from today on i'm going to put some discussions regarding (Fuzzy Logic) , so please check it out and put your comments .
thnx.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Can Nanotechnology Make for Greener Aerospace?
By Bahram Farahmand
The aerospace industry faces an ongoing challenge of manufacturing materials that are both stronger and lighter. Advanced materials have been used to achieve this goal. With the advent of nanotechnology, however, it may be possible to create almost perfect materials that can both save money and increase passenger safety. —
Aircraft parts are subject to varying loads during flight, which can develop cracks in high stress areas. Due to the fail-safe and crack arrest design feature of aircraft, the possibility of catastrophic failure is remote. If structural parts are not inspected and repaired on a regular basis, however, cracks will increase in size and cause structural failure and loss of life.
Aircraft inspection and subsequent repairs are costly to airlines, but this can be reduced significantly by introducing materials that have superior mechanical and fracture resistant properties. Material with enhanced mechanical and fracture properties will directly contribute to lighter structure; hence lower fuel consumption and less environmental impact.
Both high fuel prices and international efforts on climate change have brought attention to the need for greater fuel efficiency. In the aerospace industry, this has meant an increased use of advanced composite materials to reduce the weight of structures. Composites are considered to have superior properties compared to aluminum alloys and are increasingly used in aircraft and space structural components. In spite of the beneficial properties of composites, such as their light weight, their behavior in the presence of defects is not well understood. These defects can be introduced in the composite part due to impact or improper handling. Other issues of concern are damage by lightning (since the material has poor electrical conductivity), degradation due to exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and delamination caused by out-of-plane load, impact, or moisture.
Another avenue for developing better materials is nanotechnology. More and more scientists are working in this field, where material behavior must be looked at using the bottom-up approach. The ultimate goal is to gain the ability to know how to link all events that will take place when materials are subjected to external forces, from the bottom of length scale (the nanoscale) to the continuum level.
Researchers working with nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes have discovered that the tiny particles have superior mechanical properties compared to current aerospace materials. Increasingly, a concerted effort has been directed toward the possibility of their application in aerospace components. Government agencies and research institutions have directed funds towards research to incorporate nanoscale materials into existing aerospace materials to utilize their superior mechanical properties.
For instance, engineers are optimistic that a hybrid material formed by the dispersion of nanoparticles into the matrix of a polymer will have superior fracture and fatigue properties. Embedding nanoparticles into the matrix of a polymer is an art, and the key is providing an adequate amount of strength at the interface between nanoparticles and the matrix. The strength of bonds at the interface is directly related to the ultimate performance of the nanocomposite material. The integrity of the interface bond is connected to proper chemistry and the proper distribution of nanoparticles in the matrix of the parent material.
Establishing strong bonds at the interface between nanoparticles and the matrix is possible through the trial and error laboratory approach. Trial and error is costly and time-consuming, and at the end of the day it may not yield useful results.
On the other hand, a multiscale modeling technique also can establish a link between nanoparticles interfacing with the polymer matrix, and will provide the proper chemistry at the interface through quantum mechanics. Results can be relayed to higher levels via molecular dynamics and finite element methods. Thus, characterization of the interface and correlation to properties from nano- to micro- to macroscale regions is critical. Experimental characterization of the structure and mechanical properties at the interface region through the atomic force microscope (AFM) would validate the model and further strengthen our fundamental understanding of interfacial phenomena.
The AFM has another potential use for producing aerospace materials with exceptional strength and mechanical properties. It is possible to use an AFM to position the arrangement of individual atoms.
Viewing the microstructure of a typical aerospace aluminum alloy through an electron microscope reveals that the arrangement of atoms is far from perfect. These imperfections, such as dislocations, grain boundaries, and voids, can all contribute to weak mechanical properties. Indeed, it has been analytically shown that the theoretical strength (strength of a material free from defects) of a typical aluminum alloy can be 100 times larger than the actual value measured in a mechanical testing lab.
Fabricating aluminum alloys so that they are free from these defects, then, could reduce aerospace industry fuel consumption and carbon emissions significantly. One possible means of using nanotechnology to create these perfect alloys would begin with an AFM or similar nanoscale manipulator removing individual atoms from a reservoir. The manipulator would then place the individual atoms one by one on a sheet. The arrangement of the atoms would be such as to eliminate voids, displacements, and other defects. Controlling and manipulating atoms in this way may be difficult but it is possible by using the scanning tunneling microscope tips to move atoms around in order to assemble unit cells in all directions.
Over time, these perfect sheets would be layered to produce defect-free, three-dimensional objects with strength far exceeding that of objects made via conventional means.
This technique may sound far-fetched, but it is merely an extrapolation of actual experimental results. As far back as 1989, researchers working at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose were able to spell out their company's name in xenon atoms. More recently, researchers at the same lab were able to measure, down to the piconewton, how much force was required to move a cobalt atom across a copper surface. I am optimistic that the method I outlined above can be implemented in the near future for aerospace materials.
