Biosensors are analytical devices that utilise biological responses to create electrical signals and ultimately an analysis of a substance. Biological systems such as antibodies or enzymes are attached to carbon nanotubes or nanowires that act as transistors.
When a protein binds, it interacts with the electrons traveling through the nanotube or nanowire, altering its conductivity. This principle can used to detect biological molecules or viruses in the air, water or blood. The nanowires or nanotubes can be placed in arrays, each with a different antibody to detect multiple molecules at once.
The unique properties of nanowires and carbon nanotubes mean that these sensors can detect smaller molecules and molecules that are present in smaller quantities. Biosensors have many potential benefits including earlier detection of diseases, monitoring blood glucose more accurately and monitoring particles in the air and water to create safer working environments and products.
Smalltech Solutions Ltd utilises class 100/1000 cleanroom facilities to provide specialist nanotechnology engineering services in micro and nanoscale fabrication.
Smalltech Solutions with its growing team of professional engineers, leverages access to state of the art laboratories in the UK and Europe. The company has secured favourable terms with leading nanotechnology centres of excellence in the UK and Europe to make use of these facilities for the purpose of commercial services and prototype manufacturing.
Smalltech Solutions works with university researchers and companies, from start-up to multinational, as an agile outsourced resource for nanotechnology fabrication projects.
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Nanotechnology is being applied in healthcare to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses.
Nanotechnology has already helped to create antimicrobial coatings that can minimise the spread of bacteria and viruses, reducing the risk of patient exposure. Furthermore, nanoscale filters can help to reduce pathogens in the air and liquids that patients are exposed to. Point-Of-Care and Lab-On-A-Chip devices can help detect disease earlier and without the need to send samples to be processed. Nanotechnology is also helping to create more effective drugs with novel means of delivery that help the drugs reach their intended target, which has particular benefits for cancer treatments.
Applications of nanotechnology are helping to dramatically improve healthcare and are ultimately making medicine more preventative. These applications are reducing the spread of pathogens, enabling doctors to detect diseases earlier or even before they have started to show symptoms and creating more efficient drugs that have fewer side-effects. Nanotechnology is therefore an indispensable tool in improving healthcare products and making them more competitive.
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