the electronic-skin can realize image recognition through mapping multi-point UV stimuli. This self-powered vision electronic-skin that simply mimics human retina may have potential application in vision substitution.

Time stretch and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahjoubfar, Ata; Churkin, Dmitry V.; Barland, Stéphane; Broderick, Neil; Turitsyn, Sergei K.; Jalali, Bahram

2017-06-01

Observing non-repetitive and statistically rare signals that occur on short timescales requires fast real-time measurements that exceed the speed, precision and record length of conventional digitizers. Photonic time stretch is a data acquisition method that overcomes the speed limitations of electronic digitizers and enables continuous ultrafast single-shot spectroscopy, imaging, reflectometry, terahertz and other measurements at refresh rates reaching billions of frames per second with non-stop recording spanning trillions of consecutive frames. The technology has opened a new frontier in measurement science unveiling transient phenomena in nonlinear dynamics such as optical rogue waves and soliton molecules, and in relativistic electron bunching. It has also created a new class of instruments that have been integrated with artificial intelligence for sensing and biomedical diagnostics. We review the fundamental principles and applications of this emerging field for continuous phase and amplitude characterization at extremely high repetition rates via time-stretch spectral interferometry.

Fabrication of Multi-point Side-Firing Optical Fiber by Laser Micro-ablation

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Hoang; Arnob, Md Masud Parvez; Becker, Aaron T; Wolfe, John C; Hogan, Matthew K; Horner, Philip J; Shih, Wei-Chuan

2018-01-01

A multi-point, side-firing design enables an optical fiber to output light at multiple desired locations along the fiber body. This provides advantages over traditional end-to-end fibers, especially in applications requiring fiber bundles such as brain stimulation or remote sensing. This paper demonstrates that continuous wave (CW) laser micro-ablation can controllably create conical-shaped cavities, or side windows, for outputting light. The dimensions of these cavities determine the amount of firing light and their firing angle. Experimental data show that a single side window on a 730 μm fiber can deliver more than 8 % of the input light. This was increased to more than 19 % on a 65 μm fiber with side windows created using femtosecond (fs) laser ablation and chemical etching. Fine control of light distribution along an optical fiber is critical for various biomedical applications such as light activated drug-release and optogenetics studies. PMID:28454166

Development of an IrO x micro pH sensor array on flexible polymer substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen-Ding; Wang, Jianqun; Ativanichayaphong, Thermpon; Chiao, Mu; Chiao, J. C.

2008-03-01

pH sensor is an essential component used in many chemical, food, and bio-material industries. Conventional glass electrodes have been used to construct pH sensors, however, have some disadvantages in specific applications. It is difficult to use glass electrodes for in vivo biomedical or food monitoring applications due to size limitation and no deformability. In this paper, we present design and fabrication processes of a miniature iridium oxide thin film pH sensor array on flexible polymer substrates. The amorphous iridium oxide thin film was used as the sensing material. A sol-gel dip-coating process of iridium oxide film was demonstrated in this paper. A super-Nernstian response has been measured on individual sensors of the array with a slope of -71.6+/-3 mV/pH at 25°C within the pH range between 2.83 and 11.04.

Hybrid GMR Sensor Detecting 950 pT/sqrt(Hz) at 1 Hz and Room Temperature

PubMed Central

Guedes, André; Macedo, Rita; Jaramillo, Gerardo; Freitas, Paulo P.; Horsley, David A.

2018-01-01

Advances in the magnetic sensing technology have been driven by the increasing demand for the capability of measuring ultrasensitive magnetic fields. Among other emerging applications, the detection of magnetic fields in the picotesla range is crucial for biomedical applications. In this work Picosense reports a millimeter-scale, low-power hybrid magnetoresistive-piezoelectric magnetometer with subnanotesla sensitivity at low frequency. Through an innovative noise-cancelation mechanism, the 1/f noise in the MR sensors is surpassed by the mechanical modulation of the external magnetic fields in the high frequency regime. A modulation efficiency of 13% was obtained enabling a final device’s sensitivity of ~950 pT/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz. This hybrid device proved to be capable of measuring biomagnetic signals generated in the heart in an unshielded environment. This result paves the way for the development of a portable, contactless, low-cost and low-power magnetocardiography device. PMID:29509677

Fabrication of multipoint side-firing optical fiber by laser micro-ablation.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hoang; Parvez Arnob, Md Masud; Becker, Aaron T; Wolfe, John C; Hogan, Matthew K; Horner, Philip J; Shih, Wei-Chuan

2017-05-01

A multipoint, side-firing design enables an optical fiber to output light at multiple desired locations along the fiber body. This provides advantages over traditional end-to-end fibers, especially in applications requiring fiber bundles such as brain stimulation or remote sensing. This Letter demonstrates that continuous wave (CW) laser micro-ablation can controllably create conical-shaped cavities, or side windows, for outputting light. The dimensions of these cavities determine the amount of firing light and their firing angle. Experimental data show that a single side window on a 730 μm fiber can deliver more than 8% of the input light. This can be increased to more than 19% on a 65 μm fiber with side windows created using femtosecond laser ablation and chemical etching. Fine control of light distribution along an optical fiber is critical for various biomedical applications such as light-activated drug-release and optogenetics studies.

Tomographic phase microscopy and its biological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Wonshik

2012-12-01

Conventional interferometric microscopy techniques such as digital holographic microscopy and quantitative phase microscopy are often classified as 3D imaging techniques because a recorded complex field image can be numerically propagated to a different depth. In a strict sense, however, a single complex field image contains only 2D information on a specimen. The measured 2D image is only a subset of the 3D structure. For the 3D mapping of an object, multiple independent 2D images are to be taken, for example at multiple incident angles or wavelengths, and then combined by the so-called optical diffraction tomography (ODT). In this Letter, tomographic phase microscopy (TPM) is reviewed that experimentally realizes the concept of the ODT for the 3D mapping of biological cells in their native state, and some of its interesting biological and biomedical applications are introduced. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Recent development of antifouling polymers: structure, evaluation, and biomedical applications in nano/micro-structures.

PubMed

Liu, Lingyun; Li, Wenchen; Liu, Qingsheng

2014-01-01

Antifouling polymers have been proven to be vital to many biomedical applications such as medical implants, drug delivery, and biosensing. This review covers the major development of antifouling polymers in the last 2 decades, including the material chemistry, structural factors important to antifouling properties, and how to challenge or evaluate the antifouling performances. We then discuss the applications of antifouling polymers in nano/micro-biomedical applications in the form of nanoparticles, thin coatings for medical devices (e.g., artificial joint, catheter, wound dressing), and nano/microscale fibers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recent advances in aptasensors based on graphene and graphene-like nanomaterials.

PubMed

Ping, Jianfeng; Zhou, Yubin; Wu, Yuanyuan; Papper, Vladislav; Boujday, Souhir; Marks, Robert S; Steele, Terry W J

2015-02-15

Graphene and graphene-like two-dimensional nanomaterials have aroused tremendous research interest in recent years due to their unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties associated with their planar structure. Aptamers have exhibited many advantages as molecular recognition elements for sensing devices compared to traditional antibodies. The marriage of two-dimensional nanomaterials and aptamers has emerged many ingenious aptasensing strategies for applications in the fields of clinical diagnosis and food safety. This review highlights current advances in the development and application of two-dimensional nanomaterials-based aptasensors with the focus on two main signal-transducing mechanisms, i.e. electrochemical and optical. A special attention is paid to graphene, a one-atom thick layer of graphite with exceptional properties, representing a fastgrowing field of research. In view of the unique properties of two-dimensional nanostructures and their inherent advantages of synthetic aptamers, we expect that high-performance two-dimensional nanomaterials-based aptasensing devices will find extensive applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and food safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integration of Biomaterials into Sensors Based on Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaohan; Zhou, Jiachen; Huang, Jia

2018-05-22

Sensors based on organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) present various advantages, including high sensitivity and mechanical flexibility, thus possessing potential applications such as wearable devices and biomedical electronics for health monitoring, etc. However, such applications are partially limited by the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sensitivity to target analytes of OTFT-based sensors, which can be improved by the incorporation of diverse biomaterials. This article presents a brief review from the viewpoint of the type of the integrated biomaterials, including naturally occurring biomacromolecules such as proteins, enzymes, and deoxyribonucleic acid, as well as biocompatible polymers such as polylactide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(ethylene glycol), cellulose, polydimethylsiloxane, parylene, etc. It is believed that future work in this field should be devoted to the selectivity, sensitivity, and stability improvement as well as the high-level integration and sophistication on the basis of the OTFT-based sensors for physical, chemical, and biological sensing applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Low-cost carbon thick-film strain sensors for implantable applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, Christian A.; Meng, Ellis

2010-09-01

The suitability of low-cost carbon thick-film strain sensors embedded within a biomedical grade silicone rubber (Silastic® MDX4-4210) for implantable applications is investigated. These sensors address the need for robust cost-effective implantable strain sensing technology for the closed loop operation of function-restoring neural prosthetic systems. Design, fabrication and characterization of the sensors are discussed in the context of the application to strain/fullness measurements of the urinary bladder as part of the neuroprosthetic treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. The fabrication process, utilizing off-the-shelf screen-printing materials, is convenient and cost effective while achieving resolutions down to 75 µm. This method can also be extended to produce multilayer embedded devices by superposition of different screen-printable materials. Uniaxial loading performance, temperature dependence and long-term soak testing are used to validate suitability for implantation while proof-of-concept operation (up to 40% strain) is demonstrated on a bench-top latex balloon bladder model.

Carbon nanotubes: potential medical applications and safety concerns.

PubMed

Amenta, Valeria; Aschberger, Karin

2015-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique atomic structure, as well as outstanding thermal, mechanical, and electronic properties, making them extremely attractive materials for several different applications. Many research groups are focusing on biomedical applications of carbon-based nanomaterials, however the application of CNTs to the biomedical field is not developing as fast as in other areas. While CNTs-based products are already being used in textiles, polymer matrices to strengthen materials, sports articles, microelectronics, energy storage, etc., medicinal products and medical devices for in vivo application based on CNTs have not been commercialized yet. However, CNTs for biomedical application, i.e., CNTs conjugated to siRNA for cancer therapy, or CNTs for imaging of colorectal cancer and many other products may enter clinical trials in the next years. Concerns related to the toxicity of CNTs must be overcome in order to have these products commercialized in a near future. This article reviews emerging biomedical applications of CNTs, specifically for therapy. It also deals with challenges associated with possible medical applications of CNTs, such as their not fully understood toxicological profile in the human body. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Superhydrophobic Materials for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Colson, Yolonda L.; Grinstaff, Mark W.

2016-01-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air state at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors’ future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic surfaces for biomedical applications. PMID:27449946

Nanoparticles with Embedded Porphyrin Photosensitizers for Photooxidation Reactions and Continuous Oxygen Sensing.

PubMed

Kubát, Pavel; Henke, Petr; Berzediová, Veronika; Štěpánek, Miroslav; Lang, Kamil; Mosinger, Jiří

2017-10-18

We report the synthesis and characterization of sulfonated polystyrene nanoparticles (average diameter 30 ± 14 nm) with encapsulated 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin or ionically entangled tetracationic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin, their photooxidation properties, and the application of singlet oxygen-sensitized delayed fluorescence (SODF) in oxygen sensing. Both types of nanoparticles effectively photogenerated singlet oxygen, O 2 ( 1 Δ g ). The O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) phosphorescence, transient absorption of the porphyrin triplet states, and SODF signals were monitored using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The SODF intensity depended on the concentration of the porphyrin photosensitizer and dissolved oxygen and on the temperature. After an initial period (a few microseconds), the kinetics of the SODF process can be approximated as a monoexponential function, and the apparent SODF lifetimes can be correlated with the oxygen concentration. The oxygen sensing based on SODF allowed measurement of the dissolved oxygen in aqueous media in the broad range of oxygen concentrations (0.2-38 mg L -1 ). The ability of both types of nanoparticles to photooxidize external substrates was predicted by the SODF measurements and proven by chemical tests. The relative photooxidation efficacy was highest at a low porphyrin concentration, as indicated by the highest fluorescence quantum yield (Φ F ), and it corresponds with negligible inner filter and self-quenching effects. The photooxidation abilities were sensitive to the influence of temperature on the diffusion and solubility of oxygen in both polystyrene and water media and to the rate constant of the O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) reaction with a substrate. Due to their efficient photogeneration of cytotoxic O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) at physiological temperatures and their oxygen sensing via SODF, both types of nanoparticles are promising candidates for biomedical applications.

Chemical sensing and imaging based on photon upconverting nano- and microcrystals: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christ, Simon; Schäferling, Michael

2015-09-01

The demand for photostable luminescent reporters that absorb and emit light in the red to near-infrared (NIR) spectral region continues in biomedical research and bioanalysis. In recent years, classical organic fluorophores have increasingly been displaced by luminescent nanoparticles. These consist of either polymer or silica based beads that are loaded with luminescent dyes, conjugated polymers, or inorganic nanomaterials such as semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots), colloidal clusters of silver and gold, or carbon dots. Among the inorganic materials, photon upconversion nanocrystals exhibit a high potential for application to bioimaging or biomolecular assays. They offer an exceptionally high photostability, can be excited in the NIR, and their anti-Stokes emission enables luminescence detection free of background and perturbing scatter effects even in complex biological samples. These lanthanide doped inorganic crystals have multiple emission lines that can be tuned by the selection of the dopants. This review article is focused on the applications of functionalized photon upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to chemical sensing. This is a comparatively new field of research activity and mainly directed at the sensing and imaging of ubiquitous chemical analytes in biological samples, particularly in living cells. For this purpose, the particles have to be functionalized with suitable indicator dyes or recognition elements, as they do not show an intrinsic or specific luminescence response to most of these analytes (e.g. pH, oxygen, metal ions). We describe the strategies for the design of such responsive nanocomposites utilizing either luminescence resonance energy transfer or emission-reabsorption (inner filter effect) mechanisms and also highlight examples for their use either immobilized in sensor layers or directly as nanoprobes for intracellular sensing and imaging.

The effects of gamma irradiation on micro-hotplates with integrated temperature sensing diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francis, Laurent A.; André, Nicolas; Boufouss, El Hafed; Gérard, Pierre; Ali, Zeeshan; Udrea, Florin; Flandre, Denis

2014-06-01

Micro-hotplates are MEMS structures of interest for low-power gas sensing, lab-on-chips and space applications, such as micro-thrusters. Micro-hotplates usually consist in a Joule heater suspended on a thin-film membrane while thermopiles or thermodiodes are added as temperature sensors and for feedback control. The implementation of micro-hotplates using a Silicon-On-Insulator technology makes them suited for co-integration with analog integrated circuits and operation at elevated environmental temperatures in a range from 200 to 300 °C, while the heater allows thermal cycling in the kHz regime up to 700 °C, e.g. necessary for the activation of gas sensitive metal-oxide on top of the membrane, with mWrange electrical power. The demonstrated resistance of micro-hotplates to gamma radiations can extend their use in nuclear plants, biomedical sterilization and space applications. In this work, we present results from electrical tests on micro-hotplates during their irradiation by Cobalt-60 gamma rays with total doses up to 18.90 kGy. The micro-hotplates are fabricated using a commercial 1.0 μm Silicon-On-Insulator technology with a tungsten Joule heater, which allows power-controlled operation above 600 °C with less than 60 mW, and temperature sensing silicon diodes located on the membrane and on the bulk. We show the immunity of the sensing platform to the harsh radiation environment. Beside the good tolerance of the thermodiodes and the membrane materials to the total radiation dose, the thermodiode located on the heating membrane is constantly annealed during irradiation and keeps a constant sensitivity while post-irradiation annealing can restore the thermodiode.

Nano-engineered flexible pH sensor for point-of-care urease detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sardarinejad, A.; Maurya, D. K.; Tay, C. Y.; Marshall, B. J.; Alameh, K.

2015-12-01

Accurate pH monitoring is crucial for many applications, such as, water quality monitoring, blood monitoring, chemical and biological analyses, environmental monitoring and clinical diagnostic. The most common technique for pH measurement is based on the use of conventional glass pH electrodes. Glass electrodes have several limitations, such as mechanical fragility, large size, limited shapes and high cost, making them impractical for implementation as Lab-onchips and pH sensor capsules. Various metal oxides, such as RuO2, IrO2, TiO2, SnO2, Ta2O5 and PdO have recently been proposed for the realization of pH sensing electrodes. Specifically, ruthenium oxide exhibits unique properties including thermal stability, excellent corrosion resistance, low hysteresis high sensitivity, and low resistivity. In this paper, we demonstrate the concept of a miniaturized ion selective electrode (ISE) based pH sensor for point-of-care urease monitoring. The sensor comprises a thin film RuO2 on platinum sensing electrode, deposited using E-beam and R.F. magnetron sputtering, in conjunction with an integrated Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The performance and characterization of the developed pH/urea sensors in terms of sensitivity, resolution, reversibility and hysteresis are investigated. Experimental results show a linear potential-versus-urea-concentration response for urea concentrations in the range 0 - 180 mg/ml. Experimental results demonstrate super-Nernstian slopes in the range of 64.33 mV/pH - 73.83 mV/pH for RF sputtered RuO2 on platinum sensing electrode using a 80%:20% Ar:O2 gas ratio. The RuO2 sensor exhibits stable operation and fast dynamic response, making it attractive for in vivo use, wearable and flexible biomedical sensing applications.

Current investigations into magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoming; Wei, Jianrong; Aifantis, Katerina E; Fan, Yubo; Feng, Qingling; Cui, Fu-Zhai; Watari, Fumio

2016-05-01

It is generally recognized that nanoparticles possess unique physicochemical properties that are largely different from those of conventional materials, specifically the electromagnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). These properties have attracted many researchers to launch investigations into their potential biomedical applications, which have been reviewed in this article. First, common types of MNPs were briefly introduced. Then, the biomedical applications of MNPs were reviewed in seven parts: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cancer therapy, the delivery of drugs and genes, bone and dental repair, tissue engineering, biosensors, and in other aspects, which indicated that MNPs possess great potentials for many kinds of biomedical applications due to their unique properties. Although lots of achievements have been obtained, there is still a lot of work to do. New synthesis techniques and methods are still needed to develop the MNPs with satisfactory biocompatibility. More effective methods need to be exploited to prepare MNPs-based composites with fine microstructures and high biomedical performances. Other promising research points include the development of more appropriate techniques of experiments both in vitro and in vivo to detect and analyze the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of MNPs and understand the possible influencing mechanism of the two properties. More comprehensive investigations into the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of composites containing MNPs with "core-shell" structure and deeper understanding and further study into the properties of MNPs to reveal their new biomedical applications, are also described in the conclusion and perspectives part. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Boosting production yield of biomedical peptides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manatt, S. L.

1978-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique is employed to monitor synthesis of biomedical peptides. Application of NMR technique may improve production yields of insulin, ACTH, and growth hormones, as well as other synthesized biomedical peptides.

Laser surface texturing of polymers for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveiro, Antonio; Maçon, Anthony L. B.; del Val, Jesus; Comesaña, Rafael; Pou, Juan

2018-02-01

Polymers are materials widely used in biomedical science because of their biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties (which, in some cases, are similar to those of human tissues); however, these materials are, in general, chemically and biologically inert. Surface characteristics, such as topography (at the macro-, micro, and nanoscale), surface chemistry, surface energy, charge or wettability are interrelated properties, and they cooperatively influence the biological performance of materials when used for biomedical applications. They regulate the biological response at the implant/tissue interface (e.g., influencing the cell adhesion, cell orientation, cell motility, etc.). Several surface processing techniques have been explored to modulate these properties for biomedical applications. Despite their potentials, these methods have limitations that prevent their applicability. In this regard, laser-based methods, in particular laser surface texturing (LST), can be an interesting alternative. Different works have showed the potentiality of this technique to control the surface properties of biomedical polymers and enhance their biological performance; however, more research is needed to obtain the desired biological response. This work provides a general overview of the basics and applications of LST for the surface modification of polymers currently used in the clinical practice (e.g. PEEK, UHMWPE, PP, etc.). The modification of roughness, wettability, and their impact on the biological response is addressed to offer new insights on the surface modification of biomedical polymers.

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence: magnetic hyperthermia

PubMed Central

Baker, Ian; Fiering, Steve N; Griswold, Karl E; Hoopes, P Jack; Kekalo, Katerina; Ndong, Christian; Paulsen, Keith; Petryk, Alicea A; Pogue, Brian; Shubitidze, Fridon; Weaver, John

2015-01-01

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence – one of nine funded by the National Cancer Institute as part of the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer – focuses on the use of magnetic nanoparticles for cancer diagnostics and hyperthermia therapy. It brings together a diverse team of engineers and biomedical researchers with expertise in nanomaterials, molecular targeting, advanced biomedical imaging and translational in vivo studies. The goal of successfully treating cancer is being approached by developing nanoparticles, conjugating them with Fabs, hyperthermia treatment, immunotherapy and sensing treatment response. PMID:26080693

The community FabLab platform: applications and implications in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Stephenson, Makeda K; Dow, Douglas E

2014-01-01

Skill development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education present one of the most formidable challenges of modern society. The Community FabLab platform presents a viable solution. Each FabLab contains a suite of modern computer numerical control (CNC) equipment, electronics and computing hardware and design, programming, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided machining (CAM) software. FabLabs are community and educational resources and open to the public. Development of STEM based workforce skills such as digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing can be enhanced using this platform. Particularly notable is the potential of the FabLab platform in STEM education. The active learning environment engages and supports a diversity of learners, while the iterative learning that is supported by the FabLab rapid prototyping platform facilitates depth of understanding, creativity, innovation and mastery. The product and project based learning that occurs in FabLabs develops in the student a personal sense of accomplishment, self-awareness, command of the material and technology. This helps build the interest and confidence necessary to excel in STEM and throughout life. Finally the introduction and use of relevant technologies at every stage of the education process ensures technical familiarity and a broad knowledge base needed for work in STEM based fields. Biomedical engineering education strives to cultivate broad technical adeptness, creativity, interdisciplinary thought, and an ability to form deep conceptual understanding of complex systems. The FabLab platform is well designed to enhance biomedical engineering education.

New routes to the functionalization patterning and manufacture of graphene-based materials for biomedical applications.

PubMed

De Sanctis, A; Russo, S; Craciun, M F; Alexeev, A; Barnes, M D; Nagareddy, V K; Wright, C D

2018-06-06

Graphene-based materials are being widely explored for a range of biomedical applications, from targeted drug delivery to biosensing, bioimaging and use for antibacterial treatments, to name but a few. In many such applications, it is not graphene itself that is used as the active agent, but one of its chemically functionalized forms. The type of chemical species used for functionalization will play a key role in determining the utility of any graphene-based device in any particular biomedical application, because this determines to a large part its physical, chemical, electrical and optical interactions. However, other factors will also be important in determining the eventual uptake of graphene-based biomedical technologies, in particular the ease and cost of manufacture of proposed device and system designs. In this work, we describe three novel routes for the chemical functionalization of graphene using oxygen, iron chloride and fluorine. We also introduce novel in situ methods for controlling and patterning such functionalization on the micro- and nanoscales. Our approaches are readily transferable to large-scale manufacturing, potentially paving the way for the eventual cost-effective production of functionalized graphene-based materials, devices and systems for a range of important biomedical applications.

A special issue on reviews in biomedical applications of nanomaterials, tissue engineering, stem cells, bioimaging, and toxicity.

PubMed

Nalwa, Hari Singh

2014-10-01

This second special issue of the Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology in a series contains another 30 state-of-the-art reviews focused on the biomedical applications of nanomaterials, biosensors, bone tissue engineering, MRI and bioimaging, single-cell detection, stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, toxicity and biosafety of nanodrugs, nanoparticle-based new therapeutic approaches for cancer, hepatic and cardiovascular disease.

Optical Tecnology Developments in Biomedicine: History, Current and Future

PubMed Central

Nioka, Shoko; Chen, Yu

2011-01-01

Biomedical optics is a rapidly emerging field for medical imaging and diagnostics. This paper reviews several biomedical optical technologies that have been developed and translated for either clinical or pre-clinical applications. Specifically, we focus on the following technologies: 1) near-infrared spectroscopy and tomography, 2) optical coherence tomography, 3) fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging, and 4) optical molecular imaging. There representative biomedical applications are also discussed here. PMID:23905030

Outcome of a Workshop on Applications of Protein Models in Biomedical Research

PubMed Central

Schwede, Torsten; Sali, Andrej; Honig, Barry; Levitt, Michael; Berman, Helen M.; Jones, David; Brenner, Steven E.; Burley, Stephen K.; Das, Rhiju; Dokholyan, Nikolay V.; Dunbrack, Roland L.; Fidelis, Krzysztof; Fiser, Andras; Godzik, Adam; Huang, Yuanpeng Janet; Humblet, Christine; Jacobson, Matthew P.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Krystek, Stanley R.; Kortemme, Tanja; Kryshtafovych, Andriy; Montelione, Gaetano T.; Moult, John; Murray, Diana; Sanchez, Roberto; Sosnick, Tobin R.; Standley, Daron M.; Stouch, Terry; Vajda, Sandor; Vasquez, Max; Westbrook, John D.; Wilson, Ian A.

2009-01-01

Summary We describe the proceedings and conclusions from a “Workshop on Applications of Protein Models in Biomedical Research” that was held at University of California at San Francisco on 11 and 12 July, 2008. At the workshop, international scientists involved with structure modeling explored (i) how models are currently used in biomedical research, (ii) what the requirements and challenges for different applications are, and (iii) how the interaction between the computational and experimental research communities could be strengthened to advance the field. PMID:19217386

A review of engineered zirconia surfaces in biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Yin, Ling; Nakanishi, Yoshitaka; Alao, Abdur-Rasheed; Song, Xiao-Fei; Abduo, Jaafar; Zhang, Yu

2017-01-01

Zirconia is widely used for load-bearing functional structures in medicine and dentistry. The quality of engineered zirconia surfaces determines not only the fracture and fatigue behaviour but also the low temperature degradation (ageing sensitivity), bacterial colonization and bonding strength of zirconia devices. This paper reviews the current manufacturing techniques for fabrication of zirconia surfaces in biomedical applications, particularly, in tooth and joint replacements, and influences of the zirconia surface quality on their functional behaviours. It discusses emerging manufacturing techniques and challenges for fabrication of zirconia surfaces in biomedical applications. PMID:29130030

Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles: From Sensors to Theranostics

PubMed Central

Goel, Shreya; Chen, Feng; Cai, Weibo

2013-01-01

Copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles have attracted increasing attention from biomedical researchers across the globe, because of their intriguing properties which have been mainly explored for energy- and catalysis-related applications to date. This focused review article aims to summarize the recent progress made in the synthesis and biomedical applications of various CuS nanoparticles. After a brief introduction to CuS nanoparticles in the first section, we will provide a concise outline of the various synthetic routes to obtain different morphologies of CuS nanoparticles, which can influence their properties and potential applications. CuS nanoparticles have found broad applications in vitro, especially in the detection of biomolecules, chemicals, and pathogens which will be illustrated in detail. The in vivo uses of CuS nanoparticles have also been investigated in preclinical studies, including molecular imaging with various techniques, cancer therapy based on the photothermal properties of CuS, as well as drug delivery and theranostic applications. Research on CuS nanoparticles will continue to thrive over the next decade, and tremendous opportunities lie ahead for potential biomedical/clinical applications of CuS nanoparticles. PMID:24106015

Wireless magnetoelastic transducers for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, S. R.; Gianchandani, Y. B.