That such materials are possible is not enough to warrant their use. They must also be cost effective to employ.
To provide a sense of how expensive these materials can be and still be economically viable, consider this simple cost analysis for the fuel consumption of a typical commercial aircraft for a non-stop flight from Los Angeles to New York. The total weight of a medium-range aircraft after takeoff is approximately 500,000 pounds, including the 40,000-gallon weight of fuel. Assuming there is a 20 percent reduction in weight as a result of the new material, it will be possible to calculate the total monetary savings during the life of the aircraft. Based on the figures provided above, the gallons-per-pound ratio for this aircraft is 40,000/500,000, or 0.08 gallon/lb.
The total savings over the life of an aircraft built from nanoscale-assembled alloys is then calculated this way:
The savings is an astonishing $2,400,000,000 per plane. Furthermore, if we assume the total number of aircraft that will be fabricated with the new material is conservatively estimated to be 1,000, then the total monetary savings throughout the life of a 1,000-aircraft fleet will be almost $2.4 trillion. The calculated saving is significant for airlines and, more importantly, lowers fuel consumption and decreases an undesirable environmental impact.
To be sure, it is not simple to capture and link all events that take place along every length and time scale. Understanding the interaction of atoms at the nanoscale when a material is subjected to flight load, and then trying to connect it to the next level is a vexing problem. For example, using a multiscale model to simulate the interaction of only a few neighboring atoms that have been displaced requires considering many-body interactions. The simulation must correctly capture both the displacement and time events where atoms are vibrating as fast as a trillion times per second. Applying Newtonian mechanics to estimate the force of interaction between displaced atoms is limited because of the lack of raw computational power. It isn't an impossible problem, however, and scientists both in academia and the private sector could well solve it if they have sufficient funding.
Today's aerospace industry is constrained by a growing number of problems that, when solved, will ultimately shape its direction. While international competition requires the rapid, low-cost production of reliable, efficient and easy-to-maintain aircraft, ongoing growth in air transport calls for the development of new aircraft which can meet demanding operating criteria in terms of load and range. At the same time, society has imposed and will continue to impose increasingly stringent environmental and safety requirements on the industry.
It is thus both possible and necessary, I believe, to utilize nanotechnology to fabricate stronger and lighter material for aerospace components. By achieving this noble goal, the aerospace industry is helping itself by saving money, and helping the environment by using cleaner technology.
Bahram Farahmand is Chief Scientist at Technical Horizon Inc.Bahram Farahmand is Chief Scientist at Technical Horizon Inc.
The aerospace industry faces an ongoing challenge of manufacturing materials that are both stronger and lighter. Advanced materials have been used to achieve this goal. With the advent of nanotechnology, however, it may be possible to create almost perfect materials that can both save money and increase passenger safety. —
Aircraft parts are subject to varying loads during flight, which can develop cracks in high stress areas. Due to the fail-safe and crack arrest design feature of aircraft, the possibility of catastrophic failure is remote. If structural parts are not inspected and repaired on a regular basis, however, cracks will increase in size and cause structural failure and loss of life.
Aircraft inspection and subsequent repairs are costly to airlines, but this can be reduced significantly by introducing materials that have superior mechanical and fracture resistant properties. Material with enhanced mechanical and fracture properties will directly contribute to lighter structure; hence lower fuel consumption and less environmental impact.
Both high fuel prices and international efforts on climate change have brought attention to the need for greater fuel efficiency. In the aerospace industry, this has meant an increased use of advanced composite materials to reduce the weight of structures. Composites are considered to have superior properties compared to aluminum alloys and are increasingly used in aircraft and space structural components. In spite of the beneficial properties of composites, such as their light weight, their behavior in the presence of defects is not well understood. These defects can be introduced in the composite part due to impact or improper handling. Other issues of concern are damage by lightning (since the material has poor electrical conductivity), degradation due to exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and delamination caused by out-of-plane load, impact, or moisture.
Another avenue for developing better materials is nanotechnology. More and more scientists are working in this field, where material behavior must be looked at using the bottom-up approach. The ultimate goal is to gain the ability to know how to link all events that will take place when materials are subjected to external forces, from the bottom of length scale (the nanoscale) to the continuum level.
Researchers working with nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes have discovered that the tiny particles have superior mechanical properties compared to current aerospace materials. Increasingly, a concerted effort has been directed toward the possibility of their application in aerospace components. Government agencies and research institutions have directed funds towards research to incorporate nanoscale materials into existing aerospace materials to utilize their superior mechanical properties.
For instance, engineers are optimistic that a hybrid material formed by the dispersion of nanoparticles into the matrix of a polymer will have superior fracture and fatigue properties. Embedding nanoparticles into the matrix of a polymer is an art, and the key is providing an adequate amount of strength at the interface between nanoparticles and the matrix. The strength of bonds at the interface is directly related to the ultimate performance of the nanocomposite material. The integrity of the interface bond is connected to proper chemistry and the proper distribution of nanoparticles in the matrix of the parent material.
