NANOMEDICINE: A Biomedical Engineering Boon Abstract

In recent days one of the greatest innovation in the field of biomedical engineering is nanomedicine. Only within the last 50 years has medical science begun to examine disease pathology on a molecular level; thus, from a molecular viewpoint, modern medicine remains crude. For example, today's drug is essentially a single molecule with an often sophisticated but always limited repertoire. With nanomedicine, tomorrow's "smart pharmaceuticals" could essentially be programmable machines with a range of "sensory," "decision-making," and "effector" capabilities. So what exactly is nanomedicine? Technically it is the application of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease in the human body. The most elementary of nanomedical devices will be used in the diagnosis of illnesses. A more advanced use of nanotechnology might involve implanted devices to dispense drugs or hormones as needed in people with chronic imbalance or deficiency states. Lastly, the most advanced nanomedicine involves the use of nanorobots as miniature surgeon.