nanosensors
Microscopic measuring devices
Nanosensors are devices engineered at the nanometer scale—billionths of a meter—to detect and respond to physical, chemical, or biological stimuli.
They're used in medicine to monitor blood glucose or detect cancer markers, in environmental science to identify pollutants, and in manufacturing for quality control.
Their minuscule size allows them to operate at the cellular or molecular level: Nanosensors embedded in the bloodstream could provide continuous health monitoring.
Too small for eyes
- minusculeExtremely small in size
- infinitesimalQuantity approaching zero
- nanoparticleSubmicroscopic material fragment
- nanostructuresAtomic-scale engineered arrangements
molecular · atomic · angstrom · nanocrystals · nanowires · nanotubes · nanofibers · graphene
Detecting substances biologically
- analyteSubstance being measured
- signalMessage-conveying cue
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- transductionSignal or energy transformation
response · selectivity · specificity · sensitivity · affinity · receptors · biomarkers · fluorescence
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- MEMSMicroscale electromechanical devices
- miniaturizationReducing physical scale significantly
- microfabricationManufacturing miniature structures precisely
thin-film · deposition · etching · patterning · encapsulation · integration · multiplexing
Methods identifying problems
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
- point-of-careAt the treatment site
- wearablesBody-mounted tech devices
- food-safetyProtecting consumables from contamination
Degree of correctness
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- quantificationExpressing something numerically
repeatability · linearity · reproducibility · standards · metrology · validation · signal-to-noise · baseline
microscopic
Too small for eyes
- minusculeExtremely small in size
- infinitesimalQuantity approaching zero
- nanoparticleSubmicroscopic material fragment
nanostructures · molecular · atomic · angstrom · nanocrystals · nanowires · nanotubes · nanofibers · graphene
biosensing
Detecting substances biologically
transduction · response · selectivity · specificity · sensitivity · affinity · receptors · biomarkers · fluorescence · electrochemical
nanofabrication
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- MEMSMicroscale electromechanical devices
- miniaturizationReducing physical scale significantly
microfabrication · thin-film · deposition · etching · patterning · encapsulation · integration · multiplexing
diagnostics
Methods identifying problems
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
- point-of-careAt the treatment site
- wearablesBody-mounted tech devices
accuracy
Degree of correctness
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
quantification · repeatability · linearity · reproducibility · standards · metrology · validation · signal-to-noise · baseline · drift