26. Nanotechnologies in medicine 2: nanotechnologies in medical diagnostics. Early in vitro diagnostics. Nanosensors - detection mechanisms and types. Nanoparticles in imaging diagnostics. Nanotechnologies in tissue engineering and for new biocompatible materials
Explains how nanotechnology supports early diagnostics, covering gold nanoparticles, quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles used in in vitro tests. It then describes nanosensor components and a comparison table of optical, electrochemical, mechanical and magnetic detection types. A further table sets out imaging methods such as MRI, CT, fluorescence, PET and SPECT with their nanoparticles, before outlining theranostics, tissue engineering scaffolds and biocompatible materials, including antibacterial and dental applications.
Topic 26 of 26 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Biophysics (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 6 sections, about 203 words (2 min of reading), with 16 flashcards.
In this note
Introduction
Early in vitro diagnostics
Nanosensors
Imaging diagnostics
Tissue engineering
New biocompatible materials
Introduction
Nanotechnology also helps doctors find disease earlier and build better materials for the body. Nanoparticles are small enough to interact with single molecules and cells, so they can detect very small amounts of a disease marker.
Early in vitro diagnostics
Gold nanoparticles: they change color when they gather together. Rapid lateral flow tests, such as pregnancy tests, use this visible signal.
Quantum dots: semiconductor nanocrystals that glow brightly in colors set by their size. They can mark several targets at once.
Magnetic nanoparticles: they can bind a target and pull it out of a blood sample, concentrating it for testing.
Nanosensors
A nanosensor has a recognition element, such as an antibody or DNA strand, and a transducer that turns binding into a measurable signal.
Imaging diagnostics
When one particle both shows a disease and treats it, the approach is called theranostics.
Tissue engineering
Nanofiber scaffolds: made by electrospinning, they imitate the extracellular matrix and guide cell growth.
Surface nanotopography: nanoscale surface patterns on implants can improve how cells attach.
Bone regeneration: nano-hydroxyapatite resembles the mineral of bone and helps new bone form.
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