Developments in Nanotechnology Volume 3: Nanotechnology in Medicine and the Biosciences
Major parts of this book are recommended as introductory reading for young graduates entering multidisciplinary science and the authors should be discriminating in the use of the term biocompatibility of a material.
Abstract
This book is divided into seven sections dealing with a broad range of topics. To mention a few, clinical aspects of miniaturization in surgery, description of `hair' sensory cells in the inner ear, possible materials nanofabrication for bioapplications, SPM imaging, excimer lasers in surgery, biomaterials, cell surface interactions, molecular assembly and drug delivery systems are all briefly covered. The broad content of the book, intended for younger scientists, is a selection of presentations originally given on the First UK National Symposium on Nanotechnology in Medicine in 1994. The chapters are short, informative, and well written. The choice of presentations is balanced as seen from the non-specialist's perspective. For the reviewer, with basic training in physics, it was enlightening to read the basics in microsurgery, how doctors make bloodless incisions in the eye, considerations behind the choice of surgical lasers, and what miniaturization could bring here for future. In this same spirit, I also found that the two last presentations on particle engineering and vaccine design using nanotechnological techniques were highly informative and interesting. Actually, I started to think; how can I apply this? The less interesting parts in this book dealt with the nano-processing techniques per se, biological applications of SPM, and biocompatible materials. In these areas, many review articles and basic technology books have presented more updated and comprehensive descriptions of the techniques. Also, the authors should be discriminating in the use of the term biocompatibility of a material. A material used as an inorganic construction material is not biocompatible merely because it is used. The illustrations in this book are somewhat poor. Improved quality and more informative illustrations could have raised the readability of the book. In summary, major parts of this book are recommended as introductory reading for young graduates entering multidisciplinary science.