Product Inspiration

Stitches could soon be a thing of the past, as this new surgical tape promises to heal wounds better and less problematic than conventional wound closure tools. The tape uses a combination of adhesives and nano pillars to create a strong bond, and is bio-degradable so that an internal (or external, for that matter) wound can be left untouched without any need to go back later and remove stitches.

In addition, the tape has micro-pockets built in that can hold medication, which could further speed the healing process and prevent infections.

This gecko tape concept has been making lots of news lately, and while its not yet really cheap enough to manufacture in large quantities, it will make a significant splash someday.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/20301/

With recent advancements in the manufacture of nano-size coatings and particles, there is a growing number of products which offer “self-cleaning” capabilities. Some of these products are simply hydrophobic (repels water), so that no sticky liquids collect on the surfaces. Others incorporate nanoparticles of silver to kill any bacteria which land on them. In particular, these silver nanoparticles have made quite an impact, and are now in everything from door handles to pens to infant shoes.

These particular products use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which reacts with light to break down any organic material. So far, the nanoparticle coating has been applied to bathroom fixtures and windows. Much like the silver nanoparticle boom, I bet we will see a bunch more applications where titanium dioxide particles are used to keep surfaces clean, such as on cars, patio furniture, and even perhaps clothing.

Where else would it be nice to have a self-cleaning product?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4696434.stm

http://corporateportal.ppg.com/NA/Glass/ResidentialGlass/Homeowners/Pr oductInformation/SunClean/

In contrast with the last entry, which was focused on a completely new method of sensing materials in a fluid, this new technology simply shrinks down a conventional method to a much smaller package. Initially, this seemed like an incremental improvement to the conventional GC-MS (gas chromatography and mass spectrometry) systems, until I read how much it really improved on the technology: The size was reduced from computer-size to matchbox-size, analysis time dropped from 15 minutes to 4 seconds, and energy consumption went from 10,000 joules to 4 joules!

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/micro-analyzer-0110.html

Technorati : MEMS, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, nano, sensor

There’s been a few new sensors over the last few years which use a cantilever design to detect materials. In essence, the cantilever is like a diving board which is vibrating at certain a certain, known frequency. When something binds or gets attached to the end of the cantilever, the change in weight causes a change in the vibration of the cantilever. Best of all, the accuracy and resolution of this method is good enough to identify a molecule by its weight alone!

Technologies like this are a great example of what MEMS technology does for us. We simply take an effect well known on the macro scale, and shrink it down for improved performance, accuracy, and price. This new and upcoming class of sensors is extremely accurate, and through the use of specialized coatings and materials, are also selective in which chemicals they sense.

http://www.physorg.com/news109264658.html

Technorati : cantilever sensor

Piezoelectric materials generate small amounts of electricity whenever they are pushed or pulled. This new discovery shows that certain nanowires exhibit piezoelectric properties, providing micro amounts of current when they are twisted or otherwise stressed. While this is obviously many years away from seeing any practical application, maybe the small size could lead to a large array of these wires that could generate a useable amount of power.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/nanowires_twist.php