2017-05-01

This paper highlights emerging medical applications for magnetoelastic sensing and actuation, each taking advantage of the wireless capabilities and small form factor enabled by the magnetoelastic transduction technique. Magnetoelastic transduction leverages the strong coupling between stress, strain, and magnetization intrinsic to some materials - notably amorphous metals and rare earth crystalline alloys. This coupling provides inherently wireless transduction that does not require any onboard power; these traits are especially advantageous in diagnostic and therapeutic medical implant applications. This paper first describes the basic transduction technique, and considerations for design and fabrication of medical systems which utilize the technique. These considerations include material selection, magnetic biasing, packaging, and interrogation approaches. The first application highlighted is stent monitoring, in which the masssensitive magnetoelastic resonator is integrated along the inner sidewall of the stent to provide early detection of stent occlusion. Prototype tests indicate clinical feasibility and a full scale range from zero stent occlusion to full stent occlusion. Wireless ranges of up to 15 cm in situ have been achieved using 25 mm long resonators. The second application is wireless strain sensing, which can be useful for orthopedic implants and orthodontia. A differential strain sensor is described, with a dynamic range of 0-1.85 mstrain - accommodating typical palatal expander strain - and a sensitivity of 12.5x103 ppm/mstrain. Finally, a wireless actuator intended to agitate fluid for mitigation of encapsulation of glaucoma drainage devices is shown. Peak actuator vibration amplitudes of 1.5 μm - sufficient to affect cell adhesion in other studies - are recorded at a wireless range of 25-30 mm.

Nanostructured sensors for biomedical applications--a current perspective.

PubMed

Krishnamoorthy, Sivashankar

2015-08-01

Nanostructured sensors have unique capabilities that can be tailored to advantage in advancing the diagnosis, monitoring and cure of several diseases and health conditions. This report aims at providing a current perspective on, (a) the emerging clinical needs that defines the challenges to be addressed by nanostructured sensors, with specific emphasis on early stage diagnosis, drug-diagnostic combinations, and predictive models to design therapy, (b) the emerging industry trends in in vitro diagnostics, mobile health care, high-throughput molecular and cell-based diagnostic platforms, and (c) recent instances of nanostructured biosensors, including promising sensing concepts that can be enhanced using nanostructures that carry high promise towards catering to the emerging clinical needs, as well as the market/industry trends. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microfluidic Systems for Biosensing

PubMed Central

Liu, Kuo-Kang; Wu, Ren-Guei; Chuang, Yun-Ju; Khoo, Hwa Seng; Huang, Shih-Hao; Tseng, Fan-Gang

2010-01-01

In the past two decades, Micro Fluidic Systems (MFS) have emerged as a powerful tool for biosensing, particularly in enriching and purifying molecules and cells in biological samples. Compared with conventional sensing techniques, distinctive advantages of using MFS for biomedicine include ultra-high sensitivity, higher throughput, in-situ monitoring and lower cost. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements in two major types of micro fluidic systems, continuous and discrete MFS, as well as their biomedical applications. The state-of-the-art of active and passive mechanisms of fluid manipulation for mixing, separation, purification and concentration will also be elaborated. Future trends of using MFS in detection at molecular or cellular level, especially in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, are also prospected. PMID:22163570

Pure electrical, highly-efficient and sidelobe free coherent Raman spectroscopy using acousto-optics tunable filter (AOTF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Zhaokai; Petrov, Georgi I.; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.

2016-02-01

Fast and sensitive Raman spectroscopy measurements are imperative for a large number of applications in biomedical imaging, remote sensing and material characterization. Stimulated Raman spectroscopy offers a substantial improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio but is often limited to a discrete number of wavelengths. In this report, by introducing an electronically-tunable acousto-optical filter as a wavelength selector, a novel approach to a broadband stimulated Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated. The corresponding Raman shift covers the spectral range from 600 cm-1 to 4500 cm-1, sufficient for probing most vibrational Raman transitions. We validated the use of the new instrumentation to both coherent anti-Stokes scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectroscopies.

Tellurium-containing polymer micelles: competitive-ligand-regulated coordination responsive systems.

PubMed

Cao, Wei; Gu, Yuwei; Meineck, Myriam; Li, Tianyu; Xu, Huaping

2014-04-02

Nanomaterials capable of achieving tunable cargo release kinetics are of significance in a fundamental sense and various biological or medical applications. We report a competitive coordination system based on a novel tellurium-containing polymer and its ligand-regulated release manners. Tellurium was introduced to water-soluble polymers for the first time as drug delivery vehicles. The coordination chemistry between platinum and tellurium was designed to enable the load of platinum-based drugs. Through the competitive coordination of biomolecules, the drugs could be released in a controlled manner. Furthermore, the release kinetics could be modulated by the competitive ligands involved due to their different coordination ability. This tellurium-containing polymer may enrich the family of delivery systems and provide a new platform for future biomedical nanotechnologies.

Carbon nanostructure-based field-effect transistors for label-free chemical/biological sensors.

PubMed

Hu, PingAn; Zhang, Jia; Li, Le; Wang, Zhenlong; O'Neill, William; Estrela, Pedro

2010-01-01

Over the past decade, electrical detection of chemical and biological species using novel nanostructure-based devices has attracted significant attention for chemical, genomics, biomedical diagnostics, and drug discovery applications. The use of nanostructured devices in chemical/biological sensors in place of conventional sensing technologies has advantages of high sensitivity, low decreased energy consumption and potentially highly miniaturized integration. Owing to their particular structure, excellent electrical properties and high chemical stability, carbon nanotube and graphene based electrical devices have been widely developed for high performance label-free chemical/biological sensors. Here, we review the latest developments of carbon nanostructure-based transistor sensors in ultrasensitive detection of chemical/biological entities, such as poisonous gases, nucleic acids, proteins and cells.

Biomedical applications of a real-time terahertz color scanner

PubMed Central

Schirmer, Markus; Fujio, Makoto; Minami, Masaaki; Miura, Jiro; Araki, Tsutomu; Yasui, Takeshi

2010-01-01

A real-time THz color scanner has the potential to further expand the application scope of THz spectral imaging based on its rapid image acquisition rate. We demonstrated three possible applications of a THz color scanner in the biomedical field: imaging of pharmaceutical tablets, human teeth, and human hair. The first application showed the scanner’s potential in total inspection for rapid quality control of pharmaceutical tablets moving on a conveyor belt. The second application demonstrated that the scanner can be used to identify a potential indicator for crystallinity of dental tissue. In the third application, the scanner was successfully used to visualize the drying process of wet hairs. These demonstrations indicated the high potential of the THz color scanner for practical applications in the biomedical field. PMID:21258472

Improving "lab-on-a-chip" techniques using biomedical nanotechnology: a review.

PubMed

Gorjikhah, Fatemeh; Davaran, Soodabeh; Salehi, Roya; Bakhtiari, Mohsen; Hasanzadeh, Arash; Panahi, Yunes; Emamverdy, Masumeh; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl

2016-11-01

Nanotechnology and its applications in biomedical sciences principally in molecular nanodiagnostics are known as nanomolecular diagnostics, which provides new options for clinical nanodiagnostic techniques. Molecular nanodiagnostics are a critical role in the development of personalized medicine, which features point-of care performance of diagnostic procedure. This can to check patients at point-of-care facilities or in remote or resource-poor locations, therefore reducing checking time from days to minutes. In this review, applications of nanotechnology suited to biomedicine are discussed in two main class: biomedical applications for use inside (such as drugs, diagnostic techniques, prostheses, and implants) and outside the body (such as "lab-on-a-chip" techniques). A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a tool that incorporates numerous laboratory tasks onto a small device, usually only millimeters or centimeters in size. Finally, are discussed the applications of biomedical nanotechnology in improving "lab-on-a-chip" techniques.

Marine Polysaccharides from Algae with Potential Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

de Jesus Raposo, Maria Filomena; de Morais, Alcina Maria Bernardo; de Morais, Rui Manuel Santos Costa

2015-01-01

There is a current tendency towards bioactive natural products with applications in various industries, such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetics and food. This has put some emphasis in research on marine organisms, including macroalgae and microalgae, among others. Polysaccharides with marine origin constitute one type of these biochemical compounds that have already proved to have several important properties, such as anticoagulant and/or antithrombotic, immunomodulatory ability, antitumor and cancer preventive, antilipidaemic and hypoglycaemic, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, making them promising bioactive products and biomaterials with a wide range of applications. Their properties are mainly due to their structure and physicochemical characteristics, which depend on the organism they are produced by. In the biomedical field, the polysaccharides from algae can be used in controlled drug delivery, wound management, and regenerative medicine. This review will focus on the biomedical applications of marine polysaccharides from algae. PMID:25988519

pH-responsive poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel-coated magnetite nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Vega-Chacón, Jaime; Arbeláez, María Isabel Amaya; Jorge, Janaina Habib; Marques, Rodrigo Fernando C; Jafelicci, Miguel

2017-08-01

A novel multifunctional nanosystem formed by magnetite nanoparticles coated with pH-responsive poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel was developed. Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ) have been intensively investigated for biomedical applications due to their magnetic properties and dimensions similar to the biostructures. Poly(aspartic acid) is a water-soluble, biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, which features makes it a potential candidate for biomedical applications. The nanoparticles surface modification was carried out by crosslinking polysuccinimide on the magnetite nanoparticles surface and hydrolyzing the succinimide units in mild alkaline medium to obtain the magnetic poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel. The surface modification in each step was confirmed by DRIFTS, TEM and zeta potential measurements. The hydrodynamic diameter of the nanosystems decreases as the pH value decreases. The nanosystems showed high colloidal stability in water and no cytotoxicity was detected, which make these nanosystems suitable for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WIRM: An Open Source Toolkit for Building Biomedical Web Applications

PubMed Central

Jakobovits, Rex M.; Rosse, Cornelius; Brinkley, James F.

2002-01-01

This article describes an innovative software toolkit that allows the creation of web applications that facilitate the acquisition, integration, and dissemination of multimedia biomedical data over the web, thereby reducing the cost of knowledge sharing. There is a lack of high-level web application development tools suitable for use by researchers, clinicians, and educators who are not skilled programmers. Our Web Interfacing Repository Manager (WIRM) is a software toolkit that reduces the complexity of building custom biomedical web applications. WIRM’s visual modeling tools enable domain experts to describe the structure of their knowledge, from which WIRM automatically generates full-featured, customizable content management systems. PMID:12386108

Nanofibril scaffold assisted MEMS artificial hydrogel neuromasts for enhanced sensitivity flow sensing

PubMed Central

Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Bora, Meghali; Asadnia, Mohsen; Miao, Jianmin; Venkatraman, Subbu S.; Triantafyllou, Michael

2016-01-01

We present the development and testing of superficial neuromast-inspired flow sensors that also attain high sensitivity and resolution through a biomimetic hyaulronic acid-based hydrogel cupula dressing. The inspiration comes from the spatially distributed neuromasts of the blind cavefish that live in completely dark undersea caves; the sensors enable the fish to form three-dimensional flow and object maps, enabling them to maneuver efficiently in cluttered environments. A canopy shaped electrospun nanofibril scaffold, inspired by the cupular fibrils, assists the drop-casting process allowing the formation of a prolate spheroid-shaped artificial cupula. Rheological and nanoindentation characterizations showed that the Young’s modulus of the artificial cupula closely matches the biological cupula (10–100 Pa). A comparative experimental study conducted to evaluate the sensitivities of the naked hair cell sensor and the cupula-dressed sensor in sensing steady-state flows demonstrated a sensitivity enhancement by 3.5–5 times due to the presence of hydrogel cupula. The novel strategies of sensor development presented in this report are applicable to the design and fabrication of other biomimetic sensors as well. The developed sensors can be used in the navigation and maneuvering of underwater robots, but can also find applications in biomedical and microfluidic devices. PMID:26763299

Controlled regular locomotion of algae cell microrobots.

PubMed

Xie, Shuangxi; Jiao, Niandong; Tung, Steve; Liu, Lianqing

2016-06-01

Algae cells can be considered as microrobots from the perspective of engineering. These organisms not only have a strong reproductive ability but can also sense the environment, harvest energy from the surroundings, and swim very efficiently, accommodating all these functions in a body of size on the order of dozens of micrometers. An interesting topic with respect to random swimming motions of algae cells in a liquid is how to precisely control them as microrobots such that they swim according to manually set routes. This study developed an ingenious method to steer swimming cells based on the phototaxis. The method used a varying light signal to direct the motion of the cells. The swimming trajectory, speed, and force of algae cells were analyzed in detail. Then the algae cell could be controlled to swim back and forth, and traverse a crossroad as a microrobot obeying specific traffic rules. Furthermore, their motions along arbitrarily set trajectories such as zigzag, and triangle were realized successfully under optical control. Robotize algae cells can be used to precisely transport and deliver cargo such as drug particles in microfluidic chip for biomedical treatment and pharmacodynamic analysis. The study findings are expected to bring significant breakthrough in biological drives and new biomedical applications.

Semantic Similarity in Biomedical Ontologies

PubMed Central

Pesquita, Catia; Faria, Daniel; Falcão, André O.; Lord, Phillip; Couto, Francisco M.

2009-01-01

In recent years, ontologies have become a mainstream topic in biomedical research. When biological entities are described using a common schema, such as an ontology, they can be compared by means of their annotations. This type of comparison is called semantic similarity, since it assesses the degree of relatedness between two entities by the similarity in meaning of their annotations. The application of semantic similarity to biomedical ontologies is recent; nevertheless, several studies have been published in the last few years describing and evaluating diverse approaches. Semantic similarity has become a valuable tool for validating the results drawn from biomedical studies such as gene clustering, gene expression data analysis, prediction and validation of molecular interactions, and disease gene prioritization. We review semantic similarity measures applied to biomedical ontologies and propose their classification according to the strategies they employ: node-based versus edge-based and pairwise versus groupwise. We also present comparative assessment studies and discuss the implications of their results. We survey the existing implementations of semantic similarity measures, and we describe examples of applications to biomedical research. This will clarify how biomedical researchers can benefit from semantic similarity measures and help them choose the approach most suitable for their studies. Biomedical ontologies are evolving toward increased coverage, formality, and integration, and their use for annotation is increasingly becoming a focus of both effort by biomedical experts and application of automated annotation procedures to create corpora of higher quality and completeness than are currently available. Given that semantic similarity measures are directly dependent on these evolutions, we can expect to see them gaining more relevance and even becoming as essential as sequence similarity is today in biomedical research. PMID:19649320

Recent advances and developments on integrating nanotechnology with chemiluminescence assays.

PubMed

Tiwari, Ashish; Dhoble, S J

2018-04-01

Chemiluminescence (CL) techniques are extensively utilized for detection of analytes due to their high sensitivity, rapidity and selectivity. With the advent of nanotechnology and incorporation of the nanoparticles in the CL system has revolutionized the assays due to their unique optical and mechanical properties. Several CL-based reactions have been developed where these nanoparticle based CL sensors have evolved as excellent prospects for sensing in various analytical applications. This review article addresses the nanoparticles based CL detection system that are recently developed, the mechanisms has been summarized and the role of luminophors have been discussed. This article critically analyzes the optimal conditions for the CL detection along with quantitative assessment of the analytes. We have included the use of semiconductor nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, graphene based nanostructures, mesoporous nanospheres, layered double hydroxides, clays for CL detection. The scope and application of these nanoscale material based CL system in various branches of science and technology including chemistry, biomedical applications, pharmaceutics, food, environmental and toxicological applications has been critically summarized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of biomolecular logic systems in biosensors and bioactuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mailloux, Shay; Katz, Evgeny

2014-09-01

An overview of recent advances in biosensors and bioactuators based on biocomputing systems is presented. Biosensors digitally process multiple biochemical signals through Boolean logic networks of coupled biomolecular reactions and produce an output in the form of a YES/NO response. Compared to traditional single-analyte sensing devices, the biocomputing approach enables high-fidelity multianalyte biosensing, which is particularly beneficial for biomedical applications. Multisignal digital biosensors thus promise advances in rapid diagnosis and treatment of diseases by processing complex patterns of physiological biomarkers. Specifically, they can provide timely detection and alert medical personnel of medical emergencies together with immediate therapeutic intervention. Application of the biocomputing concept has been successfully demonstrated for systems performing logic analysis of biomarkers corresponding to different injuries, particularly as exemplified for liver injury. Wide-ranging applications of multianalyte digital biosensors in medicine, environmental monitoring, and homeland security are anticipated. "Smart" bioactuators, for signal-triggered drug release, for example, were designed by interfacing switchable electrodes with biocomputing systems. Integration of biosensing and bioactuating systems with biomolecular information processing systems advances the potential for further scientific innovations and various practical applications.

Commercialising genetically engineered animal biomedical products.

PubMed

Sullivan, Eddie J; Pommer, Jerry; Robl, James M

2008-01-01

Research over the past two decades has increased the quality and quantity of tools available to produce genetically engineered animals. The number of potentially viable biomedical products from genetically engineered animals is increasing. However, moving from cutting-edge research to development and commercialisation of a biomedical product that is useful and wanted by the public has significant challenges. Even early stage development of genetically engineered animal applications requires consideration of many steps, including quality assurance and quality control, risk management, gap analysis, founder animal establishment, cell banking, sourcing of animals and animal-derived material, animal facilities, product collection facilities and processing facilities. These steps are complicated and expensive. Biomedical applications of genetically engineered animals have had some recent successes and many applications are well into development. As researchers consider applications for their findings, having a realistic understanding of the steps involved in the development and commercialisation of a product, produced in genetically engineered animals, is useful in determining the risk of genetic modification to the animal nu. the potential public benefit of the application.

Lensfree Computational Microscopy Tools and their Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sencan, Ikbal

Conventional microscopy has been a revolutionary tool for biomedical applications since its invention several centuries ago. Ability to non-destructively observe very fine details of biological objects in real time enabled to answer many important questions about their structures and functions. Unfortunately, most of these advance microscopes are complex, bulky, expensive, and/or hard to operate, so they could not reach beyond the walls of well-equipped laboratories. Recent improvements in optoelectronic components and computational methods allow creating imaging systems that better fulfill the specific needs of clinics or research related biomedical applications. In this respect, lensfree computational microscopy aims to replace bulky and expensive optical components with compact and cost-effective alternatives through the use of computation, which can be particularly useful for lab-on-a-chip platforms as well as imaging applications in low-resource settings. Several high-throughput on-chip platforms are built with this approach for applications including, but not limited to, cytometry, micro-array imaging, rare cell analysis, telemedicine, and water quality screening. The lack of optical complexity in these lensfree on-chip imaging platforms is compensated by using computational techniques. These computational methods are utilized for various purposes in coherent, incoherent and fluorescent on-chip imaging platforms e.g. improving the spatial resolution, to undo the light diffraction without using lenses, localization of objects in a large volume and retrieval of the phase or the color/spectral content of the objects. For instance, pixel super resolution approaches based on source shifting are used in lensfree imaging platforms to prevent under sampling, Bayer pattern, and aliasing artifacts. Another method, iterative phase retrieval, is utilized to compensate the lack of lenses by undoing the diffraction and removing the twin image noise of in-line holograms. This technique enables recovering the complex optical field from its intensity measurement(s) by using additional constraints in iterations, such as spatial boundaries and other known properties of objects. Another computational tool employed in lensfree imaging is compressive sensing (or decoding), which is a novel method taking advantage of the fact that natural signals/objects are mostly sparse or compressible in known bases. This inherent property of objects enables better signal recovery when the number of measurement is low, even below the Nyquist rate, and increases the additive noise immunity of the system.

Opal web services for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Ren, Jingyuan; Williams, Nadya; Clementi, Luca; Krishnan, Sriram; Li, Wilfred W

2010-07-01

Biomedical applications have become increasingly complex, and they often require large-scale high-performance computing resources with a large number of processors and memory. The complexity of application deployment and the advances in cluster, grid and cloud computing require new modes of support for biomedical research. Scientific Software as a Service (sSaaS) enables scalable and transparent access to biomedical applications through simple standards-based Web interfaces. Towards this end, we built a production web server (http://ws.nbcr.net) in August 2007 to support the bioinformatics application called MEME. The server has grown since to include docking analysis with AutoDock and AutoDock Vina, electrostatic calculations using PDB2PQR and APBS, and off-target analysis using SMAP. All the applications on the servers are powered by Opal, a toolkit that allows users to wrap scientific applications easily as web services without any modification to the scientific codes, by writing simple XML configuration files. Opal allows both web forms-based access and programmatic access of all our applications. The Opal toolkit currently supports SOAP-based Web service access to a number of popular applications from the National Biomedical Computation Resource (NBCR) and affiliated collaborative and service projects. In addition, Opal's programmatic access capability allows our applications to be accessed through many workflow tools, including Vision, Kepler, Nimrod/K and VisTrails. From mid-August 2007 to the end of 2009, we have successfully executed 239,814 jobs. The number of successfully executed jobs more than doubled from 205 to 411 per day between 2008 and 2009. The Opal-enabled service model is useful for a wide range of applications. It provides for interoperation with other applications with Web Service interfaces, and allows application developers to focus on the scientific tool and workflow development. Web server availability: http://ws.nbcr.net.

Recent development and biomedical applications of self-healing hydrogels.

PubMed

Wang, Yinan; Adokoh, Christian K; Narain, Ravin

2018-01-01

Hydrogels are of special importance, owing to their high-water content and various applications in biomedical and bio-engineering research. Self-healing properties is a common phenomenon in living organisms. Their endowed property of being able to self-repair after physical/chemical/mechanical damage to fully or partially its original properties demonstrates their prospective therapeutic applications. Due to complicated preparation and selection of suitable materials, the application of many host-guest supramolecular polymeric hydrogels are so limited. Thus, the design and construction of self-repairing material are highly desirable for effectively increase in the lifetime of a functional material. However, recent advances in the field of materials science and bioengineering and nanotechnology have led to the design of biologically relevant self-healing hydrogels for therapeutic applications. This review focuses on the recent development of self-healing hydrogels for biomedical application. Areas covered: The strategies of making self-healing hydrogels and their healing mechanisms are discussed. The significance of self-healing hydrogel for biomedical application is also highlighted in areas such as 3D/4D printing, cell/drug delivery, as well as soft actuators. Expert opinion: Materials that have the ability to self-repair damage and regain the desired mechanical properties, have been found to be excellent candidate materials for a range of biomedical uses especially if their unique characteristics are similar to that of soft-tissues. Self-healing hydrogels have been synthesized and shown to exhibit similar characteristics as human tissues, however, significant improvement is required in the fabrication process from inexpensive and nontoxic/non-hazardous materials and techniques, and, in addition, further fine-tuning of the self-healing properties are needed for specific biomedical uses.

Photonic crystal fibres in biomedical investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skibina, Yu S; Tuchin, Valerii V; Beloglazov, V I

2011-04-30

The state of the art in the field of design and study of photonic crystal fibres for biomedical applications is considered and some original results recently obtained by the authors are presented. Optical properties of the fibres that offer prospects of their wide application as biological sensors, 'labs-on-a-chip', and facilities of electromagnetic radiation control in a wide range of wavelengths aimed at designing novel biomedical instrumentation are considered (optical technologies in biophysics and medicine)

Teaching biomedical applications to secondary students.

PubMed

Openshaw, S; Fleisher, A; Ljunggren, C

1999-01-01

Certain aspects of biomedical engineering applications lend themselves well to experimentation that can be done by high school students. This paper describes two experiments done during a six-week summer internship program in which two high school students used electrodes, circuit boards, and computers to mimic a sophisticated heart monitor and also to control a robotic car. Our experience suggests that simple illustrations of complex instrumentation can be effective in introducing adolescents to the biomedical engineering field.

Synthesis, toxicity, biocompatibility, and biomedical applications of graphene and graphene-related materials.

PubMed

Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi; Kim, Jin-Hoi

2016-01-01

Graphene is a two-dimensional atomic crystal, and since its development it has been applied in many novel ways in both research and industry. Graphene possesses unique properties, and it has been used in many applications including sensors, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, transistors, components of high-strength machinery, and display screens in mobile devices. In the past decade, the biomedical applications of graphene have attracted much interest. Graphene has been reported to have antibacterial, antiplatelet, and anticancer activities. Several salient features of graphene make it a potential candidate for biological and biomedical applications. The synthesis, toxicity, biocompatibility, and biomedical applications of graphene are fundamental issues that require thorough investigation in any kind of applications related to human welfare. Therefore, this review addresses the various methods available for the synthesis of graphene, with special reference to biological synthesis, and highlights the biological applications of graphene with a focus on cancer therapy, drug delivery, bio-imaging, and tissue engineering, together with a brief discussion of the challenges and future perspectives of graphene. We hope to provide a comprehensive review of the latest progress in research on graphene, from synthesis to applications.

Synthesis, toxicity, biocompatibility, and biomedical applications of graphene and graphene-related materials

PubMed Central

Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi; Kim, Jin-Hoi

2016-01-01

Graphene is a two-dimensional atomic crystal, and since its development it has been applied in many novel ways in both research and industry. Graphene possesses unique properties, and it has been used in many applications including sensors, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, transistors, components of high-strength machinery, and display screens in mobile devices. In the past decade, the biomedical applications of graphene have attracted much interest. Graphene has been reported to have antibacterial, antiplatelet, and anticancer activities. Several salient features of graphene make it a potential candidate for biological and biomedical applications. The synthesis, toxicity, biocompatibility, and biomedical applications of graphene are fundamental issues that require thorough investigation in any kind of applications related to human welfare. Therefore, this review addresses the various methods available for the synthesis of graphene, with special reference to biological synthesis, and highlights the biological applications of graphene with a focus on cancer therapy, drug delivery, bio-imaging, and tissue engineering, together with a brief discussion of the challenges and future perspectives of graphene. We hope to provide a comprehensive review of the latest progress in research on graphene, from synthesis to applications. PMID:27226713

Development and characterization of silicone embedded distributed piezoelectric sensors for contact detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acer, Merve; Salerno, Marco; Agbeviade, Kossi; Paik, Jamie

2015-07-01

Tactile sensing transfers complex interactive information in a most intuitive sense. Such a populated set of data from the environment and human interactions necessitates various degrees of information from both modular and distributed areas. A sensor design that could provide such types of feedback becomes challenging when the target component has a nonuniform, agile, high resolution, and soft surface. This paper presents an innovative methodology for the manufacture of novel soft sensors that have a high resolution sensing array due to the sensitivity of ceramic piezoelectric (PZT) elements, while uncommonly matched with the high stretchability of the soft substrate and electrode design. Further, they have a low profile and their transfer function is easy to tune by changing the material and thickness of the soft substrate in which the PZTs are embedded. In this manuscript, we present experimental results of the soft sensor prototypes: PZTs arranged in a four by two array form, measuring 1.5-2.3 mm in thickness, with the sensitivity in the range of 0.07-0.12 of the normalized signal change per unit force. We have conducted extensive tests under dynamic loading conditions that include impact, step and cyclic. The presented prototype's mechanical and functional capacities are promising for applications in biomedical systems where soft, wearable and high precision sensors are needed.

Engineering ultrasmall water-soluble gold and silver nanoclusters for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Luo, Zhentao; Zheng, Kaiyuan; Xie, Jianping

2014-05-25

Gold and silver nanoclusters or Au/Ag NCs with core sizes smaller than 2 nm have been an attractive frontier of nanoparticle research because of their unique physicochemical properties such as well-defined molecular structure, discrete electronic transitions, quantized charging, and strong luminescence. As a result of these unique properties, ultrasmall size, and good biocompatibility, Au/Ag NCs have great potential for a variety of biomedical applications, such as bioimaging, biosensing, antimicrobial agents, and cancer therapy. In this feature article, we will first discuss some critical biological considerations, such as biocompatibility and renal clearance, of Au/Ag NCs that are applied for biomedical applications, leading to some design criteria for functional Au/Ag NCs in the biological settings. According to these biological considerations, we will then survey some efficient synthetic strategies for the preparation of protein- and peptide-protected Au/Ag NCs with an emphasis on our recent contributions in this fast-growing field. In the last part, we will highlight some potential biomedical applications of these protein- and peptide-protected Au/Ag NCs. It is believed that with continued efforts to understand the interactions of biomolecule-protected Au/Ag NCs with the biological systems, scientists can largely realize the great potential of Au/Ag NCs for biomedical applications, which could finally pave their way towards clinical use.

Biomedical ontologies: toward scientific debate.

PubMed

Maojo, V; Crespo, J; García-Remesal, M; de la Iglesia, D; Perez-Rey, D; Kulikowski, C

2011-01-01

Biomedical ontologies have been very successful in structuring knowledge for many different applications, receiving widespread praise for their utility and potential. Yet, the role of computational ontologies in scientific research, as opposed to knowledge management applications, has not been extensively discussed. We aim to stimulate further discussion on the advantages and challenges presented by biomedical ontologies from a scientific perspective. We review various aspects of biomedical ontologies going beyond their practical successes, and focus on some key scientific questions in two ways. First, we analyze and discuss current approaches to improve biomedical ontologies that are based largely on classical, Aristotelian ontological models of reality. Second, we raise various open questions about biomedical ontologies that require further research, analyzing in more detail those related to visual reasoning and spatial ontologies. We outline significant scientific issues that biomedical ontologies should consider, beyond current efforts of building practical consensus between them. For spatial ontologies, we suggest an approach for building "morphospatial" taxonomies, as an example that could stimulate research on fundamental open issues for biomedical ontologies. Analysis of a large number of problems with biomedical ontologies suggests that the field is very much open to alternative interpretations of current work, and in need of scientific debate and discussion that can lead to new ideas and research directions.

Silver metal nanoparticles study for biomedical and green house applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauwel, E.; Simón-Gracia, L.; Guha, M.; Rauwel, P.; Kuunal, S.; Wragg, D.

2017-02-01

Metallic nanoparticles (MNP) with diameters ranging from 2 to 100nm have received extensive attention during the past decades due to their many potential applications. This paper presents a structural and cytotoxicity study of silver metal nanoparticles targeted towards biomedical applications. Spherical Ag MNPs of diameter from 20 to 50 nm have been synthesized. The encapsulation of Ag MNPs inside pH-sensitive polymersomes has been also studied for the development of biomedical applications. A cytotoxicity study of the Ag MNPs against primary prostatic cancer cell line (PPC-1) has demonstrated a high mortality rate for concentrations ranging from 100 to 200mg/L. The paper will discuss the potential for therapeutic treatments of these Ag MNPs.

Review of wireless and wearable electroencephalogram systems and brain-computer interfaces--a mini-review.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Teng; Ko, Li-Wei; Chang, Meng-Hsiu; Duann, Jeng-Ren; Chen, Jing-Ying; Su, Tung-Ping; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2010-01-01

Biomedical signal monitoring systems have rapidly advanced in recent years, propelled by significant advances in electronic and information technologies. Brain-computer interface (BCI) is one of the important research branches and has become a hot topic in the study of neural engineering, rehabilitation, and brain science. Traditionally, most BCI systems use bulky, wired laboratory-oriented sensing equipments to measure brain activity under well-controlled conditions within a confined space. Using bulky sensing equipments not only is uncomfortable and inconvenient for users, but also impedes their ability to perform routine tasks in daily operational environments. Furthermore, owing to large data volumes, signal processing of BCI systems is often performed off-line using high-end personal computers, hindering the applications of BCI in real-world environments. To be practical for routine use by unconstrained, freely-moving users, BCI systems must be noninvasive, nonintrusive, lightweight and capable of online signal processing. This work reviews recent online BCI systems, focusing especially on wearable, wireless and real-time systems. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Development and Testing of an LED-Based Near-Infrared Sensor for Human Kidney Tumor Diagnostics

PubMed Central

Zabarylo, Urszula; Kirsanov, Dmitry; Belikova, Valeria; Ageev, Vladimir; Usenov, Iskander; Galyanin, Vladislav; Minet, Olaf; Sakharova, Tatiana; Danielyan, Georgy; Feliksberger, Elena; Artyushenko, Viacheslav

2017-01-01

Optical spectroscopy is increasingly used for cancer diagnostics. Tumor detection feasibility in human kidney samples using mid- and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy has been reported (Artyushenko et al., Spectral fiber sensors for cancer diagnostics in vitro. In Proceedings of the European Conference on Biomedical Optics, Munich, Germany, 21–25 June 2015). In the present work, a simplification of the NIR spectroscopic analysis for cancer diagnostics was studied. The conventional high-resolution NIR spectroscopic method of kidney tumor diagnostics was replaced by a compact optical sensing device constructively represented by a set of four light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at selected wavelengths and one detecting photodiode. Two sensor prototypes were tested using 14 in vitro clinical samples of 7 different patients. Statistical data evaluation using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) confirmed the general applicability of the LED-based sensing approach to kidney tumor detection. An additional validation of the results was performed by means of sample permutation. PMID:28825612

A 6.45 μW Self-Powered SoC With Integrated Energy-Harvesting Power Management and ULP Asymmetric Radios for Portable Biomedical Systems.

PubMed

Roy, Abhishek; Klinefelter, Alicia; Yahya, Farah B; Chen, Xing; Gonzalez-Guerrero, Luisa Patricia; Lukas, Christopher J; Kamakshi, Divya Akella; Boley, James; Craig, Kyle; Faisal, Muhammad; Oh, Seunghyun; Roberts, Nathan E; Shakhsheer, Yousef; Shrivastava, Aatmesh; Vasudevan, Dilip P; Wentzloff, David D; Calhoun, Benton H

2015-12-01

This paper presents a batteryless system-on-chip (SoC) that operates off energy harvested from indoor solar cells and/or thermoelectric generators (TEGs) on the body. Fabricated in a commercial 0.13 μW process, this SoC sensing platform consists of an integrated energy harvesting and power management unit (EH-PMU) with maximum power point tracking, multiple sensing modalities, programmable core and a low power microcontroller with several hardware accelerators to enable energy-efficient digital signal processing, ultra-low-power (ULP) asymmetric radios for wireless transmission, and a 100 nW wake-up radio. The EH-PMU achieves a peak end-to-end efficiency of 75% delivering power to a 100 μA load. In an example motion detection application, the SoC reads data from an accelerometer through SPI, processes it, and sends it over the radio. The SPI and digital processing consume only 2.27 μW, while the integrated radio consumes 4.18 μW when transmitting at 187.5 kbps for a total of 6.45 μW.

A Graphene-Based Biosensing Platform Based on Regulated Release of an Aptameric DNA Biosensor

PubMed Central

Mao, Yu; Chen, Yongli; Li, Song; Lin, Shuo; Jiang, Yuyang

2015-01-01

A novel biosensing platform was developed by integrating an aptamer-based DNA biosensor with graphene oxide (GO) for rapid and facile detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, as a model target). The DNA biosensor, which is locked by GO, is designed to contain two sensing modules that include recognition site for ATP and self-replication track that yields the nicking domain for Nt.BbvCI. By taking advantage of the different binding affinity of single-stranded DNA, double-stranded DNA and aptamer-target complex toward GO, the DNA biosensor could be efficiently released from GO in the presence of target with the help of a complementary DNA strand (CPDNA) that partially hybridizes to the DNA biosensor. Then, the polymerization/nicking enzyme synergetic isothermal amplification could be triggered, leading to the synthesis of massive DNA amplicons, thus achieving an enhanced sensitivity with a wide linear dynamic response range of four orders of magnitude and good selectivity. This biosensing strategy expands the applications of GO-DNA nanobiointerfaces in biological sensing, showing great potential in fundamental research and biomedical diagnosis. PMID:26569239

A Graphene-Based Biosensing Platform Based on Regulated Release of an Aptameric DNA Biosensor.

PubMed

Mao, Yu; Chen, Yongli; Li, Song; Lin, Shuo; Jiang, Yuyang

2015-11-09

A novel biosensing platform was developed by integrating an aptamer-based DNA biosensor with graphene oxide (GO) for rapid and facile detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, as a model target). The DNA biosensor, which is locked by GO, is designed to contain two sensing modules that include recognition site for ATP and self-replication track that yields the nicking domain for Nt.BbvCI. By taking advantage of the different binding affinity of single-stranded DNA, double-stranded DNA and aptamer-target complex toward GO, the DNA biosensor could be efficiently released from GO in the presence of target with the help of a complementary DNA strand (CPDNA) that partially hybridizes to the DNA biosensor. Then, the polymerization/nicking enzyme synergetic isothermal amplification could be triggered, leading to the synthesis of massive DNA amplicons, thus achieving an enhanced sensitivity with a wide linear dynamic response range of four orders of magnitude and good selectivity. This biosensing strategy expands the applications of GO-DNA nanobiointerfaces in biological sensing, showing great potential in fundamental research and biomedical diagnosis.

A Flexible Multiring Concentric Electrode for Non-Invasive Identification of Intestinal Slow Waves

PubMed Central

Ye-Lin, Yiyao

2018-01-01

Developing new types of optimized electrodes for specific biomedical applications can substantially improve the quality of the sensed signals. Concentric ring electrodes have been shown to provide enhanced spatial resolution to that of conventional disc electrodes. A sensor with different electrode sizes and configurations (monopolar, bipolar, etc.) that provides simultaneous records would be very helpful for studying the best signal-sensing arrangement. A 5-pole electrode with an inner disc and four concentric rings of different sizes was developed and tested on surface intestinal myoelectrical recordings from healthy humans. For good adaptation to a curved body surface, the electrode was screen-printed onto a flexible polyester substrate. To facilitate clinical use, it is self-adhesive, incorporates a single connector and can perform dry or wet (with gel) recordings. The results show it to be a versatile electrode that can evaluate the optimal configuration for the identification of the intestinal slow wave and reject undesired interference. A bipolar concentric record with an outer ring diameter of 30 mm, a foam-free adhesive material, and electrolytic gel gave the best results. PMID:29385719

Miniature biotelemeter gives multichannel wideband biomedical data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carraway, J. B.

1972-01-01

A miniature biotelemeter was developed for sensing and transmitting multiple channels of biomedical data over a radio link. The design of this miniature, 10-channel, wideband (5 kHz/channel), pulse amplitude modulation/ frequency modulation biotelemeter takes advantage of modern device technology (e.g., integrated circuit operational amplifiers, complementary symmetry/metal oxide semiconductor logic, and solid state switches) and hybrid packaging techniques. The telemeter is being used to monitor 10 channels of neuron firings from specific regions of the brain in rats implanted with chronic electrodes. Design, fabrication, and testing of an engineering model biotelemeter are described.

Introduction to biosensors

PubMed Central

Bhalla, Nikhil; Jolly, Pawan; Formisano, Nello

2016-01-01

Biosensors are nowadays ubiquitous in biomedical diagnosis as well as a wide range of other areas such as point-of-care monitoring of treatment and disease progression, environmental monitoring, food control, drug discovery, forensics and biomedical research. A wide range of techniques can be used for the development of biosensors. Their coupling with high-affinity biomolecules allows the sensitive and selective detection of a range of analytes. We give a general introduction to biosensors and biosensing technologies, including a brief historical overview, introducing key developments in the field and illustrating the breadth of biomolecular sensing strategies and the expansion of nanotechnological approaches that are now available. PMID:27365030

Terahertz Sensing of Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, G.; Ghosh, S.; Kim, S.; Lv, P.-C.; Buma, T.; Weng, B.; Barner, K.; Kolodzey, J.

2007-06-01

Biomolecules such as DNA and proteins exhibit a wealth of modes in the Terahertz (THz) range from the rotational, vibrational and stretching modes of biomolecules. Many materials such as drywall that are opaque to human eyes are transparent to THz. Therefore, it can be used as a powerful tool for biomolecular sensing, biomedical analysis and through-the-wall imaging. Experiments were carried out to study the absorption of various materials including DNA and see-through imaging of drywall using FTIR spectrometer and Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) system.

Bovine tuberculosis research: Immune mechanisms relevant to biomedical applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pioneer studies on infectious disease and immunology by Jenner, Pasteur, Koch, Von Behring, Nocard, Roux, and Ehrlich forged a path for the dual-purpose with dual benefit approach, clearly demonstrating the relevance of veterinary studies for biomedical applications. Tuberculosis (TB), primarily due...

Polarimetric Glucose Sensing Using Brewster Reflection off of Eye Lens: Theoretical Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boeckle, Stefan; Rovati, Luigi; Ansari, Rafat R.

2002-01-01

An important task of in vivo polarimetric glucose sensing is to find an appropriate way to optically access the aqueous humor of the human eye. In this paper two different approaches are analyzed theoretically and applied to the eye model of Le Grand. First approach is the tangential path of Cote, et al. (G.L. Cot6, M.D. Fox, and R.B. Northrop: Noninvasive Optical Polarimetric Glucose Sensing Using a True Phase Measurement Technique. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 752-756, 1992.) and the second is a new scheme of this paper of applying Brewster reflection off the eye lens.

Responsive polymer-fluorescent carbon nanoparticle hybrid nanogels for optical temperature sensing, near-infrared light-responsive drug release, and tumor cell imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Ke, Fuyou; Mararenko, Anton; Wei, Zengyan; Banerjee, Probal; Zhou, Shuiqin

2014-06-01

Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (FCNPs) have been successfully immobilized into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) [poly(NIPAM-AAm)] nanogels based on one-pot precipitation copolymerization of NIPAM monomers with hydrogen bonded FCNP-AAm complex monomers in water. The resultant poly(NIPAM-AAm)-FCNP hybrid nanogels can combine functions from each building block for fluorescent temperature sensing, cell imaging, and near-infrared (NIR) light responsive drug delivery. The FCNPs in the hybrid nanogels not only emit bright and stable photoluminescence (PL) and exhibit up-conversion PL properties, but also increase the loading capacity of the nanogels for curcumin drug molecules. The reversible thermo-responsive swelling/shrinking transition of the poly(NIPAM-AAm) nanogel can not only modify the physicochemical environment of the FCNPs to manipulate the PL intensity for sensing the environmental temperature change, but also regulate the releasing rate of the loaded anticancer drug. In addition, the FCNPs embedded in the nanogels can convert the NIR light to heat, thus an exogenous NIR irradiation can further accelerate the drug release and enhance the therapeutic efficacy. The hybrid nanogels can overcome cellular barriers to enter the intracellular region and light up the mouse melanoma B16F10 cells upon laser excitation. The demonstrated hybrid nanogels with nontoxic and optically active FCNPs immobilized in responsive polymer nanogels are promising for the development of a new generation of multifunctional materials for biomedical applications.Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (FCNPs) have been successfully immobilized into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) [poly(NIPAM-AAm)] nanogels based on one-pot precipitation copolymerization of NIPAM monomers with hydrogen bonded FCNP-AAm complex monomers in water. The resultant poly(NIPAM-AAm)-FCNP hybrid nanogels can combine functions from each building block for fluorescent temperature sensing, cell imaging, and near-infrared (NIR) light responsive drug delivery. The FCNPs in the hybrid nanogels not only emit bright and stable photoluminescence (PL) and exhibit up-conversion PL properties, but also increase the loading capacity of the nanogels for curcumin drug molecules. The reversible thermo-responsive swelling/shrinking transition of the poly(NIPAM-AAm) nanogel can not only modify the physicochemical environment of the FCNPs to manipulate the PL intensity for sensing the environmental temperature change, but also regulate the releasing rate of the loaded anticancer drug. In addition, the FCNPs embedded in the nanogels can convert the NIR light to heat, thus an exogenous NIR irradiation can further accelerate the drug release and enhance the therapeutic efficacy. The hybrid nanogels can overcome cellular barriers to enter the intracellular region and light up the mouse melanoma B16F10 cells upon laser excitation. The demonstrated hybrid nanogels with nontoxic and optically active FCNPs immobilized in responsive polymer nanogels are promising for the development of a new generation of multifunctional materials for biomedical applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Fig. S1-S5. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr01030b

Group of R&D on biomedical engineering: Its development and results.

PubMed

Yabar, Leopoldo F; Torres, Miguel A; Garcia, Daniel O; Villavicencio, Emilio A; Navarro, Luis A; Nakamura, Orlando K; Huamani, Robinson

2010-01-01

Conducting research and development activities generates new knowledge that can then be applied properly. In this sense, the groups of research and development on biomedical engineering (GRDBE) can contribute a lot in various areas such as teaching (theory and laboratory), as well as the development of prototypes, but mainly with the results they can provide. These contributions should response to specific needs of some sector, for example: health, environment, biology, and others. The present paper provides a description of the development of a GRDBE into a private university. Also, it's presented the amount of papers developed by this group and accepted by international congress on biomedical engineering (BE) on the 2007-2009 period. This paper also shows comparative charts with papers produced by other GRDBE that exist in our country, which are matter of analysis and conclusions.

Nano metal-organic framework (NMOF)-based strategies for multiplexed microRNA detection in solution and living cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yafeng; Han, Jianyu; Xue, Peng; Xu, Rong; Kang, Yuejun

2015-01-01

MiRNAs are an emerging type of biomarker for diagnostics and prognostics. A reliable sensing strategy that can monitor miRNA expression in living cancer cells would be critical in view of its extensive advantages for fundamental research related to miRNA-associated bioprocesses and biomedical applications. Conventional miRNA sensing methods include northern blot, microarrays and real-time quantitative PCR. However, none of them is able to monitor miRNA levels expressed in living cancer cells in a real-time fashion. Some fluorescennt biosensors developed recently from carbon nanomaterials, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene oxide (GO), and carbon nanoparticles, have been successfully used for assaying miRNA in vitro; however the preparation processes are often expensive, complicated and time-consuming, which have motivated the research on other substitute and novel materials. Herein we present a novel sensing strategy based on peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes labeled with fluorophores and conjugated with an NMOF vehicle to monitor multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells. The NMOF works as a fluorescence quencher of the labelled PNA that is firmly bound with the metal center. In the presence of a target miRNA, PNA is hybridized and released from the NMOF leading to the recovery of fluorescence. This miRNA sensor not only enables the quantitative and highly specific detection of multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells, but it also allows the precise and in situ monitoring of the spatiotemporal changes of miRNA expression.MiRNAs are an emerging type of biomarker for diagnostics and prognostics. A reliable sensing strategy that can monitor miRNA expression in living cancer cells would be critical in view of its extensive advantages for fundamental research related to miRNA-associated bioprocesses and biomedical applications. Conventional miRNA sensing methods include northern blot, microarrays and real-time quantitative PCR. However, none of them is able to monitor miRNA levels expressed in living cancer cells in a real-time fashion. Some fluorescennt biosensors developed recently from carbon nanomaterials, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene oxide (GO), and carbon nanoparticles, have been successfully used for assaying miRNA in vitro; however the preparation processes are often expensive, complicated and time-consuming, which have motivated the research on other substitute and novel materials. Herein we present a novel sensing strategy based on peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes labeled with fluorophores and conjugated with an NMOF vehicle to monitor multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells. The NMOF works as a fluorescence quencher of the labelled PNA that is firmly bound with the metal center. In the presence of a target miRNA, PNA is hybridized and released from the NMOF leading to the recovery of fluorescence. This miRNA sensor not only enables the quantitative and highly specific detection of multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells, but it also allows the precise and in situ monitoring of the spatiotemporal changes of miRNA expression. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Extra figures and tables. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05447d

Different cell responses induced by exposure to maghemite nanoparticles.

PubMed

Luengo, Yurena; Nardecchia, Stefania; Morales, María Puerto; Serrano, M Concepción

2013-12-07

Recent advances in nanotechnology have permitted the development of a wide repertoire of inorganic magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with extensive promise for biomedical applications. Despite this remarkable potential, many questions still arise concerning the biocompatible nature of NPs when in contact with biological systems. Herein, we have investigated how controlled changes in the physicochemical properties of iron oxide NPs at their surface (i.e., surface charge and hydrodynamic size) affect, first, their interaction with cell media components and, subsequently, cell responses to NP exposure. For that purpose, we have prepared iron oxide NPs with three different coatings (i.e., dimercaptosuccinic acid - DMSA, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane - APS and dextran) and explored the response of two different cell types, murine L929 fibroblasts and human Saos-2 osteoblasts, to their exposure. Interestingly, different cell responses were found depending on the NP concentration, surface charge and cell type. In this sense, neutral NPs, as those coated with dextran, induced negligible cell damage, as their cellular internalization was significantly reduced. In contrast, surface-charged NPs (i.e., those coated with DMSA and APS) caused significant cellular changes in viability, morphology and cell cycle under certain culture conditions, as a result of a more active cellular internalization. These results also revealed a particular cellular ability to detect and remember the original physicochemical properties of the NPs, despite the formation of a protein corona when incubated in culture media. Overall, conclusions from these studies are of crucial interest for future biomedical applications of iron oxide NPs.

Current trends for customized biomedical software tools.

PubMed

Khan, Haseeb Ahmad

2017-01-01

In the past, biomedical scientists were solely dependent on expensive commercial software packages for various applications. However, the advent of user-friendly programming languages and open source platforms has revolutionized the development of simple and efficient customized software tools for solving specific biomedical problems. Many of these tools are designed and developed by biomedical scientists independently or with the support of computer experts and often made freely available for the benefit of scientific community. The current trends for customized biomedical software tools are highlighted in this short review.

Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: Multi-Functional Materials for Biomedical Engineering

PubMed Central

Cha, Chaenyung; Shin, Su Ryon; Annabi, Nasim; Dokmeci, Mehmet R.; Khademhosseini, Ali

2013-01-01

Functional carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) have become important due to their unique combinations of chemical and physical properties (i.e., thermal and electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength, and optical properties), extensive research efforts are being made to utilize these materials for various industrial applications, such as high-strength materials and electronics. These advantageous properties of CBNs are also actively investigated in several areas of biomedical engineering. This Perspective highlights different types of carbon-based nanomaterials currently used in biomedical applications. PMID:23560817

Carbon-based nanomaterials: multifunctional materials for biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Cha, Chaenyung; Shin, Su Ryon; Annabi, Nasim; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Khademhosseini, Ali

2013-04-23

Functional carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) have become important due to their unique combinations of chemical and physical properties (i.e., thermal and electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength, and optical properties), and extensive research efforts are being made to utilize these materials for various industrial applications, such as high-strength materials and electronics. These advantageous properties of CBNs are also actively investigated in several areas of biomedical engineering. This Perspective highlights different types of carbon-based nanomaterials currently used in biomedical applications.

Tuning of gold nanoclusters sensing applications with bovine serum albumin and bromelain for detection of Hg2+ ion and lambda-cyhalothrin via fluorescence turn-off and on mechanisms.

PubMed

Bhamore, Jigna R; Jha, Sanjay; Basu, Hirakendu; Singhal, Rakesh Kumar; Murthy, Z V P; Kailasa, Suresh Kumar

2018-04-01

Herein, fluorescent gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) were obtained by one-pot synthetic method using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bromelain as templates. As-synthesized fluorescent Au NCs were stable and showed bright red fluorescence under UV lamp at 365 nm. The fluorescent Au NCs exhibit the emission intensity at 648 nm when excited at 498 nm. Various techniques were used such as spectroscopy (UV-visible, fluorescence, and Fourier-transform infrared), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering for the characterization of fluorescent Au NCs. The values of I 0 /I at 648 nm are proportional to the concentrations of Hg 2+ ion in the range from 0.00075 to 5.0 μM and of lambda-cyhalothrin in the range from 0.01 to 10 μM with detection limits of 0.0003 and 0.0075 μM for Hg 2+ ion and lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively. The practical application of the probe was successfully demonstrated by analyzing Hg 2+ ion and lambda-cyhalothrin in water samples. In addition, Au NCs used as probes for imaging of Simplicillium fungal cells. These results indicated that the as-synthesized Au NCs have proven to be promising fluorescent material for the sensing of Hg 2+ ion and lambda-cyhalothrin in environmental and for imaging of microorganism cells in biomedical applications.

Novel Blend for Producing Porous Chitosan-Based Films Suitable for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Nady, Norhan; Kandil, Sherif H.

