Nanotechnology is completely revolutionizing the entire medical industry, enabling medical professionals to operate with previously unthought of levels of precision. The medical and technology industries are becoming inseparably linked. The medical technology sector, in North America alone, is forecast to grow by almost 7.5 percent year on year up to 2017, when it is expected to be worth more than $31.1 billion, from under $22 billion in 2012*.
Some of the most astounding medical achievements of the past decade have been the result of developments in nanotechnology, including nanoscale mechanisms, or nanobots, constructed from DNA particles, which can be used to carry out molecular repairs to the body, helping to reduce the number of invasive surgeries carried out. Nanobots have the potential to carry out a wide range of medical procedures, from repairing cells to carrying out biopsies.
It doesn’t always have to be about repairing cells either, NanoMediTech are developing nanobots that are designed to transport other substances, such as anti-cancer treatments, directly to lymphoma in the body where the treatment can be activated. While chemotherapy is an effective anti-cancer treatment, it also has a number of undesirable side effects, causing damage to healthy cells throughout the body. These nanobots can reduce the scattergun effect of these treatments to help specifically target the unhealthy cells, increasing the effectiveness and reducing the side effects in one go.
Nanotechnology is not just advancing treatments, but is assisting in many other medical fields as well. One of NanoMediTech’s projects is looking at ways that nanoparticles can be used to increase surgeon’s internal imaging capabilities. The nanoparticles can be combined with specific dyes that react with problem tissue helping surgeons to gain a clearer picture and act from a better informed position. This has the potential to speed up surgeries and make them more efficient.
*According to “North American Healthcare IT Market Report 2013-2017” by Research and Markets.