Book Summary:
BioMEMS devices are as important to the future of medicine as microprocessors were to the computer revolution at the end of the last century. BioMEMS is a science that includes more than simply finding biomedical applications for microelectromechanical systems devices. It represents an expansion into a host of new polymer materials, microfluidic physics, surface chemistries and their modification, "soft" fabrication techniques, biocompatibility, and cost-effective solutions to biomedical problems. It brings together the creative talents of electrical, mechanical, optical, and chemical engineers, materials specialists, clinical laboratory scientists, and physicians. BioMEMS devices are the platform upon which nanomedicine will be delivered. Based on the author's course on bioMEMS at the University of Minnesota, this book is an introduction to the science and a survey of the state of the art. Topics include microfabrication of silicon, glass, and polymer devices; microfluidics and electrokinetics; sensors, actuators, and drug delivery systems; micro-total-analysis systems and lab-on-a-chip devices; detection and measuring systems; genomics, proteomics, DNA, and protein microarrays; emerging applications in medicine, research, and homeland security; and packaging, biocompatibility, and ISO 10993 testing. |