2018-01-01

In this work, a chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend was used in different ratios for preparing novel films that can be used in biomedical applications. Both acetic and formic acid were tested as solvents for the chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend. Glycerol was tested as a plasticizer. The thickness, mechanical strength, static water contact angle and water uptake of the prepared films were determined. Also, the prepared films were characterized using different analysis techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Acetic acid produced continuous compact surfaces that are not recommended for testing in biomedical applications. The plasticized chitosan–gelatin–ferulic acid blend, using formic acid solvent, produced novel hexagonal porous films with a pore size of around 10–14 µm. This blend is recommended for preparing films (scaffolds) for testing in biomedical applications as it has the advantage of a decreased thickness. PMID:29301357

Optical fiber endface biosensor based on resonances in dielectric waveguide gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wawro, Debra D.; Tibuleac, Sorin; Magnusson, Robert; Liu, Hanli

2000-05-01

A new fiber optic sensor integrating dielectric diffraction gratings and thin films on optical fiber endfaces is prosed for biomedical sensing applications. This device utilizes a resonant dielectric waveguide grating structure fabricated on an optical fiber endface to probe reactions occurring in a sensing layer deposited on its surface. The operation of this sensor is based upon a fundamental resonance effect that occurs in waveguide gratings. An incident broad- spectrum signal is guided within an optical fiber and is filtered to reflect or transmit a desired spectral band by the diffractive thin film structure on its endface. Slight changes in one or more parameters of the waveguide grating, such as refractive index or thickness, can result in a responsive shift of the reflected or transmitted spectral peak that can be detected with spectroscopic instruments. This new sensor concept combines improved sensitivity and accuracy with attractive features found separately in currently available fiber optic sensors, such as large dynamic range, small sensing proximity, real time operation, and remote sensing. Diffractive elements of this type consisting of a photoresist grating on a Si3N4 waveguide have been fabricated on multimode optical fiber endfaces with 100 micrometers cores. Preliminary experimental tests using a tunable Ti:sapphire laser indicate notches of 18 percent in the transmission spectrum of the fiber endface guided-mode resonance devices. A theoretical analysis of the device performance capabilities is presented and applied to evaluate the feasibility and potential advantages of this bioprobe.

An electrochemical albumin-sensing system utilizing microfluidic technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chao-June; Lu, Chiu-Chun; Lin, Thong-Yueh; Chou, Tse-Chuan; Lee, Gwo-Bin

2007-04-01

This paper reports an integrated microfluidic chip capable of detecting the concentration of albumin in urine by using an electrochemical method in an automatic format. The integrated microfluidic chip was fabricated by using microelectromechanical system techniques. The albumin detection was conducted by using the electrochemical sensing method, in which the albumin in urine was detected by measuring the difference of peak currents between a bare reference electrode and an albumin-adsorption electrode. To perform the detection of the albumin in an automatic format, pneumatic microvalves and micropumps were integrated onto the microfluidic chip. The albumin sample and interference mixture solutions such as homovanillic acid, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine were first stored in one of the three reservoirs. Then the solution comprising the albumin sample and interference solutions was transported to pass through the detection zone utilizing the pneumatic micropump. Experimental data showed that the developed system can successfully detect the concentration of the albumin in the existence of interference materials. When compared with the traditional albumin-sensing method, smaller amounts of samples were required to perform faster detection by using the integrated microfluidic chip. Additionally, the microfluidic chip integrated with pneumatic micropumps and microvalves facilitates the transportation of the samples in an automatic mode with lesser human intervention. The development of the integrated microfluidic albumin-sensing system may be promising for biomedical applications. Preliminary results of the current paper were presented at the 2nd International Meeting on Microsensors and Microsystems 2006 (National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 15-18 January).

Plasmonic gold nanostar for biomedical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Yuan, Hsiangkuo; Fales, Andrew M.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2014-03-01

Cancer has become one of most significant death reasons and causes approximately 7.9 million human deaths worldwide each year. The challenge to detect cancer at an early stage makes cancer-related biomarkers sensing attract more and more research interest and efforts. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) provides a promising method for various biomarkers (DNA, RNA, protein, et al.) detection due to its high sensitivity, specificity and capability for multiple analytes detection. Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive photon-scattering technique, which provides molecule-specific information on molecular vibrational energy levels. SERS takes advantage of plasmonic effects and can enhance Raman signal up to 1015 at "hot spots". Due to its excellent sensitivity, SERS has been capable of achieving single-molecule detection limit. Local pH environment has been identified to be a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis since solid cancer contains highly acidic environments. A near-infrared (NIR) SERS nanoprobe based on gold nanostars for pH sensing is developed for future cancer detection. Near-infrared (NIR) light is more suitable for in vivo applications because of its low attenuation rate and tissue auto fluorescence. SERS spectrum of pH reporter under various pH environments is monitored and used for pH sensing. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculation is performed to investigate Raman spectra changes with pH at the molecular level. The study demonstrates that SERS is a sensitive tool to monitor minor molecular structural changes due to local pH environment for cancer detection.

Modelling of Argon Cold Atmospheric Plasmas for Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atanasova, M.; Benova, E.; Degrez, G.; van der Mullen, J. A. M.

2018-02-01

Plasmas for biomedical applications are one of the newest fields of plasma utilization. Especially high is the interest toward plasma usage in medicine. Promising results are achieved in blood coagulation, wound healing, treatment of some forms of cancer, diabetic complications, etc. However, the investigations of the biomedical applications from biological and medical viewpoint are much more advanced than the studies on the dynamics of the plasma. In this work we aim to address some specific challenges in the field of plasma modelling, arising from biomedical applications - what are the plasma reactive species’ and electrical fields’ spatial distributions as well as their production mechanisms; what are the fluxes and energies of the various components of the plasma delivers to the treated surfaces; what is the gas flow pattern? The focus is on two devices, namely the capacitive coupled plasma jet and the microwave surface wave sustained discharge. The devices are representatives of the so called cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs). These are discharges characterized by low gas temperature - less than 40°C at the point of application - and non-equilibrium chemistry.

The social origin of the illness experience--an outline of problems.

PubMed

Skrzypek, Michał

2014-01-01

The main research objective is a study of social influences on the processes of experiencing illness in the sociological meaning of the term 'illness experience' focusing attention on the subjective activity inspired by being ill, taking into account interpretive (meaning-making) activity. The goal of the analysis is to specify 'social actors' jointly creating the phenomena of 'illness' and 'being ill', taking into consideration the evolution of the position of medical sociology on this issue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: The ways of experiencing illness in contemporary society, including processes of creating the meanings of the phenomena of 'illness' and 'being ill', are the outcome of not only the application of biomedical knowledge, but are also parallelly a sociocultural 'construct' in the sense that they are under the impact of social and cultural influences. In the sociology of illness experience it is pointed out that illness experience develops in connection with experiencing somatic discomfort, this process occurring in the context of influences of culture, society and socially accepted norms and values. These relationships are interpreted by the sociological, interactionist model which presents illness as a 'social construct'. Sociological studies on the social construction of 'illness' and 'being ill' construct a model of these phenomena, complementary to the biomedical model, conducive to the validation of the patient's perspective in the processes of medical treatment, and to the humanization of the naturalistically oriented, biomedical approach to illness, i.e. to adjust it more accurately to typically human needs manifesting themselves in the situation of being ill.

Empirical expression for DC magnetization curve of immobilized magnetic nanoparticles for use in biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elrefai, Ahmed L.; Sasayama, Teruyoshi; Yoshida, Takashi; Enpuku, Keiji

2018-05-01

We studied the magnetization (M-H) curve of immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) used for biomedical applications. First, we performed numerical simulation on the DC M-H curve over a wide range of MNPs parameters. Based on the simulation results, we obtained an empirical expression for DC M-H curve. The empirical expression was compared with the measured M-H curves of various MNP samples, and quantitative agreements were obtained between them. We can also estimate the basic parameters of MNP from the comparison. Therefore, the empirical expression is useful for analyzing the M-H curve of immobilized MNPs for specific biomedical applications.

Magnetic Characterization of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Maldonado-Camargo, Lorena; Unni, Mythreyi; Rinaldi, Carlos

2017-01-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles are of interest in a wide range of biomedical applications due to their response to applied magnetic fields and their unique magnetic properties. Magnetization measurements in constant and time-varying magnetic field are often carried out to quantify key properties of iron oxide nanoparticles. This chapter describes the importance of thorough magnetic characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles intended for use in biomedical applications. A basic introduction to relevant magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles is given, followed by protocols and conditions used for measurement of magnetic properties, along with examples of data obtained from each measurement, and methods of data analysis.

Recent advances in terahertz technology for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Sun, Qiushuo; He, Yuezhi; Liu, Kai; Fan, Shuting; Parrott, Edward P J; Pickwell-MacPherson, Emma

2017-06-01

Terahertz instrumentation has improved significantly in recent years such that THz imaging systems have become more affordable and easier to use. THz systems can now be operated by non-THz experts greatly facilitating research into many potential applications. Due to the non-ionising nature of THz light and its high sensitivity to soft tissues, there is an increasing interest in biomedical applications including both in vivo and ex vivo studies. Additionally, research continues into understanding the origin of contrast and how to interpret terahertz biomedical images. This short review highlights some of the recent work in these areas and suggests some future research directions.

Room Temperature Hard Radiation Detectors Based on Solid State Compound Semiconductors: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei, Ali; Huh, Jeung-Soo; Kim, Sang Sub; Kim, Hyoun Woo

2018-05-01

Si and Ge single crystals are the most common semiconductor radiation detectors. However, they need to work at cryogenic temperatures to decrease their noise levels. In contrast, compound semiconductors can be operated at room temperature due to their ability to grow compound materials with tunable densities, band gaps and atomic numbers. Highly efficient room temperature hard radiation detectors can be utilized in biomedical diagnostics, nuclear safety and homeland security applications. In this review, we discuss room temperature compound semiconductors. Since the field of radiation detection is broad and a discussion of all compound materials for radiation sensing is impossible, we discuss the most important materials for the detection of hard radiation with a focus on binary heavy metal semiconductors and ternary and quaternary chalcogenide compounds.

From blood to bubbles: Time resolved micro-particle detection and characterization by scattered ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Ronald A.

2004-05-01

Robert Apfel believed in the creative application of acoustics technology to difficult problems in biomedical sensing. Much of his work in this area focused on material characterization, with the intention of effecting diagnosis. His early work in blood cell characterization employed acoustic levitation to measure the bulk mechanical properties of human red blood cells. This subsequently paved the way to the use of high-frequency acoustic scattering to yield the compressibility and density of individual blood cells. Technology developed in this later effort was then adapted to the very difficult problem of transient micro-cavitation detection, and the active cavitation detector (ACD) was born. This paper traces this line of work from its origins and, in the process, serves to celebrate Bob Apfel's peerless ingenuity and irrepressible creativity.

Photon-efficient super-resolution laser radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Dongeek; Shapiro, Jeffrey H.; Goyal, Vivek K.

2017-08-01

The resolution achieved in photon-efficient active optical range imaging systems can be low due to non-idealities such as propagation through a diffuse scattering medium. We propose a constrained optimization-based frame- work to address extremes in scarcity of photons and blurring by a forward imaging kernel. We provide two algorithms for the resulting inverse problem: a greedy algorithm, inspired by sparse pursuit algorithms; and a convex optimization heuristic that incorporates image total variation regularization. We demonstrate that our framework outperforms existing deconvolution imaging techniques in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio. Since our proposed method is able to super-resolve depth features using small numbers of photon counts, it can be useful for observing fine-scale phenomena in remote sensing through a scattering medium and through-the-skin biomedical imaging applications.

Novel Wireless-Communicating Textiles Made from Multi-Material and Minimally-Invasive Fibers

PubMed Central

Gorgutsa, Stepan; Bélanger-Garnier, Victor; Ung, Bora; Viens, Jeff; Gosselin, Benoit; LaRochelle, Sophie; Messaddeq, Younes

2014-01-01

The ability to integrate multiple materials into miniaturized fiber structures enables the realization of novel biomedical textile devices with higher-level functionalities and minimally-invasive attributes. In this work, we present novel textile fabrics integrating unobtrusive multi-material fibers that communicate through 2.4 GHz wireless networks with excellent signal quality. The conductor elements of the textiles are embedded within the fibers themselves, providing electrical and chemical shielding against the environment, while preserving the mechanical and cosmetic properties of the garments. These multi-material fibers combine insulating and conducting materials into a well-defined geometry, and represent a cost-effective and minimally-invasive approach to sensor fabrics and bio-sensing textiles connected in real time to mobile communications infrastructures, suitable for a variety of health and life science applications. PMID:25325335

Optofluidic Approaches for Enhanced Microsensor Performances

PubMed Central

Testa, Genni; Persichetti, Gianluca; Bernini, Romeo

2015-01-01

Optofluidics is a relatively young research field able to create a tight synergy between optics and micro/nano-fluidics. The high level of integration between fluidic and optical elements achievable by means of optofluidic approaches makes it possible to realize an innovative class of sensors, which have been demonstrated to have an improved sensitivity, adaptability and compactness. Many developments in this field have been made in the last years thanks to the availability of a new class of low cost materials and new technologies. This review describes the Italian state of art on optofluidic devices for sensing applications and offers a perspective for further future advances. We introduce the optofluidic concept and describe the advantages of merging photonic and fluidic elements, focusing on sensor developments for both environmental and biomedical monitoring. PMID:25558989

Biocomputing nanoplatforms as therapeutics and diagnostics.

PubMed

Evans, A C; Thadani, N N; Suh, J

2016-10-28

Biocomputing nanoplatforms are designed to detect and integrate single or multiple inputs under defined algorithms, such as Boolean logic gates, and generate functionally useful outputs, such as delivery of therapeutics or release of optically detectable signals. Using sensing modules composed of small molecules, polymers, nucleic acids, or proteins/peptides, nanoplatforms have been programmed to detect and process extrinsic stimuli, such as magnetic fields or light, or intrinsic stimuli, such as nucleic acids, enzymes, or pH. Stimulus detection can be transduced by the nanomaterial via three different mechanisms: system assembly, system disassembly, or system transformation. The increasingly sophisticated suite of biocomputing nanoplatforms may be invaluable for a multitude of applications, including medical diagnostics, biomedical imaging, environmental monitoring, and delivery of therapeutics to target cell populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel wireless-communicating textiles made from multi-material and minimally-invasive fibers.

PubMed

Bélanger-Garnier, Victor; Gorgutsa, Stephan; Ung, Bora; Viens, Jeff; Gosselin, Benoit; LaRochelle, Sophie; Messaddeq, Younes

2014-01-01

The ability to integrate multiple materials into miniaturized fiber structures enables the realization of novel biomedical textile devices with higher-level functionalities and minimally-invasive attributes. In this work, we present novel textile fabrics integrating unobtrusive multi-material fibers that communicate through 2.4 GHz wireless networks with excellent signal quality. The conductor elements of the textiles are embedded within the fibers themselves, providing electrical and chemical shielding against the environment, while preserving the mechanical and cosmetic properties of the garments. These multi-material fibers combine insulating and conducting materials into a well-defined geometry, and represent a cost-effective and minimally-invasive approach to sensor fabrics and bio-sensing textiles connected in real time to mobile communications infrastructures, suitable for a variety of health and life science applications.

Novel wireless-communicating textiles made from multi-material and minimally-invasive fibers.

PubMed

Gorgutsa, Stepan; Bélanger-Garnier, Victor; Ung, Bora; Viens, Jeff; Gosselin, Benoit; LaRochelle, Sophie; Messaddeq, Younes

2014-10-16

The ability to integrate multiple materials into miniaturized fiber structures enables the realization of novel biomedical textile devices with higher-level functionalities and minimally-invasive attributes. In this work, we present novel textile fabrics integrating unobtrusive multi-material fibers that communicate through 2.4 GHz wireless networks with excellent signal quality. The conductor elements of the textiles are embedded within the fibers themselves, providing electrical and chemical shielding against the environment, while preserving the mechanical and cosmetic properties of the garments. These multi-material fibers combine insulating and conducting materials into a well-defined geometry, and represent a cost-effective and minimally-invasive approach to sensor fabrics and bio-sensing textiles connected in real time to mobile communications infrastructures, suitable for a variety of health and life science applications.

PIN architecture for ultrasensitive organic thin film photoconductors.

PubMed

Jin, Zhiwen; Wang, Jizheng

2014-06-17

Organic thin film photoconductors (OTFPs) are expected to have wide applications in the field of optical communications, artificial vision and biomedical sensing due to their great advantages of high flexibility and low-cost large-area fabrication. However, their performances are not satisfactory at present: the value of responsivity (R), the parameter that measures the sensitivity of a photoconductor to light, is below 1 AW(-1). We believe such poor performance is resulted from an intrinsic self-limited effect of present bare blend based device structure. Here we designed a PIN architecture for OTFPs, the PIN device exhibits a significantly improved high R value of 96.5 AW(-1). The PIN architecture and the performance the PIN device shows here should represent an important step in the development of OTFPs.

PIN architecture for ultrasensitive organic thin film photoconductors

PubMed Central

Jin, Zhiwen; Wang, Jizheng

2014-01-01

Organic thin film photoconductors (OTFPs) are expected to have wide applications in the field of optical communications, artificial vision and biomedical sensing due to their great advantages of high flexibility and low-cost large-area fabrication. However, their performances are not satisfactory at present: the value of responsivity (R), the parameter that measures the sensitivity of a photoconductor to light, is below 1 AW−1. We believe such poor performance is resulted from an intrinsic self-limited effect of present bare blend based device structure. Here we designed a PIN architecture for OTFPs, the PIN device exhibits a significantly improved high R value of 96.5 AW−1. The PIN architecture and the performance the PIN device shows here should represent an important step in the development of OTFPs. PMID:24936952

Label-free electrical detection of pyrophosphate generated from DNA polymerase reactions on field-effect devices.

PubMed

Credo, Grace M; Su, Xing; Wu, Kai; Elibol, Oguz H; Liu, David J; Reddy, Bobby; Tsai, Ta-Wei; Dorvel, Brian R; Daniels, Jonathan S; Bashir, Rashid; Varma, Madoo

2012-03-21

We introduce a label-free approach for sensing polymerase reactions on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) using a chelator-modified silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistor (SOI-FET) that exhibits selective and reversible electrical response to pyrophosphate anions. The chemical modification of the sensor surface was designed to include rolling-circle amplification (RCA) DNA colonies for locally enhanced pyrophosphate (PPi) signal generation and sensors with immobilized chelators for capture and surface-sensitive detection of diffusible reaction by-products. While detecting arrays of enzymatic base incorporation reactions is typically accomplished using optical fluorescence or chemiluminescence techniques, our results suggest that it is possible to develop scalable and portable PPi-specific sensors and platforms for broad biomedical applications such as DNA sequencing and microbe detection using surface-sensitive electrical readout techniques.

A top-level ontology of functions and its application in the Open Biomedical Ontologies.

PubMed

Burek, Patryk; Hoehndorf, Robert; Loebe, Frank; Visagie, Johann; Herre, Heinrich; Kelso, Janet

2006-07-15

A clear understanding of functions in biology is a key component in accurate modelling of molecular, cellular and organismal biology. Using the existing biomedical ontologies it has been impossible to capture the complexity of the community's knowledge about biological functions. We present here a top-level ontological framework for representing knowledge about biological functions. This framework lends greater accuracy, power and expressiveness to biomedical ontologies by providing a means to capture existing functional knowledge in a more formal manner. An initial major application of the ontology of functions is the provision of a principled way in which to curate functional knowledge and annotations in biomedical ontologies. Further potential applications include the facilitation of ontology interoperability and automated reasoning. A major advantage of the proposed implementation is that it is an extension to existing biomedical ontologies, and can be applied without substantial changes to these domain ontologies. The Ontology of Functions (OF) can be downloaded in OWL format from http://onto.eva.mpg.de/. Additionally, a UML profile and supplementary information and guides for using the OF can be accessed from the same website.

The SWAN biomedical discourse ontology.

PubMed

Ciccarese, Paolo; Wu, Elizabeth; Wong, Gwen; Ocana, Marco; Kinoshita, June; Ruttenberg, Alan; Clark, Tim

2008-10-01

Developing cures for highly complex diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, requires extensive interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange of biomedical information in context. Our ability to exchange such information across sub-specialties today is limited by the current scientific knowledge ecosystem's inability to properly contextualize and integrate data and discourse in machine-interpretable form. This inherently limits the productivity of research and the progress toward cures for devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. SWAN (Semantic Web Applications in Neuromedicine) is an interdisciplinary project to develop a practical, common, semantically structured, framework for biomedical discourse initially applied, but not limited, to significant problems in Alzheimer Disease (AD) research. The SWAN ontology has been developed in the context of building a series of applications for biomedical researchers, as well as in extensive discussions and collaborations with the larger bio-ontologies community. In this paper, we present and discuss the SWAN ontology of biomedical discourse. We ground its development theoretically, present its design approach, explain its main classes and their application, and show its relationship to other ongoing activities in biomedicine and bio-ontologies.

Engineering artificial machines from designable DNA materials for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Qi, Hao; Huang, Guoyou; Han, Yulong; Zhang, Xiaohui; Li, Yuhui; Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng; Wang, Lin

2015-06-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) emerges as building bricks for the fabrication of nanostructure with complete artificial architecture and geometry. The amazing ability of DNA in building two- and three-dimensional structures raises the possibility of developing smart nanomachines with versatile controllability for various applications. Here, we overviewed the recent progresses in engineering DNA machines for specific bioengineering and biomedical applications.

Engineering Artificial Machines from Designable DNA Materials for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Huang, Guoyou; Han, Yulong; Zhang, Xiaohui; Li, Yuhui; Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng

2015-01-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) emerges as building bricks for the fabrication of nanostructure with complete artificial architecture and geometry. The amazing ability of DNA in building two- and three-dimensional structures raises the possibility of developing smart nanomachines with versatile controllability for various applications. Here, we overviewed the recent progresses in engineering DNA machines for specific bioengineering and biomedical applications. PMID:25547514

Emerging applications of nanoparticles: Biomedical and environmental

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulati, Shivani; Sachdeva, M.; Bhasin, K. K.

2018-05-01

Nanotechnology finds a wide range of applications from energy production to industrial fabrication processes to biomedical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be engineered to possess unique compositions and functionalities to empower novel tools and techniques that have not existed previously in biomedical research. The unique size and shape dependent physicochemical properties along with their unique spectral and optical properties have prompted the development of a wide variety of potential applications in the field of diagnostics and medicines. In the plethora of scientific and technological fields, environmental safety is also a big concern. For this purpose, nanomaterials have been functionalized to cope up the existing pollution, improving manufacturing methods to reduce the generation of new pollution, and making alternative and more cost effective energy sources.

Chitosan nanocomposites based on distinct inorganic fillers for biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Moura, Duarte; Mano, João F.; Paiva, Maria C.; Alves, Natália M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Chitosan (CHI), a biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide with the ability to provide a non-protein matrix for tissue growth, is considered to be an ideal material in the biomedical field. However, the lack of good mechanical properties limits its applications. In order to overcome this drawback, CHI has been combined with different polymers and fillers, leading to a variety of chitosan-based nanocomposites. The extensive research on CHI nanocomposites as well as their main biomedical applications are reviewed in this paper. An overview of the different fillers and assembly techniques available to produce CHI nanocomposites is presented. Finally, the properties of such nanocomposites are discussed with particular focus on bone regeneration, drug delivery, wound healing and biosensing applications. PMID:27877909

A Biomedical Application of Activated Carbon Adsorption: An Experiment Using Acetaminophen and N-Acetylcysteine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rybolt, Thomas R.; And Others

1988-01-01

Illustrates an interesting biomedical application of adsorption from solution and demonstrates some of the factors that influence the in vivo adsorption of drug molecules onto activated charcoal. Uses acetaminophen and N-acetylcysteine for the determination. Suggests several related experiments. (MVL)

Assessing the practice of biomedical ontology evaluation: Gaps and opportunities.

PubMed

Amith, Muhammad; He, Zhe; Bian, Jiang; Lossio-Ventura, Juan Antonio; Tao, Cui

2018-04-01

With the proliferation of heterogeneous health care data in the last three decades, biomedical ontologies and controlled biomedical terminologies play a more and more important role in knowledge representation and management, data integration, natural language processing, as well as decision support for health information systems and biomedical research. Biomedical ontologies and controlled terminologies are intended to assure interoperability. Nevertheless, the quality of biomedical ontologies has hindered their applicability and subsequent adoption in real-world applications. Ontology evaluation is an integral part of ontology development and maintenance. In the biomedicine domain, ontology evaluation is often conducted by third parties as a quality assurance (or auditing) effort that focuses on identifying modeling errors and inconsistencies. In this work, we first organized four categorical schemes of ontology evaluation methods in the existing literature to create an integrated taxonomy. Further, to understand the ontology evaluation practice in the biomedicine domain, we reviewed a sample of 200 ontologies from the National Center for Biomedical Ontology (NCBO) BioPortal-the largest repository for biomedical ontologies-and observed that only 15 of these ontologies have documented evaluation in their corresponding inception papers. We then surveyed the recent quality assurance approaches for biomedical ontologies and their use. We also mapped these quality assurance approaches to the ontology evaluation criteria. It is our anticipation that ontology evaluation and quality assurance approaches will be more widely adopted in the development life cycle of biomedical ontologies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carbon nanotubes from synthesis to in vivo biomedical applications.

PubMed

Sajid, Muhammad Imran; Jamshaid, Usama; Jamshaid, Talha; Zafar, Nadiah; Fessi, H; Elaissari, Abdelhamid

2016-03-30

Owing to their unique and interesting properties, extensive research round the globe has been carried out on carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotubes based systems to investigate their practical usefulness in biomedical applications. The results from these studies demonstrate a great promise in their use in targeted drug delivery systems, diagnostic techniques and in bio-analytical applications. Although, carbon nanotubes possess quite interesting properties, which make them potential candidates in the biomedical science, but they also have some inherent properties which arise great concern regarding their biosafety. In this comprehensive review, we have discussed different aspects of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube based systems related to biomedical applications. In the beginning, a short historical account of these tiny yet powerful particles is given followed by discussion regarding their types, properties, methods of synthesis, large scale production method, purification techniques and characterization aspects of carbon nanotubes. In the second part of the review, the functionalization of carbon nanotubes is reviewed in detail, which is not only important to make them biocompatible and stable in biological systems but also render them a great property of loading various biomolecules, diagnostic and therapeutic moieties resulting in diversified applications. In the final part of the review, emphasis is given on the pharmacokinetic aspects of carbon nanotubes including administration routes, absorption mechanisms, distribution and elimination of carbon nanotubes based systems. Lastly, a comprehensive account about the potential biomedical applications has been given followed by insights into the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calcium Orthophosphate-Containing Biocomposites and Hybrid Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Dorozhkin, Sergey V.

2015-01-01

The state-of-the-art on calcium orthophosphate (CaPO4)-containing biocomposites and hybrid biomaterials suitable for biomedical applications is presented. Since these types of biomaterials offer many significant and exciting possibilities for hard tissue regeneration, this subject belongs to a rapidly expanding area of biomedical research. Through the successful combinations of the desired properties of matrix materials with those of fillers (in such systems, CaPO4 might play either role), innovative bone graft biomaterials can be designed. Various types of CaPO4-based biocomposites and hybrid biomaterials those are either already in use or being investigated for biomedical applications are extensively discussed. Many different formulations in terms of the material constituents, fabrication technologies, structural and bioactive properties, as well as both in vitro and in vivo characteristics have been already proposed. Among the others, the nano-structurally controlled biocomposites, those containing nanodimensional compounds, biomimetically fabricated formulations with collagen, chitin and/or gelatin, as well as various functionally graded structures seem to be the most promising candidates for clinical applications. The specific advantages of using CaPO4-based biocomposites and hybrid biomaterials in the selected applications are highlighted. As the way from a laboratory to a hospital is a long one and the prospective biomedical candidates have to meet many different necessities, the critical issues and scientific challenges that require further research and development are also examined. PMID:26262645

Evolving technologies drive the new roles of Biomedical Engineering.

