Role for Biological Engineering of “Symbio-Bots” in Nanomedicine
摘要
In this chapter, we will explore the practical aspects of biomimetic membrane technology in nanomedicine. This focus on practical aspects will include a description of a refined definition of the discipline of biological engineering. This refined discipline of biological engineering includes the aspect of human factors concurrently with technical factors, particularly when we consider the therapeutic and diagnostic needs for nanomedicine. Such needs rely upon medical devices, either implanted or in contact with the body of a patient. The enhancements to such medical devices will require them to be “smart,” in the sense that there will need to be an improved understanding and construction of such devices to provide for long-term two-way (duplex) communication of biological molecules and signals to and from the device to the body. Concurrently, the patient needs to be accepting of such innovative “smart” devices that will have the capability to function autonomously. That is, the patient needs to understand and provide permission for the “smart” device to function autonomously. Here we return to the roadmap presented in Chap. 2 (Fig. 2.14 ) and the six questions that are at the heart of the “medical device pull” to utilize skills of materials and engineering disciplines to design the “symbio-bot” that is required to solve the clinical needs. In this chapter, major questions to be answered at the various stages of this roadmap to “pull” the medical device are: