Nanotechnology is science and engineering at the scale of atoms and molecules

How Nanotech is a major player in Health sector?

1. Nanomedicine

• Treatment and diagnostics of various diseases using nanoparticles in medical devices
• Smart pills - sensing, imaging, and drug delivery through nano-level electronic devices that are shaped and designed like pharmaceutical pills
• Cancer detection and treatment - Through efficient delivery of drugs and other therapeutic treatments to specific tumor sites and target cells with low toxic side-effects

2. Nanobots

• Micro-scale robots, which essentially serve as miniature surgeons
• Repair and replace intracellular structures
• Replicate in Body to correct a deficiency in genetics or even eradicate diseases by replacing DNA molecules (under development)
• Clear artery blockages by drilling through them

3. Nanofibers

• Used in wound dressings, surgical textiles, implants, tissue engineering, and artificial organ components
• ‘Smart bandages’, which when left on the site, will absorb itself into the tissue once the wound heals.

4. Nanotech-based wearables

• Remote patient monitoring
• Embedded nano sensors in the cloth that record medical data such as heartbeat, sweat components, and blood pressure
• Helps save lives by alerting the wearer and medical professionals of any adverse changes faced by the body

ADVANTAGES OF NANAOTECH IN HEALTHCARE

• Increased sensitivity:
  • High surface area-to-volume ratios in these techs allows for enhanced interactions with biological molecules
  • Increased sensitivity enables the detection of very low concentrations of biomarkers or disease-related molecules, even in early stages of diseases
• Early Disease Detection: Nanotechnology-based diagnostic tools can detect diseases at their early stages, even before symptoms become apparent
• Point-of-Care testing: Development of portable and rapid diagnostic devices that can be used at the point of care, such as in a doctor's office, at home, or in resource-limited settings. This improves accessibility to healthcare, especially in remote or underserved areas
• Non-Invasive testing: Development of non-invasive diagnostic techniques, reducing the need for invasive procedures and improving patient comfort
• Imaging enhancements: Contrast agents in various medical imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound. These agents improve imaging sensitivity and specificity, aiding in more accurate diagnoses
• Targeted Drug Delivery: Targeted drug delivery minimizes side effects and improves the efficiency of treatments.
• Biomarker discovery: Help identify new biomarkers for specific diseases, leading to better diagnostic criteria and personalized medicine approaches
• Cost-effectiveness: Has the potential to lower the cost of medical diagnostics and improve healthcare efficiency through miniaturization and automation of diagnostic devices