PubMed

Frisch, P H; St Germain, J; Lui, W

2008-01-01

Rapidly changing technology coupled with the financial impact of organized health care, has required hospital Biomedical Engineering organizations to augment their traditional operational and business models to increase their role in developing enhanced clinical applications utilizing new and evolving technologies. The deployment of these technology based applications has required Biomedical Engineering organizations to re-organize to optimize the manner in which they provide and manage services. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has implemented a strategy to explore evolving technologies integrating them into enhanced clinical applications while optimally utilizing the expertise of the traditional Biomedical Engineering component (Clinical Engineering) to provide expanded support in technology / equipment management, device repair, preventive maintenance and integration with legacy clinical systems. Specifically, Biomedical Engineering is an integral component of the Medical Physics Department which provides comprehensive and integrated support to the Center in advanced physical, technical and engineering technology. This organizational structure emphasizes the integration and collaboration between a spectrum of technical expertise for clinical support and equipment management roles. The high cost of clinical equipment purchases coupled with the increasing cost of service has driven equipment management responsibilities to include significant business and financial aspects to provide a cost effective service model. This case study details the dynamics of these expanded roles, future initiatives and benefits for Biomedical Engineering and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Recent advances in bulk metallic glasses for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Li, H F; Zheng, Y F

2016-05-01

With a continuously increasing aging population and the improvement of living standards, large demands of biomaterials are expected for a long time to come. Further development of novel biomaterials, that are much safer and of much higher quality, in terms of both biomedical and mechanical properties, are therefore of great interest for both the research scientists and clinical surgeons. Compared with the conventional crystalline metallic counterparts, bulk metallic glasses have unique amorphous structures, and thus exhibit higher strength, lower Young's modulus, improved wear resistance, good fatigue endurance, and excellent corrosion resistance. For this purpose, bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have recently attracted much attention for biomedical applications. This review discusses and summarizes the recent developments and advances of bulk metallic glasses, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based alloying systems for biomedical applications. Future research directions will move towards overcoming the brittleness, increasing the glass forming ability (GFA) thus obtaining corresponding bulk metallic glasses with larger sizes, removing/reducing toxic elements, and surface modifications. Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), also known as amorphous alloys or liquid metals, are relative newcomers in the field of biomaterials. They have gained increasing attention during the past decades, as they exhibit an excellent combination of properties and processing capabilities desired for versatile biomedical implant applications. The present work reviewed the recent developments and advances of biomedical BMGs, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based BMG alloying systems. Besides, the critical analysis and in-depth discussion on the current status, challenge and future development of biomedical BMGs are included. The possible solution to the BMG size limitation, the brittleness of BMGs has been proposed. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 5469 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the 2013 NIBIB DEsign by Biomedical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-25

... tools, tissue engineering, drug and gene delivery (c) Technology to Aid Underserved Populations and... and engineering and associated technologies and modalities with biomedical applications; and (3) to...: September 2013, Biomedical Engineering Society Conference (exact date to be announced at http://debut2013...

Biomedical Knowledge and Clinical Expertise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boshuizen, Henny P. A.; Schmidt, Henk G.

A study examined the application and availability of clinical and biomedical knowledge in the clinical reasoning of physicians as well as possible mechanisms responsible for changes in the organization of clinical and biomedical knowledge in the development from novice to expert. Subjects were 28 students (10 second year, 8 fourth year, and 10…

Super-sensing technology: industrial applications and future challenges of electrical tomography.

PubMed

Wei, Kent Hsin-Yu; Qiu, Chang-Hua; Primrose, Ken

2016-06-28

Electrical tomography is a relatively new imaging technique that can image the distribution of the passive electrical properties of an object. Since electrical tomography technology was proposed in the 1980s, the technique has evolved rapidly because of its low cost, easy scale-up and non-invasive features. The technique itself can be sensitive to all passive electrical properties, such as conductivity, permittivity and permeability. Hence, it has a huge potential to be applied in many applications. Owing to its ill-posed nature and low image resolution, electrical tomography attracts more attention in industrial fields than biomedical fields. In the past decades, there have been many research developments and industrial implementations of electrical tomography; nevertheless, the awareness of this technology in industrial sectors is still one of the biggest limitations for technology implementation. In this paper, the authors have summarized several representative applications that use electrical tomography. Some of the current tomography research activities will also be discussed. This article is part of the themed issue 'Supersensing through industrial process tomography'. © 2016 The Author(s).

High-performance polymer photovoltaic cells and photodetectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Gang; Srdanov, Gordana; Wang, Hailiang; Cao, Yong; Heeger, Alan J.

2001-02-01

Polymer photovoltaic cells and photodetectors have passed their infancy and become mature technologies. The energy conversion efficiency of polymer photovoltaic cells have been improved to over 4.1% (500 nm, 10 mW/cm2). Such high efficiency polymer photovoltaic cells are promising for many applications including e-papers, e-books and smart- windows. The development of polymer photodetectors is even faster. The performance parameters have been improved to the level meeting all specifications for practical applications. The polymer photodetectors are of high photosensitivity (approximately 0.2 - 0.3 A/Watt in visible and UV), low dark current (0.1 - 1 nA/cm2), large dynamic range (> 8 orders of magnitude), linear intensity dependence, low noise level and fast response time (to nanosecond time domain). These devices show long shelf and operation lives. The advantages of low manufacturing cost, large detection area, and easy hybridization and integration with other electronic or optical components make the polymer photodetectors promising for a variety of applications including chemical/biomedical analysis, full-color digital image sensing and high energy radiation detection.

Structuring of Functional Spider Silk Wires, Coatings, and Sheets by Self-Assembly on Superhydrophobic Pillar Surfaces.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Linnea; Jansson, Ronnie; Hedhammar, My; van der Wijngaart, Wouter

2018-01-01

Spider silk has recently become a material of high interest for a large number of biomedical applications. Previous work on structuring of silk has resulted in particles (0D), fibers (1D), films (2D), and foams, gels, capsules, or microspheres (3D). However, the manufacturing process of these structures is complex and involves posttreatment of chemicals unsuitable for biological applications. In this work, the self-assembly of recombinant spider silk on micropatterned superhydrophobic surfaces is studied. For the first time, structuring of recombinant spider silk is achieved using superhydrophobic surfaces under conditions that retain the bioactivity of the functionalized silk. By tuning the superhydrophobic surface geometry and the silk solution handling parameters, this approach allows controlled generation of silk coatings, nanowires, and sheets. The underlying mechanisms and governing parameters are discussed. It is believed that the results of this work pave the way for fabrication of silk formations for applications including vehicles for drug delivery, optical sensing, antimicrobial coatings, and cell culture scaffolds. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Recent advances and future prospects of iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedicine and diagnostics.

PubMed

Vallabani, N V Srikanth; Singh, Sanjay

2018-06-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are considered as chemically inert materials and, therefore, being extensively applied in the areas of imaging, targeting, drug delivery and biosensors. Their unique properties such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, potent magnetic and catalytic behavior and superior role in multifunctional modalities have epitomized them as an appropriate candidate for biomedical applications. Recent developments in the area of materials science have enabled the facile synthesis of Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) offering easy tuning of surface properties and surface functionalization with desired biomolecules. Such developments have enabled IONPs to be easily accommodated in nanocomposite platform or devices. Additionally, the tag of biocompatible material has realized their potential in myriad applications of nanomedicines including imaging modalities, sensing, and therapeutics. Further, IONPs enzyme mimetic activity pronounced their role as nanozymes in detecting biomolecules like glucose, and cholesterol etc. Hence, based on their versatile applications in biomedicine, the present review article focusses on the current trends, developments and future prospects of IONPs in MRI, hyperthermia, photothermal therapy, biomolecules detection, chemotherapy, antimicrobial activity and also their role as the multifunctional agent in diagnosis and nanomedicines.

Graphene and graphene-like 2D materials for optical biosensing and bioimaging: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chengzhou; Du, Dan; Lin, Yuehe

2015-09-01

The increasing demands of bioassay and biomedical applications have significantly promoted the rational design and fabrication of a wide range of functional nanomaterials. Coupling these advanced nanomaterials with biomolecule recognition events leads to novel sensing and diagnostic platforms. Because of their unique structures and multifunctionalities, two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene and graphene-like materials (e.g., graphitic carbon nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides, boron nitride, and transition metal oxides), have stimulated great interest in the field of optical biosensors and imaging because of their innovative mechanical, physicochemical and optical properties. Depending on the different applications, the graphene and graphene-like nanomaterials can be tailored to form either fluorescent emitters or efficient fluorescence quenchers, making them powerful platforms for fabricating a series of optical biosensors to sensitively detect various targets including ions, small biomolecules, DNA/RNA and proteins. This review highlights the recent progress in optical biosensors based on graphene and graphene-like 2D materials and their imaging applications. Finally, the opportunities and some critical challenges in this field are also addressed.

High-power graphene mode-locked Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser with evanescent field interaction.

PubMed

Li, Xiaohui; Yu, Xuechao; Sun, Zhipei; Yan, Zhiyu; Sun, Biao; Cheng, Yuanbing; Yu, Xia; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Qi Jie

2015-11-16

Mid-infrared ultrafast fiber lasers are valuable for various applications, including chemical and biomedical sensing, material processing and military applications. Here, we report all-fiber high-power graphene mode-locked Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser at long wavelength with evanescent field interaction. Ultrafast pulses up to 7.8 MHz are generated at a center wavelength of 1879.4 nm, with a pulse width of 4.7 ps. A graphene absorber integrated with a side-polished fiber can increase the damage threshold significantly. Harmonics mode-locking can be obtained till to the 21(th) harmonics at a pump power of above 500 mW. By using one stage amplifier in the anomalous dispersion regime, the laser can be amplified up to 450 mW and the narrowest pulse duration of 1.4 ps can be obtained simultaneously. Our work paves the way to graphene Tm/Ho co-doped mode-locked all-fiber master oscillator power amplifiers as potentially efficient and economic laser sources for high-power laser applications, such as special material processing and nonlinear optical studies.

Modern technologies for retinal scanning and imaging: an introduction for the biomedical engineer

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

This review article is meant to help biomedical engineers and nonphysical scientists better understand the principles of, and the main trends in modern scanning and imaging modalities used in ophthalmology. It is intended to ease the communication between physicists, medical doctors and engineers, and hopefully encourage “classical” biomedical engineers to generate new ideas and to initiate projects in an area which has traditionally been dominated by optical physics. Most of the methods involved are applicable to other areas of biomedical optics and optoelectronics, such as microscopic imaging, spectroscopy, spectral imaging, opto-acoustic tomography, fluorescence imaging etc., all of which are with potential biomedical application. Although all described methods are novel and important, the emphasis of this review has been placed on three technologies introduced in the 1990’s and still undergoing vigorous development: Confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography, and polarization-sensitive retinal scanning. PMID:24779618

Biomedical research applications of electromagnetically separated enriched stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambrecht, R. M.

The current and projected annual requirements through 1985 for stable isotopes enriched by electromagnetic separation methods were reviewed for applications in various types of biomedical research: (1) medical radiosiotope production, labeled compounds, and potential radio-pharmaceuticals; (2) nutrition, food science, and pharmacology: (3) metallobiochemistry and environmental toxicology; (4) nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, and moessbauer spectroscopy in biochemical, biophysical, and biomedical research; and (5) miscellaneous advances in radioactive and nonradioactive tracer technology. Radioisotopes available from commercial sources or routinely used in clinical nuclear medicine were excluded. Current requirements for enriched stable isotopes in biomedical research are not being satisfied. Severe shortages exist for Mg 26, Ca 43, Zn 70, Se 76, Se 77, Se 78, Pd 102, Cd 111, Cd 113, and Os 190. Many interesting and potentially important investigations in biomedical research require small quantities of specific elements at high isotopic enrichments.

Synthesis and Ligand-Exchange Reactions of a Tri-Tungsten Cluster with Applications in Biomedical Imaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noey, Elizabeth; Curtis, Jeff C.; Tam, Sylvia; Pham, David M.; Jones, Ella F.

2011-01-01

In this experiment students are exposed to concepts in inorganic synthesis and various spectroscopies as applied to a tri-tungsten cluster with applications in biomedical imaging. The tungsten-acetate cluster, Na[W[superscript 3](mu-O)[subscript 2](CH[superscript 3]COO)[superscript 9

Erratum: Synthesis of Cd-free InP/ZnS Quantum Dots Suitable for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

2016-02-29

A correction was made to: Synthesis of Cd-free InP/ZnS Quantum Dots Suitable for Biomedical Applications. There was an error with an author's given name. The author's name was corrected to: Katye M. Fichter from: Kathryn M. Fichter.

Application of nanotechnology in biomedical sciences.

PubMed

Zhao, Wei; Cao, Hong; Wan, Cheng-Song; Zhang, Wen-Bing

2002-05-01

Nanotechnology, a new research field that holds enormous prospects in the 21th century, has by now gained wide application in biomedical sciences, and consequently gives rise to two new cross-disciplines, nanobiology and nanobiomedicine. The authors provide a brief summarization of the progress so far achieved in these two new disciplines.

Potential Applications of Nanocellulose-Containing Materials in the Biomedical Field

PubMed Central

Halib, Nadia; Perrone, Francesca; Dapas, Barbara; Farra, Rossella; Abrami, Michela; Chiarappa, Gianluca; Forte, Giancarlo; Zanconati, Fabrizio; Pozzato, Gabriele; Murena, Luigi; Fiotti, Nicola; Lapasin, Romano; Cansolino, Laura; Grassi, Gabriele

2017-01-01

Because of its high biocompatibility, bio-degradability, low-cost and easy availability, cellulose finds application in disparate areas of research. Here we focus our attention on the most recent and attractive potential applications of cellulose in the biomedical field. We first describe the chemical/structural composition of cellulose fibers, the cellulose sources/features and cellulose chemical modifications employed to improve its properties. We then move to the description of cellulose potential applications in biomedicine. In this field, cellulose is most considered in recent research in the form of nano-sized particle, i.e., nanofiber cellulose (NFC) or cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). NFC is obtained from cellulose via chemical and mechanical methods. CNC can be obtained from macroscopic or microscopic forms of cellulose following strong acid hydrolysis. NFC and CNC are used for several reasons including the mechanical properties, the extended surface area and the low toxicity. Here we present some potential applications of nano-sized cellulose in the fields of wound healing, bone-cartilage regeneration, dental application and different human diseases including cancer. To witness the close proximity of nano-sized cellulose to the practical biomedical use, examples of recent clinical trials are also reported. Altogether, the described examples strongly support the enormous application potential of nano-sized cellulose in the biomedical field. PMID:28825682

Potential of Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedical and Dental Applications

PubMed Central

Zafar, Muhammad; Najeeb, Shariq; Khurshid, Zohaib; Vazirzadeh, Masoud; Zohaib, Sana; Najeeb, Bilal; Sefat, Farshid

2016-01-01

Electrospinning is a versatile technique that has gained popularity for various biomedical applications in recent years. Electrospinning is being used for fabricating nanofibers for various biomedical and dental applications such as tooth regeneration, wound healing and prevention of dental caries. Electrospun materials have the benefits of unique properties for instance, high surface area to volume ratio, enhanced cellular interactions, protein absorption to facilitate binding sites for cell receptors. Extensive research has been conducted to explore the potential of electrospun nanofibers for repair and regeneration of various dental and oral tissues including dental pulp, dentin, periodontal tissues, oral mucosa and skeletal tissues. However, there are a few limitations of electrospinning hindering the progress of these materials to practical or clinical applications. In terms of biomaterials aspects, the better understanding of controlled fabrication, properties and functioning of electrospun materials is required to overcome the limitations. More in vivo studies are definitely required to evaluate the biocompatibility of electrospun scaffolds. Furthermore, mechanical properties of such scaffolds should be enhanced so that they resist mechanical stresses during tissue regeneration applications. The objective of this article is to review the current progress of electrospun nanofibers for biomedical and dental applications. In addition, various aspects of electrospun materials in relation to potential dental applications have been discussed. PMID:28787871

Load-Bearing Biomedical Applications of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings - Current Status

PubMed Central

Alakoski, Esa; Tiainen, Veli-Matti; Soininen, Antti; Konttinen, Yrjö T

2008-01-01

The current status of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings for biomedical applications is reviewed with emphasis on load-bearing coatings. Although diamond-like carbon coating materials have been studied for decades, no indisputably successful commercial biomedical applications for high load situations exist today. High internal stress, leading to insufficient adhesion of thick coatings, is the evident reason behind this delay of the break-through of DLC coatings for applications. Excellent adhesion of thick DLC coatings is of utmost importance for load-bearing applications. According to this review superior candidate material for articulating implants is thick and adherent DLC on both sliding surfaces. With the filtered pulsed arc discharge method, all the necessary requirements for the deposition of thick and adherent DLC are fulfilled, provided that the substrate material is selected properly. PMID:19478929

Plasmas for medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Woedtke, Th.; Reuter, S.; Masur, K.; Weltmann, K.-D.

2013-09-01

Plasma medicine is an innovative and emerging field combining plasma physics, life science and clinical medicine. In a more general perspective, medical application of physical plasma can be subdivided into two principal approaches. (i) “Indirect” use of plasma-based or plasma-supplemented techniques to treat surfaces, materials or devices to realize specific qualities for subsequent special medical applications, and (ii) application of physical plasma on or in the human (or animal) body to realize therapeutic effects based on direct interaction of plasma with living tissue. The field of plasma applications for the treatment of medical materials or devices is intensively researched and partially well established for several years. However, plasma medicine in the sense of its actual definition as a new field of research focuses on the use of plasma technology in the treatment of living cells, tissues, and organs. Therefore, the aim of the new research field of plasma medicine is the exploitation of a much more differentiated interaction of specific plasma components with specific structural as well as functional elements or functionalities of living cells. This interaction can possibly lead either to stimulation or inhibition of cellular function and be finally used for therapeutic purposes. During recent years a broad spectrum of different plasma sources with various names dedicated for biomedical applications has been reported. So far, research activities were mainly focused on barrier discharges and plasma jets working at atmospheric pressure. Most efforts to realize plasma application directly on or in the human (or animal) body for medical purposes is concentrated on the broad field of dermatology including wound healing, but also includes cancer treatment, endoscopy, or dentistry. Despite the fact that the field of plasma medicine is very young and until now mostly in an empirical stage of development yet, there are first indicators of its enormous economic potential. This ambivalent situation fundamentally requires a responsible use of plasma sources, which are specifically designated for biomedical applications. To enable physicians as well as life scientists to decide whether a given plasma source is really suitable for medical applications or biological experiments, a meaningful and mandatory spectrum of indicators has to be compiled to allow for a basic estimation of the potential of this plasma source.

RysannMD: A biomedical semantic annotator balancing speed and accuracy.

PubMed

Cuzzola, John; Jovanović, Jelena; Bagheri, Ebrahim

2017-07-01

Recently, both researchers and practitioners have explored the possibility of semantically annotating large and continuously evolving collections of biomedical texts such as research papers, medical reports, and physician notes in order to enable their efficient and effective management and use in clinical practice or research laboratories. Such annotations can be automatically generated by biomedical semantic annotators - tools that are specifically designed for detecting and disambiguating biomedical concepts mentioned in text. The biomedical community has already presented several solid automated semantic annotators. However, the existing tools are either strong in their disambiguation capacity, i.e., the ability to identify the correct biomedical concept for a given piece of text among several candidate concepts, or they excel in their processing time, i.e., work very efficiently, but none of the semantic annotation tools reported in the literature has both of these qualities. In this paper, we present RysannMD (Ryerson Semantic Annotator for Medical Domain), a biomedical semantic annotation tool that strikes a balance between processing time and performance while disambiguating biomedical terms. In other words, RysannMD provides reasonable disambiguation performance when choosing the right sense for a biomedical term in a given context, and does that in a reasonable time. To examine how RysannMD stands with respect to the state of the art biomedical semantic annotators, we have conducted a series of experiments using standard benchmarking corpora, including both gold and silver standards, and four modern biomedical semantic annotators, namely cTAKES, MetaMap, NOBLE Coder, and Neji. The annotators were compared with respect to the quality of the produced annotations measured against gold and silver standards using precision, recall, and F 1 measure and speed, i.e., processing time. In the experiments, RysannMD achieved the best median F 1 measure across the benchmarking corpora, independent of the standard used (silver/gold), biomedical subdomain, and document size. In terms of the annotation speed, RysannMD scored the second best median processing time across all the experiments. The obtained results indicate that RysannMD offers the best performance among the examined semantic annotators when both quality of annotation and speed are considered simultaneously. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Packet loss mitigation for biomedical signals in healthcare telemetry.

PubMed

Garudadri, Harinath; Baheti, Pawan K

2009-01-01

In this work, we propose an effective application layer solution for packet loss mitigation in the context of Body Sensor Networks (BSN) and healthcare telemetry. Packet losses occur due to many reasons including excessive path loss, interference from other wireless systems, handoffs, congestion, system loading, etc. A call for action is in order, as packet losses can have extremely adverse impact on many healthcare applications relying on BAN and WAN technologies. Our approach for packet loss mitigation is based on Compressed Sensing (CS), an emerging signal processing concept, wherein significantly fewer sensor measurements than that suggested by Shannon/Nyquist sampling theorem can be used to recover signals with arbitrarily fine resolution. We present simulation results demonstrating graceful degradation of performance with increasing packet loss rate. We also compare the proposed approach with retransmissions. The CS based packet loss mitigation approach was found to maintain up to 99% beat-detection accuracy at packet loss rates of 20%, with a constant latency of less than 2.5 seconds.

Pyramidal Wavefront Sensor Demonstrator at INO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Olivier; Véran, Jean-Pierre; Anctil, Geneviève; Bourqui, Pascal; Châteauneuf, François; Gauvin, Jonny; Goyette, Philippe; Lagacé, François; Turbide, Simon; Wang, Min

2014-08-01

Wavefront sensing is one of the key elements of an Adaptive Optics System. Although Shack-Hartmann WFS are the most commonly used whether for astronomical or biomedical applications, the high-sensitivity and large dynamic-range of the Pyramid-WFS (P-WFS) technology is promising and needs to be further investigated for proper justification in future Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT) applications. At INO, center for applied research in optics and technology transfer in Quebec City, Canada, we have recently set to develop a Pyramid wavefront sensor (P-WFS), an option for which no other research group in Canada had any experience. A first version had been built and tested in 2013 in collaboration with NRC-HIA Victoria. Here we present a second iteration of demonstrator with an extended spectral range, fast modulation capability and low-noise, fast-acquisition EMCCD sensor. The system has been designed with compactness and robustness in mind to allow on-sky testing at Mont Mégantic facility, in parallel with a Shack- Hartmann sensor so as to compare both options.

Lignin and silicate based hydrogels for biosensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrs, S. L.; Jairam, S.; Vanegas, D. C.; Tong, Z.; McLamore, E. S.

2013-05-01

Advances in biocompatible materials and electrocatalytic nanomaterials have extended and enhanced the field of biosensors. Immobilization of biorecognition elements on nanomaterial platforms is an efficient technique for developing high fidelity biosensors. Single layer (i.e., Langmuir-Blodgett) protein films are efficient, but disadvantages of this approach include high cost, mass transfer limitations, and Vromer competition for surface binding sites. There is a need for simple, user friendly protein-nanomaterial sensing membranes that can be developed in laboratories or classrooms (i.e., outside of the clean room). In this research, we develop high fidelity nanomaterial platforms for developing electrochemical biosensors using sustainable biomaterials and user-friendly deposition techniques. Catalytic nanomaterial platforms are developed using a combination of self assembled monolayer chemistry and electrodeposition. High performance biomaterials (e.g., nanolignin) are recovered from paper pulp waste and combined with proteins and nanomaterials to form active sensor membranes. These methods are being used to develop electrochemical biosensors for studying physiological transport in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental applications.

Lipid phase behavior studied with a quartz crystal microbalance: A technique for biophysical studies with applications in screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peschel, Astrid; Langhoff, Arne; Uhl, Eva; Dathathreyan, Aruna; Haindl, Susanne; Johannsmann, Diethelm; Reviakine, Ilya

2016-11-01

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is emerging as a versatile tool for studying lipid phase behavior. The technique is attractive for fundamental biophysical studies as well applications because of its simplicity, flexibility, and ability to work with very small amounts of material crucial for biomedical studies. Further progress hinges on the understanding of the mechanism, by which a surface-acoustic technique such as QCM, senses lipid phase changes. Here, we use a custom-built instrument with improved sensitivity to investigate phase behavior in solid-supported lipid systems of different geometries (adsorbed liposomes and bilayers). We show that we can detect a model anesthetic (ethanol) through its effect on the lipid phase behavior. Further, through the analysis of the overtone dependence of the phase transition parameters, we show that hydrodynamic effects are important in the case of adsorbed liposomes, and viscoelasticity is significant in supported bilayers, while layer thickness changes make up the strongest contribution in both systems.

The Galaxy platform for accessible, reproducible and collaborative biomedical analyses: 2016 update

PubMed Central

Afgan, Enis; Baker, Dannon; van den Beek, Marius; Blankenberg, Daniel; Bouvier, Dave; Čech, Martin; Chilton, John; Clements, Dave; Coraor, Nate; Eberhard, Carl; Grüning, Björn; Guerler, Aysam; Hillman-Jackson, Jennifer; Von Kuster, Greg; Rasche, Eric; Soranzo, Nicola; Turaga, Nitesh; Taylor, James; Nekrutenko, Anton; Goecks, Jeremy

2016-01-01

High-throughput data production technologies, particularly ‘next-generation’ DNA sequencing, have ushered in widespread and disruptive changes to biomedical research. Making sense of the large datasets produced by these technologies requires sophisticated statistical and computational methods, as well as substantial computational power. This has led to an acute crisis in life sciences, as researchers without informatics training attempt to perform computation-dependent analyses. Since 2005, the Galaxy project has worked to address this problem by providing a framework that makes advanced computational tools usable by non experts. Galaxy seeks to make data-intensive research more accessible, transparent and reproducible by providing a Web-based environment in which users can perform computational analyses and have all of the details automatically tracked for later inspection, publication, or reuse. In this report we highlight recently added features enabling biomedical analyses on a large scale. PMID:27137889

The Irrelevance Narrative: Queer (In)Visibility in Medical Education and Practice.

PubMed

Robertson, William J

2017-06-01

How might heteronormativity be reproduced and become internalized through biomedical practices? Based on in-depth, person-centered interviews, this article explores the ways heteronormativity works into medical education through the hidden curriculum. As experienced by my informants, case studies often reinforce unconscious heteronormative orientations and heterosexist/homophobic stereotypes about queer patients among straight and queer medical students alike. I introduce the concept of the irrelevance narrative to make sense of how queer medical students take up a heteronormative medical gaze. Despite recognizing that being queer affects how they interact with patients, my informants describe being queer as irrelevant to their delivery of care. I conclude with a discussion of how these preliminary findings can inform research on knowledge production in biomedical education and practice with an eye toward the tensions between personal and professional identity among biomedical practitioners. © 2017 by the American Anthropological Association.

Getting the most from microfluidic platforms for biomedical applications (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Amy

2016-03-01

Microfluidics has emerged in recent years as a versatile method of manipulating fluids at small length-scales, and in particular, for generating and manipulating micron size droplets with controllable size and functionality. For example, many research groups developed microfluidics devices for cell encapsulation, and synthesizing functionalized polymer microspheres and inorganic nanoparticles with precise control over their shapes and sizes. In this talk, I will showcase 2 microfluidic platforms to highlight their versatility and potential biomedical applications. (1) Droplet microfluidic platforms (a) A droplet microfluidics method to fabricate alginate microspheres while simultaneously immobilizing anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex IgY and anti-Escherichia coli IgG antibodies primarily on the porous alginate carriers for specific binding and binding affinity tests. The binding affinity of antibodies is directly measured by fluorescence intensity of stained target bacteria on the microspheres. We demonstrate that the functionalized alginate microspheres yield specificity comparable with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We can easily modify the size and shape of alginate microspheres, and increase the concentration of functionalized alginate microspheres to further enhance binding kinetics and enable multiplexing. (b) A novel droplet microfluidics method to image oxygen in single islets (pancreatic cells) for glucose sensing. Individual islets and a fluorescent oxygen-sensitive dye were encased within a thin alginate polymer microcapsule for insulin secretion monitoring. The sensing system operated similarly from 2-48 hours following encapsulation, and viability and function of the islets were not significantly affected by the encapsulation process. This approach should be applicable to other cell types and dyes sensitive to other biologically important molecules. (2) A microfluidic chamber to perform uniform electric field stimulation in circular shaped culturewares A 3D computer-aided designed (CAD) polymeric insert is designed and retrofitted to circular shaped culturewares in an integrated microfluidic electrical stimulation platform to generate uniform EF with higher cell yields. In particular, NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells are used to validate the performance of the 3D designed Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) inserts in a circular-shaped 6-well plate. The CAD based inserts can be easily scaled up to further increase effective stimulation area percentages, and also be implemented in commercially available culturewares for a wide variety of EF-related research such as EF-cell interaction and tissue regeneration studies.

Smart molecules for imaging, sensing and health (SMITH).

PubMed

Smith, Bradley D

2015-01-01

This autobiographical review provides a personal account of the author's academic journey in supramolecular chemistry, including brief summaries of research efforts in membrane transport, molecular imaging, ion-pair receptors, rotaxane synthesis, squaraine rotaxanes, and synthtavidin technology. The article concludes with a short perspective of likely future directions in biomedical supramolecular chemistry.

A near infrared luminescent metal-organic framework for temperature sensing in the physiological range.

PubMed

Lian, Xiusheng; Zhao, Dian; Cui, Yuanjing; Yang, Yu; Qian, Guodong

2015-12-28

A near infrared pumped luminescent metal-organic framework thermometer Nd(0.577)Yb(0.423)BDC-F4, with near infrared fluorescence and excellent sensitivity in the physiological temperature range (293-313 K), has been first realized, and might be potentially applied for biomedical systems.

Enhanced Plasmonic Biosensors of Hybrid Gold Nanoparticle-Graphene Oxide-Based Label-Free Immunoassay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Nan-Fu; Chen, Chi-Chu; Yang, Cheng-Du; Kao, Yu-Sheng; Wu, Wei-Ren

2018-05-01

In this study, we propose a modified gold nanoparticle-graphene oxide sheet (AuNP-GO) nanocomposite to detect two different interactions between proteins and hybrid nanocomposites for use in biomedical applications. GO sheets have high bioaffinity, which facilitates the attachment of biomolecules to carboxyl groups and has led to its use in the development of sensing mechanisms. When GO sheets are decorated with AuNPs, they introduce localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the resonance energy transfer of spectral changes. Our results suggest a promising future for AuNP-GO-based label-free immunoassays to detect disease biomarkers and rapidly diagnose infectious diseases. The results showed the detection of antiBSA in 10 ng/ml of hCG non-specific interfering protein with dynamic responses ranging from 1.45 nM to 145 fM, and a LOD of 145 fM. Considering the wide range of potential applications of GO sheets as a host material for a variety of nanoparticles, the approach developed here may be beneficial for the future integration of nanoparticles with GO nanosheets for blood sensing. The excellent anti-interference characteristics allow for the use of the biosensor in clinical analysis and point-of-care testing (POCT) diagnostics of rapid immunoassay products, and it may also be a potential tool for the measurement of biomarkers in human serum.

Enhanced Plasmonic Biosensors of Hybrid Gold Nanoparticle-Graphene Oxide-Based Label-Free Immunoassay.

PubMed

Chiu, Nan-Fu; Chen, Chi-Chu; Yang, Cheng-Du; Kao, Yu-Sheng; Wu, Wei-Ren

2018-05-16

In this study, we propose a modified gold nanoparticle-graphene oxide sheet (AuNP-GO) nanocomposite to detect two different interactions between proteins and hybrid nanocomposites for use in biomedical applications. GO sheets have high bioaffinity, which facilitates the attachment of biomolecules to carboxyl groups and has led to its use in the development of sensing mechanisms. When GO sheets are decorated with AuNPs, they introduce localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the resonance energy transfer of spectral changes. Our results suggest a promising future for AuNP-GO-based label-free immunoassays to detect disease biomarkers and rapidly diagnose infectious diseases. The results showed the detection of antiBSA in 10 ng/ml of hCG non-specific interfering protein with dynamic responses ranging from 1.45 nM to 145 fM, and a LOD of 145 fM. Considering the wide range of potential applications of GO sheets as a host material for a variety of nanoparticles, the approach developed here may be beneficial for the future integration of nanoparticles with GO nanosheets for blood sensing. The excellent anti-interference characteristics allow for the use of the biosensor in clinical analysis and point-of-care testing (POCT) diagnostics of rapid immunoassay products, and it may also be a potential tool for the measurement of biomarkers in human serum.

Micro and nanotechnology for biological and biomedical applications.

PubMed

Lim, Chwee Teck; Han, Jongyoon; Guck, Jochen; Espinosa, Horacio

2010-10-01

This special issue contains some of the current state-of-the-art development and use of micro and nanotechnological tools, devices and techniques for both biological and biomedical research and applications. These include nanoparticles for bioimaging and biosensing, optical and biophotonic techniques for probing diseases at the nanoscale, micro and nano-fabricated tools for elucidating molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction in cell and molecular biology and cell separation microdevices and techniques for isolating and enriching targeted cells for disease detection and diagnosis. Although some of these works are still at the research stage, there is no doubt that some of the important outcomes will eventually see actual biomedical applications in the not too distant future.

Engineering and Application of Zinc Finger Proteins and TALEs for Biomedical Research.

PubMed

Kim, Moon-Soo; Kini, Anu Ganesh

2017-08-01

Engineered DNA-binding domains provide a powerful technology for numerous biomedical studies due to their ability to recognize specific DNA sequences. Zinc fingers (ZF) are one of the most common DNA-binding domains and have been extensively studied for a variety of applications, such as gene regulation, genome engineering and diagnostics. Another novel DNA-binding domain known as a transcriptional activator-like effector (TALE) has been more recently discovered, which has a previously undescribed DNA-binding mode. Due to their modular architecture and flexibility, TALEs have been rapidly developed into artificial gene targeting reagents. Here, we describe the methods used to design these DNA-binding proteins and their key applications in biomedical research.

Engineering mechanical microenvironment of macrophage and its biomedical applications.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Li, Yuhui; Gao, Bin; Qin, Chuanguang; He, Yining; Xu, Feng; Yang, Hui; Lin, Min

2018-03-01

Macrophages are the most plastic cells in the hematopoietic system and can be widely found in almost all tissues. Recently studies have shown that mechanical cues (e.g., matrix stiffness and stress/strain) can significantly affect macrophage behaviors. Although existing reviews on the physical and mechanical cues that regulate the macrophage's phenotype are available, engineering mechanical microenvironment of macrophages in vitro as well as a comprehensive overview and prospects for their biomedical applications (e.g., tissue engineering and immunotherapy) has yet to be summarized. Thus, this review provides an overview on the existing methods for engineering mechanical microenvironment of macrophages in vitro and then a section on their biomedical applications and further perspectives are presented.

Microbubble Compositions, Properties and Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Sirsi, Shashank

2010-01-01

Over the last decade, there has been significant progress towards the development of microbubbles as theranostics for a wide variety of biomedical applications. The unique ability of microbubbles to respond to ultrasound makes them useful agents for contrast ultrasound imaging, molecular imaging, and targeted drug and gene delivery. The general composition of a microbubble is a gas core stabilized by a shell comprised of proteins, lipids or polymers. Each type of microbubble has its own unique advantages and can be tailored for specialized functions. In this review, different microbubbles compositions and physiochemical properties are discussed in the context of current progress towards developing novel constructs for biomedical applications, with specific emphasis on molecular imaging and targeted drug/gene delivery. PMID:20574549

Functional Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Liang, Dehai; Hsiao, Benjamin S.; Chu, Benjamin

2009-01-01

Functional nanofibrous scaffolds produced by electrospinning have great potential in many biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, wound dressing, enzyme immobilization and drug (gene) delivery. For a specific successful application, the chemical, physical and biological properties of electrospun scaffolds should be adjusted to match the environment by using a combination of multi-component compositions and fabrication techniques where electrospinning has often become a pivotal tool. The property of the nanofibrous scaffold can be further improved with innovative development in electrospinning processes, such as two-component electrospinning and in-situ mixing electrospinning. Post modifications of electrospun membranes also provide effective means to render the electrospun scaffolds with controlled anisotropy and porosity. In this review, we review the materials, techniques and post modification methods to functionalize electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds suitable for biomedical applications. PMID:17884240

Combinatorial nanodiamond in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

PubMed

Lim, Dae Gon; Prim, Racelly Ena; Kim, Ki Hyun; Kang, Eunah; Park, Kinam; Jeong, Seong Hoon

2016-11-30

One of the newly emerging carbon materials, nanodiamond (ND), has been exploited for use in traditional electric materials and this has extended into biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Recently, NDs have attained significant interests as a multifunctional and combinational drug delivery system. ND studies have provided insights into granting new potentials with their wide ranging surface chemistry, complex formation with biopolymers, and combination with biomolecules. The studies that have proved ND inertness, biocompatibility, and low toxicity have made NDs much more feasible for use in real in vivo applications. This review gives an understanding of NDs in biomedical engineering and pharmaceuticals, focusing on the classified introduction of ND/drug complexes. In addition, the diverse potential applications that can be obtained with chemical modification are presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metal-containing and related polymers for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Yan, Yi; Zhang, Jiuyang; Ren, Lixia; Tang, Chuanbing

2016-10-07

A survey of the most recent progress in the biomedical applications of metal-containing polymers is given. Due to the unique optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties, at least 30 different metal elements, most of them transition metals, are introduced into polymeric frameworks for interactions with biology-relevant substrates via various means. Inspired by the advance of metal-containing small molecular drugs and promoted by the great progress in polymer chemistry, metal-containing polymers have gained momentum during recent decades. According to their different applications, this review summarizes the following biomedical applications: (1) metal-containing polymers as drug delivery vehicles; (2) metal-containing polymeric drugs and biocides, including antimicrobial and antiviral agents, anticancer drugs, photodynamic therapy agents, radiotherapy agents and biocides; (3) metal-containing polymers as biosensors, and (4) metal-containing polymers in bioimaging.

Exploiting MeSH indexing in MEDLINE to generate a data set for word sense disambiguation.

PubMed

Jimeno-Yepes, Antonio J; McInnes, Bridget T; Aronson, Alan R

2011-06-02

Evaluation of Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) methods in the biomedical domain is difficult because the available resources are either too small or too focused on specific types of entities (e.g. diseases or genes). We present a method that can be used to automatically develop a WSD test collection using the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus and the manual MeSH indexing of MEDLINE. We demonstrate the use of this method by developing such a data set, called MSH WSD. In our method, the Metathesaurus is first screened to identify ambiguous terms whose possible senses consist of two or more MeSH headings. We then use each ambiguous term and its corresponding MeSH heading to extract MEDLINE citations where the term and only one of the MeSH headings co-occur. The term found in the MEDLINE citation is automatically assigned the UMLS CUI linked to the MeSH heading. Each instance has been assigned a UMLS Concept Unique Identifier (CUI). We compare the characteristics of the MSH WSD data set to the previously existing NLM WSD data set. The resulting MSH WSD data set consists of 106 ambiguous abbreviations, 88 ambiguous terms and 9 which are a combination of both, for a total of 203 ambiguous entities. For each ambiguous term/abbreviation, the data set contains a maximum of 100 instances per sense obtained from MEDLINE.We evaluated the reliability of the MSH WSD data set using existing knowledge-based methods and compared their performance to that of the results previously obtained by these algorithms on the pre-existing data set, NLM WSD. We show that the knowledge-based methods achieve different results but keep their relative performance except for the Journal Descriptor Indexing (JDI) method, whose performance is below the other methods. The MSH WSD data set allows the evaluation of WSD algorithms in the biomedical domain. Compared to previously existing data sets, MSH WSD contains a larger number of biomedical terms/abbreviations and covers the largest set of UMLS Semantic Types. Furthermore, the MSH WSD data set has been generated automatically reusing already existing annotations and, therefore, can be regenerated from subsequent UMLS versions.

Case-based statistical learning applied to SPECT image classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Górriz, Juan M.; Ramírez, Javier; Illán, I. A.; Martínez-Murcia, Francisco J.; Segovia, Fermín.; Salas-Gonzalez, Diego; Ortiz, A.

2017-03-01

Statistical learning and decision theory play a key role in many areas of science and engineering. Some examples include time series regression and prediction, optical character recognition, signal detection in communications or biomedical applications for diagnosis and prognosis. This paper deals with the topic of learning from biomedical image data in the classification problem. In a typical scenario we have a training set that is employed to fit a prediction model or learner and a testing set on which the learner is applied to in order to predict the outcome for new unseen patterns. Both processes are usually completely separated to avoid over-fitting and due to the fact that, in practice, the unseen new objects (testing set) have unknown outcomes. However, the outcome yields one of a discrete set of values, i.e. the binary diagnosis problem. Thus, assumptions on these outcome values could be established to obtain the most likely prediction model at the training stage, that could improve the overall classification accuracy on the testing set, or keep its performance at least at the level of the selected statistical classifier. In this sense, a novel case-based learning (c-learning) procedure is proposed which combines hypothesis testing from a discrete set of expected outcomes and a cross-validated classification stage.

Chitosan: An Update on Potential Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

PubMed Central

Cheung, Randy Chi Fai; Ng, Tzi Bun; Wong, Jack Ho; Chan, Wai Yee

2015-01-01

Chitosan is a natural polycationic linear polysaccharide derived from chitin. The low solubility of chitosan in neutral and alkaline solution limits its application. Nevertheless, chemical modification into composites or hydrogels brings to it new functional properties for different applications. Chitosans are recognized as versatile biomaterials because of their non-toxicity, low allergenicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review presents the recent research, trends and prospects in chitosan. Some special pharmaceutical and biomedical applications are also highlighted. PMID:26287217

Digital fabrication of multi-material biomedical objects.

PubMed

Cheung, H H; Choi, S H

2009-12-01

This paper describes a multi-material virtual prototyping (MMVP) system for modelling and digital fabrication of discrete and functionally graded multi-material objects for biomedical applications. The MMVP system consists of a DMMVP module, an FGMVP module and a virtual reality (VR) simulation module. The DMMVP module is used to model discrete multi-material (DMM) objects, while the FGMVP module is for functionally graded multi-material (FGM) objects. The VR simulation module integrates these two modules to perform digital fabrication of multi-material objects, which can be subsequently visualized and analysed in a virtual environment to optimize MMLM processes for fabrication of product prototypes. Using the MMVP system, two biomedical objects, including a DMM human spine and an FGM intervertebral disc spacer are modelled and digitally fabricated for visualization and analysis in a VR environment. These studies show that the MMVP system is a practical tool for modelling, visualization, and subsequent fabrication of biomedical objects of discrete and functionally graded multi-materials for biomedical applications. The system may be adapted to control MMLM machines with appropriate hardware for physical fabrication of biomedical objects.

Inorganic nanolayers: structure, preparation, and biomedical applications.

PubMed

Saifullah, Bullo; Hussein, Mohd Zobir B

2015-01-01

Hydrotalcite-like compounds are two-dimensional inorganic nanolayers also known as clay minerals or anionic clays or layered double hydroxides/layered hydroxy salts, and have emerged as a single type of material with numerous biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, gene delivery, cosmetics, and biosensing. Inorganic nanolayers are promising materials due to their fascinating properties, such as ease of preparation, ability to intercalate different type of anions (inorganic, organic, biomolecules, and even genes), high thermal stability, delivery of intercalated anions in a sustained manner, high biocompatibility, and easy biodegradation. Inorganic nanolayers have been the focus for researchers over the last decade, resulting in widening application horizons, especially in the field of biomedical science. These nanolayers have been widely applied in drug and gene delivery. They have also been applied in biosensing technology, and most recently in bioimaging science. The suitability of inorganic nanolayers for application in drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing technology, and bioimaging science makes them ideal materials to be applied for theranostic purposes. In this paper, we review the structure, methods of preparation, and latest advances made by inorganic nanolayers in such biomedical applications as drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing, and bioimaging.

Inorganic nanolayers: structure, preparation, and biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Saifullah, Bullo; Hussein, Mohd Zobir B

2015-01-01

Hydrotalcite-like compounds are two-dimensional inorganic nanolayers also known as clay minerals or anionic clays or layered double hydroxides/layered hydroxy salts, and have emerged as a single type of material with numerous biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, gene delivery, cosmetics, and biosensing. Inorganic nanolayers are promising materials due to their fascinating properties, such as ease of preparation, ability to intercalate different type of anions (inorganic, organic, biomolecules, and even genes), high thermal stability, delivery of intercalated anions in a sustained manner, high biocompatibility, and easy biodegradation. Inorganic nanolayers have been the focus for researchers over the last decade, resulting in widening application horizons, especially in the field of biomedical science. These nanolayers have been widely applied in drug and gene delivery. They have also been applied in biosensing technology, and most recently in bioimaging science. The suitability of inorganic nanolayers for application in drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing technology, and bioimaging science makes them ideal materials to be applied for theranostic purposes. In this paper, we review the structure, methods of preparation, and latest advances made by inorganic nanolayers in such biomedical applications as drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing, and bioimaging. PMID:26366081

Malaria Modeling using Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiang, Richard

2004-01-01

Malaria has been with the human race since the ancient time. In spite of the advances of biomedical research and the completion of genomic mapping of Plasmodium falciparum, the exact mechanisms of how the various strains of parasites evade the human immune system and how they have adapted and become resistant to multiple drugs remain elusive. Perhaps because of these reasons, effective vaccines against malaria are still not available. Worldwide, approximately one to three millions deaths are attributed to malaria annually. With the increased availability of remotely sensed data, researchers in medical entomology, epidemiology and ecology have started to associate environmental and ecological variables with malaria transmission. In several studies, it has been shown that transmission correlates well with certain environmental and ecological parameters, and that remote sensing can be used to measure these determinants. In a NASA project, we have taken a holistic approach to examine how remote sensing and GIs can contribute to vector and malaria controls. To gain a better understanding of the interactions among the possible promoting factors, we have been developing a habitat model, a transmission model, and a risk prediction model, all using remote sensing data as input. Our objectives are: 1) To identify the potential breeding sites of major vector species and the locations for larvicide and insecticide applications in order to reduce costs, lessen the chance of developing pesticide resistance, and minimize the damage to the environment; 2) To develop a malaria transmission model characterizing the interactions among hosts, vectors, parasites, landcover and environment in order to identify the key factors that sustain or intensify malaria transmission, and 3) To develop a risk model to predict the occurrence of malaria and its transmission intensity using epidemiological data and satellite-derived or ground-measured environmental and meteorological data.

A modular, programmable measurement system for physiological and spaceflight applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, John W.; Ricks, Robert D.; Miles, Christopher J.

1993-01-01

The NASA-Ames Sensors 2000! Program has developed a small, compact, modular, programmable, sensor signal conditioning and measurement system, initially targeted for Life Sciences Spaceflight Programs. The system consists of a twelve-slot, multi-layer, distributed function backplane, a digital microcontroller/memory subsystem, conditioned and isolated power supplies, and six application-specific, physiological signal conditioners. Each signal condition is capable of being programmed for gains, offsets, calibration and operate modes, and, in some cases, selectable outputs and functional modes. Presently, the system has the capability for measuring ECG, EMG, EEG, Temperature, Respiration, Pressure, Force, and Acceleration parameters, in physiological ranges. The measurement system makes heavy use of surface-mount packaging technology, resulting in plug in modules sized 125x55 mm. The complete 12-slot system is contained within a volume of 220x150x70mm. The system's capabilities extend well beyond the specific objectives of NASA programs. Indeed, the potential commercial uses of the technology are virtually limitless. In addition to applications in medical and biomedical sensing, the system might also be used in process control situations, in clinical or research environments, in general instrumentation systems, factory processing, or any other applications where high quality measurements are required.

A modular, programmable measurement system for physiological and spaceflight applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hines, John W.; Ricks, Robert D.; Miles, Christopher J.

1993-02-01

The NASA-Ames Sensors 2000] Program has developed a small, compact, modular, programmable, sensor signal conditioning and measurement system, initially targeted for Life Sciences Spaceflight Programs. The system consists of a twelve-slot, multi-layer, distributed function backplane, a digital microcontroller/memory subsystem, conditioned and isolated power supplies, and six application-specific, physiological signal conditioners. Each signal condition is capable of being programmed for gains, offsets, calibration and operate modes, and, in some cases, selectable outputs and functional modes. Presently, the system has the capability for measuring ECG, EMG, EEG, Temperature, Respiration, Pressure, Force, and Acceleration parameters, in physiological ranges. The measurement system makes heavy use of surface-mount packaging technology, resulting in plug in modules sized 125x55 mm. The complete 12-slot system is contained within a volume of 220x150x70mm. The system's capabilities extend well beyond the specific objectives of NASA programs. Indeed, the potential commercial uses of the technology are virtually limitless. In addition to applications in medical and biomedical sensing, the system might also be used in process control situations, in clinical or research environments, in general instrumentation systems, factory processing, or any other applications where high quality measurements are required.

Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications.

PubMed

Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

2014-01-01

Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu.

Biomedical applications of nanodiamond (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turcheniuk, K.; Mochalin, Vadym N.

2017-06-01

The interest in nanodiamond applications in biology and medicine is on the rise over recent years. This is due to the unique combination of properties that nanodiamond provides. Small size (∼5 nm), low cost, scalable production, negligible toxicity, chemical inertness of diamond core and rich chemistry of nanodiamond surface, as well as bright and robust fluorescence resistant to photobleaching are the distinct parameters that render nanodiamond superior to any other nanomaterial when it comes to biomedical applications. The most exciting recent results have been related to the use of nanodiamonds for drug delivery and diagnostics—two components of a quickly growing area of biomedical research dubbed theranostics. However, nanodiamond offers much more in addition: it can be used to produce biodegradable bone surgery devices, tissue engineering scaffolds, kill drug resistant microbes, help us to fight viruses, and deliver genetic material into cell nucleus. All these exciting opportunities require an in-depth understanding of nanodiamond. This review covers the recent progress as well as general trends in biomedical applications of nanodiamond, and underlines the importance of purification, characterization, and rational modification of this nanomaterial when designing nanodiamond based theranostic platforms.

Biomedical Applications of Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yin; Nayak, Tapas R.; Hong, Hao; Cai, Weibo

2013-01-01

Nanotechnology has witnessed tremendous advancement over the last several decades. Zinc oxide (ZnO), which can exhibit a wide variety of nanostructures, possesses unique semiconducting, optical, and piezoelectric properties hence has been investigated for a wide variety of applications. One of the most important features of ZnO nanomaterials is low toxicity and biodegradability. Zn2+ is an indispensable trace element for adults (~10 mg of Zn2+ per day is recommended) and it is involved in various aspects of metabolism. Chemically, the surface of ZnO is rich in -OH groups, which can be readily functionalized by various surface decorating molecules. In this review article, we summarized the current status of the use of ZnO nanomaterials for biomedical applications, such as biomedical imaging (which includes fluorescence, magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography, as well as dual-modality imaging), drug delivery, gene delivery, and biosensing of a wide array of molecules of interest. Research in biomedical applications of ZnO nanomaterials will continue to flourish over the next decade, and much research effort will be needed to develop biocompatible/biodegradable ZnO nanoplatforms for potential clinical translation. PMID:24206130

Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications

PubMed Central

Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

2014-01-01

Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu PMID:24131510

42 CFR 52h.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... reference in this part to grants includes cooperative agreements) for biomedical and behavioral research; and (2) Biomedical and behavioral research and development contract project concepts and proposals for...

42 CFR 52h.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... reference in this part to grants includes cooperative agreements) for biomedical and behavioral research; and (2) Biomedical and behavioral research and development contract project concepts and proposals for...

42 CFR 52h.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... reference in this part to grants includes cooperative agreements) for biomedical and behavioral research; and (2) Biomedical and behavioral research and development contract project concepts and proposals for...

42 CFR 52h.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... reference in this part to grants includes cooperative agreements) for biomedical and behavioral research; and (2) Biomedical and behavioral research and development contract project concepts and proposals for...

Sensor Fusion and Smart Sensor in Sports and Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Mendes, José Jair Alves; Vieira, Mário Elias Marinho; Pires, Marcelo Bissi; Stevan, Sergio Luiz

2016-09-23

The following work presents an overview of smart sensors and sensor fusion targeted at biomedical applications and sports areas. In this work, the integration of these areas is demonstrated, promoting a reflection about techniques and applications to collect, quantify and qualify some physical variables associated with the human body. These techniques are presented in various biomedical and sports applications, which cover areas related to diagnostics, rehabilitation, physical monitoring, and the development of performance in athletes, among others. Although some applications are described in only one of two fields of study (biomedicine and sports), it is very likely that the same application fits in both, with small peculiarities or adaptations. To illustrate the contemporaneity of applications, an analysis of specialized papers published in the last six years has been made. In this context, the main characteristic of this review is to present the largest quantity of relevant examples of sensor fusion and smart sensors focusing on their utilization and proposals, without deeply addressing one specific system or technique, to the detriment of the others.

Photocatalysis-Based Nanoprobes Using Noble Metal-Semiconductor Heterostructure for Visible Light-Driven in Vivo Detection of Mercury.

PubMed

Zhi, Lihua; Zeng, Xiaofan; Wang, Hao; Hai, Jun; Yang, Xiangliang; Wang, Baodui; Zhu, Yanhong

2017-07-18

The development of sensitive and reliable methods to monitor the presence of mercuric ions in cells and organisms is of great importance to biological research and biomedical applications. In this work, we propose a strategy to construct a solar-driven nanoprobe using a 3D Au@MoS 2 heterostructure as a photocatalyst and rhodamine B (RB) as a fluorescent and color change reporter molecule for monitoring Hg 2+ in living cells and animals. The sensing mechanism is based on the photoinduced electron formation of gold amalgam in the 3D Au@MoS 2 heterostructure under visible light illumination. This formation is able to remarkably inhibit the photocatalytic activity of the heterostructure toward RB decomposition. As a result, "OFF-ON" fluorescence and color change are produced. Such characteristics enable this new sensing platform to sensitively and selectively detect Hg 2+ in water by fluorescence and colorimetric methods. The detection limits of the fluorescence assay and colorimetric assay are 0.22 and 0.038 nM for Hg 2+ , respectively; these values are well below the acceptable limits in drinking water standards (10 nM). For the first time, such photocatalysis-based sensing platform is successfully used to monitor Hg 2+ in live cells and mice. Our work therefore opens a promising photocatalysis-based analysis methodology for highly sensitive and selective in vivo Hg 2+ bioimaging studies.

Nanoparticle-based luminescent probes for intracellular sensing and imaging of pH.

PubMed

Schäferling, Michael

2016-05-01

Fluorescence imaging microscopy is an essential tool in biomedical research. Meanwhile, various fluorescent probes are available for the staining of cells, cell membranes, and organelles. Though, to monitor intracellular processes and dysfunctions, probes that respond to ubiquitous chemical parameters determining the cellular function such as pH, pO2 , and Ca(2+) are required. This review is focused on the progress in the design, fabrication, and application of photoluminescent nanoprobes for sensing and imaging of pH in living cells. The advantages of using nanoprobes carrying fluorescent pH indicators compared to single molecule probes are discussed as well as their limitations due to the mostly lysosomal uptake by cells. Particular attention is paid to ratiometric dual wavelength nanosensors that enable intrinsic referenced measurements. Referencing and proper calibration procedures are basic prerequisites to carry out reliable quantitative pH determinations in complex samples such as living cells. A variety of examples will be presented that highlight the diverseness of nanocarrier materials (polymers, micelles, silica, quantum dots, carbon dots, gold, photon upconversion nanocrystals, or bacteriophages), fluorescent pH indicators for the weak acidic range, and referenced sensing mechanisms, that have been applied intracellularly up to now. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:378-413. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1366 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advances in optoplasmonic sensors - combining optical nano/microcavities and photonic crystals with plasmonic nanostructures and nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xavier, Jolly; Vincent, Serge; Meder, Fabian; Vollmer, Frank

2018-01-01

Nanophotonic device building blocks, such as optical nano/microcavities and plasmonic nanostructures, lie at the forefront of sensing and spectrometry of trace biological and chemical substances. A new class of nanophotonic architecture has emerged by combining optically resonant dielectric nano/microcavities with plasmonically resonant metal nanostructures to enable detection at the nanoscale with extraordinary sensitivity. Initial demonstrations include single-molecule detection and even single-ion sensing. The coupled photonic-plasmonic resonator system promises a leap forward in the nanoscale analysis of physical, chemical, and biological entities. These optoplasmonic sensor structures could be the centrepiece of miniaturised analytical laboratories, on a chip, with detection capabilities that are beyond the current state of the art. In this paper, we review this burgeoning field of optoplasmonic biosensors. We first focus on the state of the art in nanoplasmonic sensor structures, high quality factor optical microcavities, and photonic crystals separately before proceeding to an outline of the most recent advances in hybrid sensor systems. We discuss the physics of this modality in brief and each of its underlying parts, then the prospects as well as challenges when integrating dielectric nano/microcavities with metal nanostructures. In Section 5, we hint to possible future applications of optoplasmonic sensing platforms which offer many degrees of freedom towards biomedical diagnostics at the level of single molecules.

Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Based Microfluidic Devices for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Ashraf, Muhammad Waseem; Tayyaba, Shahzadi; Afzulpurkar, Nitin

2011-01-01

Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) based microfluidic devices have gained popularity in biomedicine field over the last few years. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of microfluidic devices such as micropumps and microneedles has been presented for biomedical applications. The aim of this paper is to present the major features and issues related to micropumps and microneedles, e.g., working principles, actuation methods, fabrication techniques, construction, performance parameters, failure analysis, testing, safety issues, applications, commercialization issues and future prospects. Based on the actuation mechanisms, the micropumps are classified into two main types, i.e., mechanical and non-mechanical micropumps. Microneedles can be categorized according to their structure, fabrication process, material, overall shape, tip shape, size, array density and application. The presented literature review on micropumps and microneedles will provide comprehensive information for researchers working on design and development of microfluidic devices for biomedical applications. PMID:21747700

Recent advances in biomedical applications of accelerator mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Hah, Sang Soo; Henderson, Paul T; Turteltaub, Kenneth W

2009-06-17

The use of radioisotopes has a long history in biomedical science, and the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), an extremely sensitive nuclear physics technique for detection of very low-abundant, stable and long-lived isotopes, has now revolutionized high-sensitivity isotope detection in biomedical research, because it allows the direct determination of the amount of isotope in a sample rather than measuring its decay, and thus the quantitative analysis of the fate of the radiolabeled probes under the given conditions. Since AMS was first used in the early 90's for the analysis of biological samples containing enriched 14C for toxicology and cancer research, the biomedical applications of AMS to date range from in vitro to in vivo studies, including the studies of 1) toxicant and drug metabolism, 2) neuroscience, 3) pharmacokinetics, and 4) nutrition and metabolism of endogenous molecules such as vitamins. In addition, a new drug development concept that relies on the ultrasensitivity of AMS, known as human microdosing, is being used to obtain early human metabolism information of candidate drugs. These various aspects of AMS are reviewed and a perspective on future applications of AMS to biomedical research is provided.

BioPortal: enhanced functionality via new Web services from the National Center for Biomedical Ontology to access and use ontologies in software applications.

PubMed

Whetzel, Patricia L; Noy, Natalya F; Shah, Nigam H; Alexander, Paul R; Nyulas, Csongor; Tudorache, Tania; Musen, Mark A

2011-07-01

The National Center for Biomedical Ontology (NCBO) is one of the National Centers for Biomedical Computing funded under the NIH Roadmap Initiative. Contributing to the national computing infrastructure, NCBO has developed BioPortal, a web portal that provides access to a library of biomedical ontologies and terminologies (http://bioportal.bioontology.org) via the NCBO Web services. BioPortal enables community participation in the evaluation and evolution of ontology content by providing features to add mappings between terms, to add comments linked to specific ontology terms and to provide ontology reviews. The NCBO Web services (http://www.bioontology.org/wiki/index.php/NCBO_REST_services) enable this functionality and provide a uniform mechanism to access ontologies from a variety of knowledge representation formats, such as Web Ontology Language (OWL) and Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies (OBO) format. The Web services provide multi-layered access to the ontology content, from getting all terms in an ontology to retrieving metadata about a term. Users can easily incorporate the NCBO Web services into software applications to generate semantically aware applications and to facilitate structured data collection.

Recent advances in biomedical applications of accelerator mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Hah, Sang Soo

2009-01-01

The use of radioisotopes has a long history in biomedical science, and the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), an extremely sensitive nuclear physics technique for detection of very low-abundant, stable and long-lived isotopes, has now revolutionized high-sensitivity isotope detection in biomedical research, because it allows the direct determination of the amount of isotope in a sample rather than measuring its decay, and thus the quantitative analysis of the fate of the radiolabeled probes under the given conditions. Since AMS was first used in the early 90's for the analysis of biological samples containing enriched 14C for toxicology and cancer research, the biomedical applications of AMS to date range from in vitro to in vivo studies, including the studies of 1) toxicant and drug metabolism, 2) neuroscience, 3) pharmacokinetics, and 4) nutrition and metabolism of endogenous molecules such as vitamins. In addition, a new drug development concept that relies on the ultrasensitivity of AMS, known as human microdosing, is being used to obtain early human metabolism information of candidate drugs. These various aspects of AMS are reviewed and a perspective on future applications of AMS to biomedical research is provided. PMID:19534792

Biomedical technology transfer applications of NASA science and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The identification and solution of research and clinical problems in cardiovascular medicine which were investigated by means of biomedical data transfer are reported. The following are sample areas that were focused upon by the Stanford University Biomedical Technology Transfer Team: electrodes for hemiplegia research; vectorcardiogram computer analysis; respiration and phonation electrodes; radiotelemetry of intracranial pressure; and audiotransformation of the electrocardiographic signal. It is concluded that this biomedical technology transfer is significantly aiding present research in cardiovascular medicine.

An exploration of the biomedical optics course construction of undergraduate biomedical engineering program in medical colleges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Shijun; Lyu, Jie; Zhang, Peiming

2017-08-01

In this paper, the teaching goals, teaching contents and teaching methods in biomedical optics course construction are discussed. From the dimension of teaching goals, students should master the principle of optical inspection on the human body, diagnosis and treatment of methodology and instruments, through the study of the theory and practice of this course, and can utilize biomedical optics methods to solve practical problems in the clinical medical engineering practice. From the dimension of teaching contents, based on the characteristics of biomedical engineering in medical colleges, the organic integration of engineering aspects, medical optical instruments, and biomedical aspects dispersed in human anatomy, human physiology, clinical medicine fundamental related to the biomedical optics is build. Noninvasive measurement of the human body composition and noninvasive optical imaging of the human body were taken as actual problems in biomedical optics fields. Typical medical applications such as eye optics and laser medicine were also integrated into the theory and practice teaching. From the dimension of teaching methods, referencing to organ-system based medical teaching mode, optical principle and instrument principle were taught by teachers from school of medical instruments, and the histological characteristics and clinical actual need in areas such as digestive diseases and urinary surgery were taught by teachers from school of basic medicine or clinical medicine of medical colleges. Furthermore, clinical application guidance would be provided by physician and surgeons in hospitals.

Luminescent nanodiamonds for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Say, Jana M; van Vreden, Caryn; Reilly, David J; Brown, Louise J; Rabeau, James R; King, Nicholas J C

2011-12-01

In recent years, nanodiamonds have emerged from primarily an industrial and mechanical applications base, to potentially underpinning sophisticated new technologies in biomedical and quantum science. Nanodiamonds are relatively inexpensive, biocompatible, easy to surface functionalise and optically stable. This combination of physical properties are ideally suited to biological applications, including intracellular labelling and tracking, extracellular drug delivery and adsorptive detection of bioactive molecules. Here we describe some of the methods and challenges for processing nanodiamond materials, detection schemes and some of the leading applications currently under investigation.

Functionalized Nanodiamonds for Biological and Medical Applications.

PubMed

Lai, Lin; Barnard, Amanda S

2015-02-01

Nanodiamond is a promising material for biological and medical applications, owning to its relatively inexpensive and large-scale synthesis, unique structure, and superior optical properties. However, most biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and bio-imaging, are dependent upon the precise control of the surfaces, and can be significantly affected by the type, distribution and stability of chemical funtionalisations of the nanodiamond surface. In this paper, recent studies on nanodiamonds and their biomedical applications by conjugating with different chemicals are reviewed, while highlighting the critical importance of surface chemical states for various applications.

Nanoporous metal organic frameworks as hybrid polymer-metal composites for drug delivery and biomedical applications.

PubMed

Beg, Sarwar; Rahman, Mahfoozur; Jain, Atul; Saini, Sumant; Midoux, Patrick; Pichon, Chantal; Ahmad, Farhan Jalees; Akhter, Sohail

2017-04-01

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), porous hybrid polymer-metal composites at the nanoscale, are recent innovations in the field of chemistry; they are novel polymeric materials with diverse biomedical applications. MOFs are nanoporous materials, consisting of metal ions linked together by organic bridging ligands. The unique physical and chemical characteristics of MOFs have attracted wider attention from the scientific community, exploring their utility in the field of material science, biology, nanotechnology and drug delivery. The practical feasibility of MOFs is possible owing to their abilities for biodegradability, excellent porosity, high loading capacity, ease of surface modification, among others. In this regard, this review provides an account of various types of MOFs, their physiochemical characteristics and use in diverse disciplines of biomedical sciences - with special emphasis on drug delivery and theranostics. Moreover, this review also highlights the stability and toxicity issues of MOFs, along with their market potential for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Commercial perspective in THz spectroscopy, sensing and imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouyé, Clémentine; Taoudi, Sarah; Cochard, Jacques; d'Humières, Benoît

2017-02-01

For their ability to be transmitted by materials opaque in the visible and IR ranges (clothes, plastic, …), for being non-ionizing, for providing sub-mm resolution imaging, for the specific signatures of numerous materials, Terahertz waves - ranging from 200 GHz to 10 THz - have been raising the interest of industrials for about fifteen years. This study focuses on the penetration of THz technologies into the industrial applications driving the THz market growth at short and long term: Non Destructive testing (NDT), Defense and Security, Biomedical. For 15 years, Terahertz technologies have been continuously tested on a wide variety of applications. Thanks to these ongoing feasibility studies, manufacturers and end-users gained a deeper knowledge about the abilities and the limitations of the different Terahertz systems (Time-Domain spectroscopy, Frequency-Domain spectroscopy, Time-Domain reflectometry, etc). The demand from end-users is more qualified and is segmented as follows: 1. Detection of objects and defects on large areas 2. Thickness measurement on large areas 3. Chemical and Structural characterization of small objects and defects on small areas (2D) or volumes (3D) Each of these 3 functions leads to a specific family of THz systems with distinct requirements in terms of performance and cost: 1. Detection: cheap and compact imaging systems. 2. Thickness measurement: cost-effective and high speed systems. 3. Characterization: high resolution, high reliability and real-time sensing systems. This article will present the existing and incoming THz systems and components addressing each function. Terahertz technologies are currently finding their place on the market, outside research and scientific applications. The objective of this article is to identify the industrial applications where THz techniques will be adopted and to provide market growth perspectives.

Piezoresistive Carbon-based Hybrid Sensor for Body-Mounted Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnykowycz, M.; Tschudin, M.; Clemens, F.

2017-02-01

For body-mounted sensor applications, the evolution of soft condensed matter sensor (SCMS) materials offer conformability andit enables mechanical compliance between the body surface and the sensing mechanism. A piezoresistive hybrid sensor and compliant meta-material sub-structure provided a way to engineer sensor physical designs through modification of the mechanical properties of the compliant design. A piezoresistive fiber sensor was produced by combining a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) matrix with Carbon Black (CB) particles in 1:1 mass ratio. Feedstock was extruded in monofilament fiber form (diameter of 300 microns), resulting in a highly stretchable sensor (strain sensor range up to 100%) with linear resistance signal response. The soft condensed matter sensor was integrated into a hybrid design including a 3D printed metamaterial structure combined with a soft silicone. An auxetic unit cell was chosen (with negative Poisson’s Ratio) in the design in order to combine with the soft silicon, which exhibits a high Poisson’s Ratio. The hybrid sensor design was subjected to mechanical tensile testing up to 50% strain (with gauge factor calculation for sensor performance), and then utilized for strain-based sensing applications on the body including gesture recognition and vital function monitoring including blood pulse-wave and breath monitoring. A 10 gesture Natural User Interface (NUI) test protocol was utilized to show the effectiveness of a single wrist-mounted sensor to identify discrete gestures including finger and hand motions. These hand motions were chosen specifically for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) applications. The blood pulse-wave signal was monitored with the hand at rest, in a wrist-mounted. In addition different breathing patterns were investigated, including normal breathing and coughing, using a belt and chest-mounted configuration.

Exploration of Global Trend on Biomedical Application of Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA): A Patent Survey.

PubMed

Ponnaiah, Paulraj; Vnoothenei, Nagiah; Chandramohan, Muruganandham; Thevarkattil, Mohamed Javad Pazhayakath

2018-01-30

Polyhydroxyalkanoates are bio-based, biodegradable naturally occurring polymers produced by a wide range of organisms, from bacteria to higher mammals. The properties and biocompatibility of PHA make it possible for a wide spectrum of applications. In this context, we analyze the potential applications of PHA in biomedical science by exploring the global trend through the patent survey. The survey suggests that PHA is an attractive candidate in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packaging material as well as other useful products. In our present study, we explored patents associated with various biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates. Patent databases of European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office and World Intellectual Property Organization were mined. We developed an intensive exploration approach to eliminate overlapping patents and sort out significant patents. We demarcated the keywords and search criterions and established search patterns for the database request. We retrieved documents within the recent 6 years, 2010 to 2016 and sort out the collected data stepwise to gather the most appropriate documents in patent families for further scrutiny. By this approach, we retrieved 23,368 patent documents from all the three databases and the patent titles were further analyzed for the relevance of polyhydroxyalkanoates in biomedical applications. This ensued in the documentation of approximately 226 significant patents associated with biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates and the information was classified into six major groups. Polyhydroxyalkanoates has been patented in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packaging material as well as other useful products. There are many avenues through which PHA & PHB could be used. Our analysis shows patent information can be used to identify various applications of PHA and its representatives in the biomedical field. Upcoming studies can focus on the application of PHA in the different field to discover the related topics and associate to this study. We believe that this approach of analysis and findings can initiate new researchers to undertake similar kind of studies in their represented field to fill the gap between the patent articles and researchpublications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Biomedical informatics and the convergence of Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno (NBIC) technologies.

PubMed

Martin-Sanchez, F; Maojo, V

2009-01-01

To analyze the role that biomedical informatics could play in the application of the NBIC Converging Technologies in the medical field and raise awareness of these new areas throughout the Biomedical Informatics community. Review of the literature and analysis of the reference documents in this domain from the biomedical informatics perspective. Detailing existing developments showing that partial convergence of technologies have already yielded relevant results in biomedicine (such as bioinformatics or biochips). Input from current projects in which the authors are involved is also used. Information processing is a key issue in enabling the convergence of NBIC technologies. Researchers in biomedical informatics are in a privileged position to participate and actively develop this new scientific direction. The experience of biomedical informaticians in five decades of research in the medical area and their involvement in the completion of the Human and other genome projects will help them participate in a similar role for the development of applications of converging technologies -particularly in nanomedicine. The proposed convergence will bring bridges between traditional disciplines. Particular attention should be placed on the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by the NBIC convergence. These technologies provide new directions for research and education in Biomedical Informatics placing a greater emphasis in multidisciplinary approaches.

Design and development of novel antibacterial Ti-Ni-Cu shape memory alloys for biomedical application.

PubMed

Li, H F; Qiu, K J; Zhou, F Y; Li, L; Zheng, Y F

2016-11-29

In the case of medical implants, foreign materials are preferential sites for bacterial adhesion and microbial contamination, which can lead to the development of prosthetic infections. Commercially biomedical TiNi shape memory alloys are the most commonly used materials for permanent implants in contact with bone and dental, and the prevention of infections of TiNi biomedical shape memory alloys in clinical cases is therefore a crucial challenge for orthopaedic and dental surgeons. In the present study, copper has been chosen as the alloying element for design and development novel ternary biomedical Ti‒Ni‒Cu shape memory alloys with antibacterial properties. The effects of copper alloying element on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors, cytocompatibility and antibacterial properties of biomedical Ti‒Ni‒Cu shape memory alloys have been systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys have good mechanical properties, and remain the excellent shape memory effects after adding copper alloying element. The corrosion behaviors of Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys are better than the commercial biomedical Ti‒50.8Ni alloys. The Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys exhibit excellent antibacterial properties while maintaining the good cytocompatibility, which would further guarantee the potential application of Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys as future biomedical implants and devices without inducing bacterial infections.

Design and development of novel antibacterial Ti-Ni-Cu shape memory alloys for biomedical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H. F.; Qiu, K. J.; Zhou, F. Y.; Li, L.; Zheng, Y. F.

2016-11-01

In the case of medical implants, foreign materials are preferential sites for bacterial adhesion and microbial contamination, which can lead to the development of prosthetic infections. Commercially biomedical TiNi shape memory alloys are the most commonly used materials for permanent implants in contact with bone and dental, and the prevention of infections of TiNi biomedical shape memory alloys in clinical cases is therefore a crucial challenge for orthopaedic and dental surgeons. In the present study, copper has been chosen as the alloying element for design and development novel ternary biomedical Ti‒Ni‒Cu shape memory alloys with antibacterial properties. The effects of copper alloying element on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors, cytocompatibility and antibacterial properties of biomedical Ti‒Ni‒Cu shape memory alloys have been systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys have good mechanical properties, and remain the excellent shape memory effects after adding copper alloying element. The corrosion behaviors of Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys are better than the commercial biomedical Ti‒50.8Ni alloys. The Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys exhibit excellent antibacterial properties while maintaining the good cytocompatibility, which would further guarantee the potential application of Ti‒Ni‒Cu alloys as future biomedical implants and devices without inducing bacterial infections.

All-optical photoacoustic microscopy (AOPAM) system for remote characterization of biological tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampathkumar, Ashwin; Chitnis, Parag V.; Silverman, Ronald H.

2014-03-01

Conventional photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) employs light pulses to produce a photoacoustic (PA) effect and detects the resulting acoustic waves using an ultrasound transducer acoustically coupled to the target. The resolution of conventional PAM is limited by the sensitivity and bandwidth of the ultrasound transducer. We investigated a versatile, all-optical PAM (AOPAM) system for characterizing in vivo as well as ex vivo biological specimens. The system employs non-contact interferometric detection of PA signals that overcomes limitations of conventional PAM. A 532-nm pump laser with a pulse duration of 5 ns excites the PA effect in tissue. Resulting acoustic waves produce surface displacements that are sensed using a 532-nm continuous-wave (CW) probe laser in a Michelson interferometer with a 1- GHz bandwidth. The pump and probe beams are coaxially focused using a 50X objective giving a diffraction-limited spot size of 0.48 μm. The phase-encoded probe beam is demodulated using homodyne methods. The detected timedomain signal is time reversed using k-space wave-propagation methods to produce a spatial distribution of PA sources in the target tissue. A minimum surface-displacement sensitivity of 0.19 pm was measured. PA-induced surface displacements are very small; therefore, they impose stringent detection requirements and determine the feasibility of implementing an all-optical PAM in biomedical applications. 3D PA images of ex vivo porcine retina specimens were generated successfully. We believe the AOPAM system potentially is well suited for assessing retinal diseases and other near-surface biomedical applications such as sectionless histology and evaluation of skin burns and pressure or friction ulcers.

Patchwork Coating of Fragmented Ultra-Thin Films and Their Biomedical Applications in Burn Therapy and Antithrombotic Coating

PubMed Central

Okamura, Yosuke; Nagase, Yu; Takeoka, Shinji

2015-01-01

We have proposed free-standing centimeter-sized ultra-thin films (nanosheets) for biomedical applications. Such nanosheets exhibit unique properties such as transparency, flexibility, and good adhesiveness. However, they are only easily adhered to broad and flat surfaces due to their dimensions. To this end, we recently proposed an innovative nanomaterial: the nanosheets fragmented into submillimeter-size pieces. Intriguingly, such fragmented nanosheets could be adhered to uneven and irregular surfaces in addition to flat surfaces in a spread-out “patchwork” manner. We herein review the fabrication procedure and characterization of fragmented nanosheets composed of biodegradable polyesters and thermostable bio-friendly polymers, and their biomedical applications in burn therapy and antithrombotic coating using a “patchwork coating”. PMID:28793663

Patchwork Coating of Fragmented Ultra-Thin Films and Their Biomedical Applications in Burn Therapy and Antithrombotic Coating.

PubMed

Okamura, Yosuke; Nagase, Yu; Takeoka, Shinji

2015-11-11

We have proposed free-standing centimeter-sized ultra-thin films (nanosheets) for biomedical applications. Such nanosheets exhibit unique properties such as transparency, flexibility, and good adhesiveness. However, they are only easily adhered to broad and flat surfaces due to their dimensions. To this end, we recently proposed an innovative nanomaterial: the nanosheets fragmented into submillimeter-size pieces. Intriguingly, such fragmented nanosheets could be adhered to uneven and irregular surfaces in addition to flat surfaces in a spread-out "patchwork" manner. We herein review the fabrication procedure and characterization of fragmented nanosheets composed of biodegradable polyesters and thermostable bio-friendly polymers, and their biomedical applications in burn therapy and antithrombotic coating using a "patchwork coating".

Applications of nanotechnology, next generation sequencing and microarrays in biomedical research.

PubMed

Elingaramil, Sauli; Li, Xiaolong; He, Nongyue

2013-07-01

Next-generation sequencing technologies, microarrays and advances in bio nanotechnology have had an enormous impact on research within a short time frame. This impact appears certain to increase further as many biomedical institutions are now acquiring these prevailing new technologies. Beyond conventional sampling of genome content, wide-ranging applications are rapidly evolving for next-generation sequencing, microarrays and nanotechnology. To date, these technologies have been applied in a variety of contexts, including whole-genome sequencing, targeted re sequencing and discovery of transcription factor binding sites, noncoding RNA expression profiling and molecular diagnostics. This paper thus discusses current applications of nanotechnology, next-generation sequencing technologies and microarrays in biomedical research and highlights the transforming potential these technologies offer.

Promising iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Tran, Phuong Ha-Lien; Tran, Thao Truong-Dinh; Vo, Toi Van; Lee, Beom-Jin

2012-12-01

For the past few decades biomedical engineering has imprinted its significant impact on the map of science through its wide applications on many other fields. An important example obviously proving this fact is the versatile application of magnetic nanoparticles in theranostics. Due to preferable properties such as biocompatibility, non-toxicity compared to other metal derivations, iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles was chosen to be addressed in this review. Aim of this review is to give the readers a whole working window of these magnetic nanoparticles in the current context of science. Thus, preparation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with the so-far techniques, methods of characterizing the nanoparticles as well as their most recent biomedical applications will be stated.

[Flexible print circuit technology application in biomedical engineering].

PubMed

Jiang, Lihua; Cao, Yi; Zheng, Xiaolin

2013-06-01

Flexible print circuit (FPC) technology has been widely applied in variety of electric circuits with high precision due to its advantages, such as low-cost, high specific fabrication ability, and good flexibility, etc. Recently, this technology has also been used in biomedical engineering, especially in the development of microfluidic chip and microelectrode array. The high specific fabrication can help making microelectrode and other micro-structure equipment. And good flexibility allows the micro devices based on FPC technique to be easily packaged with other parts. In addition, it also reduces the damage of microelectrodes to the tissue. In this paper, the application of FPC technology in biomedical engineering is introduced. Moreover, the important parameters of FPC technique and the development trend of prosperous applications is also discussed.

A roadmap of clustering algorithms: finding a match for a biomedical application.

PubMed

Andreopoulos, Bill; An, Aijun; Wang, Xiaogang; Schroeder, Michael

2009-05-01

Clustering is ubiquitously applied in bioinformatics with hierarchical clustering and k-means partitioning being the most popular methods. Numerous improvements of these two clustering methods have been introduced, as well as completely different approaches such as grid-based, density-based and model-based clustering. For improved bioinformatics analysis of data, it is important to match clusterings to the requirements of a biomedical application. In this article, we present a set of desirable clustering features that are used as evaluation criteria for clustering algorithms. We review 40 different clustering algorithms of all approaches and datatypes. We compare algorithms on the basis of desirable clustering features, and outline algorithms' benefits and drawbacks as a basis for matching them to biomedical applications.

Magnetoacoustic Sensing of Magnetic Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Kellnberger, Stephan; Rosenthal, Amir; Myklatun, Ahne; Westmeyer, Gil G; Sergiadis, George; Ntziachristos, Vasilis

2016-03-11

The interaction of magnetic nanoparticles and electromagnetic fields can be determined through electrical signal induction in coils due to magnetization. However, the direct measurement of instant electromagnetic energy absorption by magnetic nanoparticles, as it relates to particle characterization or magnetic hyperthermia studies, has not been possible so far. We introduce the theory of magnetoacoustics, predicting the existence of second harmonic pressure waves from magnetic nanoparticles due to energy absorption from continuously modulated alternating magnetic fields. We then describe the first magnetoacoustic system reported, based on a fiber-interferometer pressure detector, necessary for avoiding electric interference. The magnetoacoustic system confirmed the existence of previously unobserved second harmonic magnetoacoustic responses from solids, magnetic nanoparticles, and nanoparticle-loaded cells, exposed to continuous wave magnetic fields at different frequencies. We discuss how magnetoacoustic signals can be employed as a nanoparticle or magnetic field sensor for biomedical and environmental applications.

WO3 nanoparticle-based conformable pH sensor.

PubMed

Santos, Lídia; Neto, Joana P; Crespo, Ana; Nunes, Daniela; Costa, Nuno; Fonseca, Isabel M; Barquinha, Pedro; Pereira, Luís; Silva, Jorge; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira

2014-08-13

pH is a vital physiological parameter that can be used for disease diagnosis and treatment as well as in monitoring other biological processes. Metal/metal oxide based pH sensors have several advantages regarding their reliability, miniaturization, and cost-effectiveness, which are critical characteristics for in vivo applications. In this work, WO3 nanoparticles were electrodeposited on flexible substrates over metal electrodes with a sensing area of 1 mm(2). These sensors show a sensitivity of -56.7 ± 1.3 mV/pH, in a wide pH range of 9 to 5. A proof of concept is also demonstrated using a flexible reference electrode in solid electrolyte with a curved surface. A good balance between the performance parameters (sensitivity), the production costs, and simplicity of the sensors was accomplished, as required for wearable biomedical devices.

Sketching together the modern histories of science, technology, and medicine.

PubMed

Pickstone, John V

2011-03-01

This essay explores ways to "write together" the awkwardly jointed histories of "science" and "me dicine"--but it also includes other "arts" (in the old sense) and technologies. It draws especially on the historiography of medicine, but I try to use terms that are applicable across all of science, technology, and medicine (STM). I stress the variety of knowledges and practices in play at any time and the ways in which the ensembles change. I focus on the various relations of "science" and "medicine," as they were understood for a succession of periods--from mainly agricultural societies, through industrial societies, to our biomedical present--trying to sketch a history that encompasses daily practices and understandings as well as major conceptual and technical innovations. The model is meant to facilitate inquiry across topics and across times, including those to come.

Radical-Mediated Enzymatic Polymerizations

PubMed Central

Zavada, Scott R.; Battsengel, Tsatsral; Scott, Timothy F.

2016-01-01

Polymerization reactions are commonly effected by exposing monomer formulations to some initiation stimulus such as elevated temperature, light, or a chemical reactant. Increasingly, these polymerization reactions are mediated by enzymes―catalytic proteins―owing to their reaction efficiency under mild conditions as well as their environmental friendliness. The utilization of enzymes, particularly oxidases and peroxidases, for generating radicals via reduction-oxidation mechanisms is especially common for initiating radical-mediated polymerization reactions, including vinyl chain-growth polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization, thiol–ene step-growth polymerization, and polymerization via oxidative coupling. While enzyme-mediated polymerization is useful for the production of materials intended for subsequent use, it is especially well-suited for in situ polymerizations, where the polymer is formed in the place where it will be utilized. Such polymerizations are especially useful for biomedical adhesives and for sensing applications. PMID:26848652

Optofluidic sensing from inkjet-printed droplets: the enormous enhancement by evaporation-induced spontaneous flow on photonic crystal biosilica†

PubMed Central

Kong, Xianming; Xi, Yuting; LeDuff, Paul; Li, Erwen; Liu, Ye; Cheng, Li-Jing; Rorrer, Gregory L.; Tan, Hua; Wang, Alan X.

2016-01-01

Novel transducers for detecting an ultra-small volume of an analyte solution play pivotal roles in many applications such as chemical analysis, environmental protection and biomedical diagnosis. Recent advances in optofluidics offer tremendous opportunities for analyzing miniature amounts of samples with high detection sensitivity. In this work, we demonstrate enormous enhancement factors (106–107) of the detection limit for optofluidic analysis from inkjet-printed droplets by evaporation-induced spontaneous flow on photonic crystal biosilica when compared with conventional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing using the pipette dispensing technology. Our computational fluid dynamics simulation has shown a strong recirculation flow inside the 100 picoliter droplet during the evaporation process due to the thermal Marangoni effect. The combination of the evaporation-induced spontaneous flow in micron-sized droplets and the highly hydrophilic photonic crystal biosilica is capable of providing a strong convection flow to combat the reverse diffusion force, resulting in a higher concentration of the analyte molecules at the diatom surface. In the meanwhile, high density hot-spots provided by the strongly coupled plasmonic nanoparticles with photonic crystal biosilica under a 1.5 μm laser spot are verified by finite-difference time domain simulation, which is crucial for SERS sensing. Using a drop-on-demand inkjet device to dispense multiple 100 picoliter analyte droplets with pinpoint accuracy, we achieved the single molecule detection of Rhodamine 6G and label-free sensing of 4.5 × 10−17 g trinitrotoluene from only 200 nanoliter solution. PMID:27714122

Highly biocompatible yogurt-derived carbon dots as multipurpose sensors for detection of formic acid vapor and metal ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moonrinta, Sasaluck; Kwon, Binhee; In, Insik; Kladsomboon, Sumana; Sajomsang, Warayuth; Paoprasert, Peerasak

2018-07-01

Carbon dots are fascinating nanomaterials given their straightforward synthesis, unique optical properties, sensing capabilities, and biocompatibility. In this work, biocompatible carbon dots were prepared from yogurt using a two-step pyrolysis/hydrothermal method. The dots were spherical in shape with an average size of 4.7 nm. They showed blue emission under UV illumination with a quantum yield of 1.5%. Their photoluminescence was stable over three months and in both strong buffer solutions and highly concentrated salt solutions. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties of the dots were employed for vapor and metal ion sensing, respectively. For the first time, the carbon dots were integrated into an optical electronic nose, and used for the detection of formic acid vapor at room temperature. Sensing was based on monitoring the optical transmission through a carbon dot film upon exposure to vapor, and the results were confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy. The carbon dot-integrated electronic nose was able to distinguish vapor from formic acid/water solutions at different concentrations, with a detection limit of 7.3% v/v. The sensitivity of the dots to metal ions was tested by measuring the photoluminescence emission intensity at different excitation wavelengths. Principal component analysis was used to differentiate between the ions. The results suggested that interactions between carbon dots and metals ions occurred at a range of binding sites. The biocompability of the dots was demonstrated to be excellent. The study identified carbon dots produced from yogurt as multipurpose fluorescent nanomaterials with potential sensing and biomedical applications.

How to locate & hire clinical/biomedical engineers, supervisors, managers & biomedical equipment technicians.

PubMed

Pacela, A F; Brush, L C

1993-01-01

This article has described the process and the resources available for locating and hiring clinical/biomedical engineers, supervisors, managers, and biomedical equipment technicians. First, the employer must determine the qualifications for the position, including job titles, descriptions, pay scales, and certification requirements. Next, the employer must find qualified applicants. The most common way to do this is to use "outside" contacts, such as help-wanted advertising, specialized job placement agencies, schools and colleges, military resources, regional biomedical societies, and nationwide societies. An "inside" search involves limited internal advertising of the position and using personal referrals for candidates. Finally, the employer must screen the applicants. The position description is the obvious first step in this process, but there are other pre-screening techniques, such as employment testing. Interviewing is the most common way to hire for job positions, but the interviewer needs to know about the position and ask the right questions. Post-interview screening is a final step to help determine the best job-person match.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

PubMed Central

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M.L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2017-01-01

The term ‘synergy’ – from the Greek synergia – means ‘working together’. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project “The Hand Embodied” (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. PMID:26923030

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands.

PubMed

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M L; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project "The Hand Embodied" (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project ;The Hand Embodied; (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies.

Role of diversity in ICA and IVA: theory and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adalı, Tülay

2016-05-01

Independent component analysis (ICA) has been the most popular approach for solving the blind source separation problem. Starting from a simple linear mixing model and the assumption of statistical independence, ICA can recover a set of linearly-mixed sources to within a scaling and permutation ambiguity. It has been successfully applied to numerous data analysis problems in areas as diverse as biomedicine, communications, finance, geo- physics, and remote sensing. ICA can be achieved using different types of diversity—statistical property—and, can be posed to simultaneously account for multiple types of diversity such as higher-order-statistics, sample dependence, non-circularity, and nonstationarity. A recent generalization of ICA, independent vector analysis (IVA), generalizes ICA to multiple data sets and adds the use of one more type of diversity, statistical dependence across the data sets, for jointly achieving independent decomposition of multiple data sets. With the addition of each new diversity type, identification of a broader class of signals become possible, and in the case of IVA, this includes sources that are independent and identically distributed Gaussians. We review the fundamentals and properties of ICA and IVA when multiple types of diversity are taken into account, and then ask the question whether diversity plays an important role in practical applications as well. Examples from various domains are presented to demonstrate that in many scenarios it might be worthwhile to jointly account for multiple statistical properties. This paper is submitted in conjunction with the talk delivered for the "Unsupervised Learning and ICA Pioneer Award" at the 2016 SPIE Conference on Sensing and Analysis Technologies for Biomedical and Cognitive Applications.

Magnetic hydroxyapatite: a promising multifunctional platform for nanomedicine application

PubMed Central

Mondal, Sudip; Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Bharathiraja, Subramaniyan; Santha Moorthy, Madhappan; Kim, Hye Hyun; Seo, Hansu; Lee, Kang Dae; Oh, Junghwan

2017-01-01

In this review, specific attention is paid to the development of nanostructured magnetic hydroxyapatite (MHAp) and its potential application in controlled drug/gene delivery, tissue engineering, magnetic hyperthermia treatment, and the development of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Both magnetite and hydroxyapatite materials have excellent prospects in nanomedicine with multifunctional therapeutic approaches. To date, many research articles have focused on biomedical applications of nanomaterials because of which it is very difficult to focus on any particular type of nanomaterial. This study is possibly the first effort to emphasize on the comprehensive assessment of MHAp nanostructures for biomedical applications supported with very recent experimental studies. From basic concepts to the real-life applications, the relevant characteristics of magnetic biomaterials are patented which are briefly discussed. The potential therapeutic and diagnostic ability of MHAp-nanostructured materials make them an ideal platform for future nanomedicine. We hope that this advanced review will provide a better understanding of MHAp and its important features to utilize it as a promising material for multifunctional biomedical applications. PMID:29200851

DNA biosensors implemented on PNA-functionalized microstructured optical fibers Bragg gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Candiani, A.; Giannetti, S.; Cucinotta, A.; Bertucci, A.; Manicardi, A.; Konstantaki, M.; Margulis, W.; Pissadakis, S.; Corradini, R.; Selleri, S.

2013-05-01

A novel DNA sensing platform based on a Peptide Nucleic Acid - functionalized Microstructured Optical Fibers gratings has been demonstrated. The inner surface of different MOFs has been functionalized using PNA probes, OligoNucleotides mimic that are well suited for specific DNA target sequences detection. The hybrid sensing systems were tested for optical DNA detection of targets of relevance in biomedical application, using the cystic fibrosis gene mutation, and food-analysis, using the genomic DNA from genetic modified organism soy flour. After the solutions of DNA molecules has been infiltrated inside the fibers capillaries and hybridization has occurred, oligonucleotidefunctionalized gold nanoparticles were infiltrated and used to form a sandwich-like system to achieve signal amplification. Spectral measurements of the reflected signal reveal a clear wavelength shift of the reflected modes when the infiltrated complementary DNA matches with the PNA probes placed on the inner fiber surface. Measurements have also been made using the mismatched DNA solution for the c, containing a single nucleotide polymorphism, showing no significant changes in the reflected spectrum. Several experiments have been carried out demonstrating the reproducibility of the results and the high selectivity of the sensors, showing the simplicity and the potential of this approach.

The Benefits of Attending the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS): The Role of Research Confidence

PubMed Central

Casad, Bettina J.; Chang, Amy L.; Pribbenow, Christine M.

2016-01-01

The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) is designed to support undergraduate students’ professional development as future scientists. Juniors, seniors, and postbaccalaureates who attended ABRCMS during 2008–2011 were emailed a link to an online questionnaire in which they reported their experiences at the conference. Attendees reported many ABRCMS-provided benefits. Frequency of attending or presenting at ABRCMS is positively related to science self-efficacy, research confidence, sense of belonging in science, and intentions to pursue a research degree in graduate school. Increased research confidence predicts graduate school plans and intentions for a research career in science; however, men were slightly more likely to intend to pursue a research career than women, likely due to higher research confidence. Although all attendees benefited from ABRCMS, underrepresented minority (URM) students had higher science self-efficacy and sense of belonging in science after attending ABRCMS than non-URM students. This finding demonstrates the effectiveness of ABRCMS as an intervention to increase the representation and success of URMs in science. Results highlight the importance of attending a minority-oriented research conference where URMs can develop their science self-efficacy, research confidence, and sense of belonging in science. However, changes to the conference and undergraduate research experiences may be necessary to reduce gender gaps. PMID:27562962

Calixarenes in bio-medical researches.

PubMed

Rodik, Roman V; Boyko, Vyacheslav I; Kalchenko, Vitaly I

2009-01-01

Application of calixarene derivatives in bio-medical researches is reviewed in this article. Antiviral, bactericidal, antithrombothic, antituberculosis, anticancer activity as well as specific protein complexation, membranotropic properties and toxicity of modified calixarenes are discussed.

Introduction to biosensors.

PubMed

Bhalla, Nikhil; Jolly, Pawan; Formisano, Nello; Estrela, Pedro

2016-06-30

Biosensors are nowadays ubiquitous in biomedical diagnosis as well as a wide range of other areas such as point-of-care monitoring of treatment and disease progression, environmental monitoring, food control, drug discovery, forensics and biomedical research. A wide range of techniques can be used for the development of biosensors. Their coupling with high-affinity biomolecules allows the sensitive and selective detection of a range of analytes. We give a general introduction to biosensors and biosensing technologies, including a brief historical overview, introducing key developments in the field and illustrating the breadth of biomolecular sensing strategies and the expansion of nanotechnological approaches that are now available. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Emerging Trends and Future Prospects.

PubMed

Chimene, David; Alge, Daniel L; Gaharwar, Akhilesh K

2015-12-02

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are ultrathin nanomaterials with a high degree of anisotropy and chemical functionality. Research on 2D nanomaterials is still in its infancy, with the majority of research focusing on elucidating unique material characteristics and few reports focusing on biomedical applications of 2D nanomaterials. Nevertheless, recent rapid advances in 2D nanomaterials have raised important and exciting questions about their interactions with biological moieties. 2D nanoparticles such as carbon-based 2D materials, silicate clays, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and transition metal oxides (TMOs) provide enhanced physical, chemical, and biological functionality owing to their uniform shapes, high surface-to-volume ratios, and surface charge. Here, we focus on state-of-the-art biomedical applications of 2D nanomaterials as well as recent developments that are shaping this emerging field. Specifically, we describe the unique characteristics that make 2D nanoparticles so valuable, as well as the biocompatibility framework that has been investigated so far. Finally, to both capture the growing trend of 2D nanomaterials for biomedical applications and to identify promising new research directions, we provide a critical evaluation of potential applications of recently developed 2D nanomaterials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thermomechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid-Graphene Composites: A State-of-the-Art Review for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Due to its biodegradable and bioabsorbable characteristics polylactic acid (PLA) has attracted considerable attention for numerous biomedical applications. Moreover, a number of tissue engineering problems for function restoration of impaired tissues have been addressed by using PLA and its copolymers due to their biocompatibility and distinctive mechanical properties. Recent studies on various stereocomplex formation between enantiomeric PLA, poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactide) (PDLA) indicated that stereocomplexation enhances the mechanical properties as well as the thermal- and hydrolysis-resistance of PLA polymers. On the other hand, biomedical application of graphene is a relatively new front with significant potential. Many recent reports have indicated that understanding of graphene-cell (or tissue, organ) interactions; particularly the cellular uptake mechanisms are still challenging. Therefore, use of graphene or graphene oxide properly embedded in suitable PLA matrices can positively impact and accelerate the growth, differentiation, and proliferation of stem cells, conceivably minimizing concerns over cytotoxicity of graphene. As such, PLA-graphene composites hold great promise in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and in other biomedical fields. However, since PLA is classified as a hard bio-polyester prone to hydrolysis, understanding and engineering of thermo-mechanical properties of PLA-graphene composites are very crucial for such cutting-edge applications. Hence, this review aims to present an overview of current advances in the preparation and applications of PLA-graphene composites and their properties with focus on various biomedical uses such as scaffolds, drug delivery, cancer therapy, and biological imaging, together with a brief discussion on the challenges and perspectives for future research in this field. PMID:28773109

Cloud computing applications for biomedical science: A perspective.

PubMed

Navale, Vivek; Bourne, Philip E

2018-06-01

Biomedical research has become a digital data-intensive endeavor, relying on secure and scalable computing, storage, and network infrastructure, which has traditionally been purchased, supported, and maintained locally. For certain types of biomedical applications, cloud computing has emerged as an alternative to locally maintained traditional computing approaches. Cloud computing offers users pay-as-you-go access to services such as hardware infrastructure, platforms, and software for solving common biomedical computational problems. Cloud computing services offer secure on-demand storage and analysis and are differentiated from traditional high-performance computing by their rapid availability and scalability of services. As such, cloud services are engineered to address big data problems and enhance the likelihood of data and analytics sharing, reproducibility, and reuse. Here, we provide an introductory perspective on cloud computing to help the reader determine its value to their own research.

Cloud computing applications for biomedical science: A perspective

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Biomedical research has become a digital data–intensive endeavor, relying on secure and scalable computing, storage, and network infrastructure, which has traditionally been purchased, supported, and maintained locally. For certain types of biomedical applications, cloud computing has emerged as an alternative to locally maintained traditional computing approaches. Cloud computing offers users pay-as-you-go access to services such as hardware infrastructure, platforms, and software for solving common biomedical computational problems. Cloud computing services offer secure on-demand storage and analysis and are differentiated from traditional high-performance computing by their rapid availability and scalability of services. As such, cloud services are engineered to address big data problems and enhance the likelihood of data and analytics sharing, reproducibility, and reuse. Here, we provide an introductory perspective on cloud computing to help the reader determine its value to their own research. PMID:29902176

Structural Design and Physicochemical Foundations of Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Li, Qingyong; Ning, Zhengxiang; Ren, Jiaoyan; Liao, Wenzhen

2018-01-01

Biomedical research, known as medical research, is conducive to support and promote the development of knowledge in the field of medicine. Hydrogels have been extensively used in many biomedical fields due to their highly absorbent and flexible properties. The smart hydrogels, especially, can respond to a broad range of external stimuli such as temperature, pH value, light, electric and magnetic fields. With excellent biocompatibility, tunable rheology, mechanical properties, porosity, and hydrated molecular structure, hydrogels are considered as promising candidate for simulating local tissue microenvironment. In this review article, we mainly focused on the most recent development of engineering synthetic hydrogels; moreover, the classification, properties, especially the biomedical applications including tissue engineering and cell scaffolding, drug and gene delivery, immunotherapies and vaccines, are summarized and discussed. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Applications of Nanoflowers in Biomedicine.

PubMed

Negahdary, Masoud; Heli, Hossein

2018-02-14

Nanotechnology has opened new windows for biomedical researches and treatment of diseases. Nanostructures with flower-like shapes (nanoflowers) which have exclusive morphology and properties have been interesting for many researchers. In this review, various applications of nanoflowers in biomedical researches and patents from various aspects have been investigated and reviewed. Nanoflowers attracted serious attentions in whole biomedical fields such as cardiovascular diseases, microbiology, sensors and biosensors, biochemical and cellular studies, cancer therapy, healthcare, etc. The competitive power of nanoflowers against other in use technologies provides successful achievements in the progress of mentioned biomedical studies. The use of nanoflowers in biomedicine leads to improving accuracy, reducing time to achieve the results, reducing costs, creating optimal treatment conditions as well as avoiding side effects of the treatment of specific diseases, and increasing functional strength. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

UMLS content views appropriate for NLP processing of the biomedical literature vs. clinical text.

PubMed

Demner-Fushman, Dina; Mork, James G; Shooshan, Sonya E; Aronson, Alan R

2010-08-01

Identification of medical terms in free text is a first step in such Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks as automatic indexing of biomedical literature and extraction of patients' problem lists from the text of clinical notes. Many tools developed to perform these tasks use biomedical knowledge encoded in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus. We continue our exploration of automatic approaches to creation of subsets (UMLS content views) which can support NLP processing of either the biomedical literature or clinical text. We found that suppression of highly ambiguous terms in the conservative AutoFilter content view can partially replace manual filtering for literature applications, and suppression of two character mappings in the same content view achieves 89.5% precision at 78.6% recall for clinical applications. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Ordinal symbolic analysis and its application to biomedical recordings

PubMed Central

Amigó, José M.; Keller, Karsten; Unakafova, Valentina A.

2015-01-01

Ordinal symbolic analysis opens an interesting and powerful perspective on time-series analysis. Here, we review this relatively new approach and highlight its relation to symbolic dynamics and representations. Our exposition reaches from the general ideas up to recent developments, with special emphasis on its applications to biomedical recordings. The latter will be illustrated with epilepsy data. PMID:25548264

Metrological reliability of optical coherence tomography in biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goloni, C. M.; Temporão, G. P.; Monteiro, E. C.

2013-09-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been proving to be an efficient diagnostics technique for imaging in vivo tissues, an optical biopsy with important perspectives as a diagnostic tool for quantitative characterization of tissue structures. Despite its established clinical use, there is no international standard to address the specific requirements for basic safety and essential performance of OCT devices for biomedical imaging. The present work studies the parameters necessary for conformity assessment of optoelectronics equipment used in biomedical applications like Laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), and OCT, targeting to identify the potential requirements to be considered in the case of a future development of a particular standard for OCT equipment. In addition to some of the particular requirements standards for laser and IPL, also applicable for metrological reliability analysis of OCT equipment, specific parameters for OCT's evaluation have been identified, considering its biomedical application. For each parameter identified, its information on the accompanying documents and/or its measurement has been recommended. Among the parameters for which the measurement requirement was recommended, including the uncertainty evaluation, the following are highlighted: optical radiation output, axial and transverse resolution, pulse duration and interval, and beam divergence.

Functional supramolecular polymers for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Dong, Ruijiao; Zhou, Yongfeng; Huang, Xiaohua; Zhu, Xinyuan; Lu, Yunfeng; Shen, Jian

2015-01-21

As a novel class of dynamic and non-covalent polymers, supramolecular polymers not only display specific structural and physicochemical properties, but also have the ability to undergo reversible changes of structure, shape, and function in response to diverse external stimuli, making them promising candidates for widespread applications ranging from academic research to industrial fields. By an elegant combination of dynamic/reversible structures with exceptional functions, functional supramolecular polymers are attracting increasing attention in various fields. In particular, functional supramolecular polymers offer several unique advantages, including inherent degradable polymer backbones, smart responsiveness to various biological stimuli, and the ease for the incorporation of multiple biofunctionalities (e.g., targeting and bioactivity), thereby showing great potential for a wide range of applications in the biomedical field. In this Review, the trends and representative achievements in the design and synthesis of supramolecular polymers with specific functions are summarized, as well as their wide-ranging biomedical applications such as drug delivery, gene transfection, protein delivery, bio-imaging and diagnosis, tissue engineering, and biomimetic chemistry. These achievements further inspire persistent efforts in an emerging interdisciplin-ary research area of supramolecular chemistry, polymer science, material science, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lignocellulosic Biomass Derived Functional Materials: Synthesis and Applications in Biomedical Engineering.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Peng, Xinwen; Zhong, Linxin; Chua, Weitian; Xiang, Zhihua; Sun, Runcang

2017-09-18

The pertinent issue of resources shortage arising from global climate change in the recent years has accentuated the importance of materials that are environmental friendly. Despite the merits of current material like cellulose as the most abundant natural polysaccharide on earth, the incorporation of lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to value-add the recent development of cellulose-derivatives in drug delivery systems. Lignocellulosic biomass, with a hierarchical structure, comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. As an excellent substrate that is renewable, biodegradable, biocompatible and chemically accessible for modified materials, lignocellulosic biomass sets forth a myriad of applications. To date, materials derived from lignocellulosic biomass have been extensively explored for new technological development and applications, such as biomedical, green electronics and energy products. In this review, chemical constituents of lignocellulosic biomass are first discussed before we critically examine the potential alternatives in the field of biomedical application. In addition, the pretreatment methods for extracting cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from lignocellulosic biomass as well as their biological applications including drug delivery, biosensor, tissue engineering etc will be reviewed. It is anticipated there will be an increasing interest and research findings in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from natural resources, which help provide important directions for the development in biomedical applications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.