Establishing strong bonds at the interface between nanoparticles and the matrix is possible through the trial and error laboratory approach. Trial and error is costly and time-consuming, and at the end of the day it may not yield useful results.
On the other hand, a multiscale modeling technique also can establish a link between nanoparticles interfacing with the polymer matrix, and will provide the proper chemistry at the interface through quantum mechanics. Results can be relayed to higher levels via molecular dynamics and finite element methods. Thus, characterization of the interface and correlation to properties from nano- to micro- to macroscale regions is critical. Experimental characterization of the structure and mechanical properties at the interface region through the atomic force microscope (AFM) would validate the model and further strengthen our fundamental understanding of interfacial phenomena.
The AFM has another potential use for producing aerospace materials with exceptional strength and mechanical properties. It is possible to use an AFM to position the arrangement of individual atoms.
Viewing the microstructure of a typical aerospace aluminum alloy through an electron microscope reveals that the arrangement of atoms is far from perfect. These imperfections, such as dislocations, grain boundaries, and voids, can all contribute to weak mechanical properties. Indeed, it has been analytically shown that the theoretical strength (strength of a material free from defects) of a typical aluminum alloy can be 100 times larger than the actual value measured in a mechanical testing lab.
Fabricating aluminum alloys so that they are free from these defects, then, could reduce aerospace industry fuel consumption and carbon emissions significantly. One possible means of using nanotechnology to create these perfect alloys would begin with an AFM or similar nanoscale manipulator removing individual atoms from a reservoir. The manipulator would then place the individual atoms one by one on a sheet. The arrangement of the atoms would be such as to eliminate voids, displacements, and other defects. Controlling and manipulating atoms in this way may be difficult but it is possible by using the scanning tunneling microscope tips to move atoms around in order to assemble unit cells in all directions.
Over time, these perfect sheets would be layered to produce defect-free, three-dimensional objects with strength far exceeding that of objects made via conventional means.
This technique may sound far-fetched, but it is merely an extrapolation of actual experimental results. As far back as 1989, researchers working at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose were able to spell out their company's name in xenon atoms. More recently, researchers at the same lab were able to measure, down to the piconewton, how much force was required to move a cobalt atom across a copper surface. I am optimistic that the method I outlined above can be implemented in the near future for aerospace materials.
That such materials are possible is not enough to warrant their use. They must also be cost effective to employ.
To provide a sense of how expensive these materials can be and still be economically viable, consider this simple cost analysis for the fuel consumption of a typical commercial aircraft for a non-stop flight from Los Angeles to New York. The total weight of a medium-range aircraft after takeoff is approximately 500,000 pounds, including the 40,000-gallon weight of fuel. Assuming there is a 20 percent reduction in weight as a result of the new material, it will be possible to calculate the total monetary savings during the life of the aircraft. Based on the figures provided above, the gallons-per-pound ratio for this aircraft is 40,000/500,000, or 0.08 gallon/lb.
The total savings over the life of an aircraft built from nanoscale-assembled alloys is then calculated this way:
[The gallon/lb. ratio (0.08)] x [The cost of jet fuel (typically $5 per gallon)] x[The weight savings (500,000 pounds times 20 percent, or 100,000 pounds)] x
[The number of flights in the life of the plane (about 60,000)]
[The number of flights in the life of the plane (about 60,000)]
The savings is an astonishing $2,400,000,000 per plane. Furthermore, if we assume the total number of aircraft that will be fabricated with the new material is conservatively estimated to be 1,000, then the total monetary savings throughout the life of a 1,000-aircraft fleet will be almost $2.4 trillion. The calculated saving is significant for airlines and, more importantly, lowers fuel consumption and decreases an undesirable environmental impact.
To be sure, it is not simple to capture and link all events that take place along every length and time scale. Understanding the interaction of atoms at the nanoscale when a material is subjected to flight load, and then trying to connect it to the next level is a vexing problem. For example, using a multiscale model to simulate the interaction of only a few neighboring atoms that have been displaced requires considering many-body interactions. The simulation must correctly capture both the displacement and time events where atoms are vibrating as fast as a trillion times per second. Applying Newtonian mechanics to estimate the force of interaction between displaced atoms is limited because of the lack of raw computational power. It isn't an impossible problem, however, and scientists both in academia and the private sector could well solve it if they have sufficient funding.
Today's aerospace industry is constrained by a growing number of problems that, when solved, will ultimately shape its direction. While international competition requires the rapid, low-cost production of reliable, efficient and easy-to-maintain aircraft, ongoing growth in air transport calls for the development of new aircraft which can meet demanding operating criteria in terms of load and range. At the same time, society has imposed and will continue to impose increasingly stringent environmental and safety requirements on the industry.
It is thus both possible and necessary, I believe, to utilize nanotechnology to fabricate stronger and lighter material for aerospace components. By achieving this noble goal, the aerospace industry is helping itself by saving money, and helping the environment by using cleaner technology.
Bahram Farahmand is Chief Scientist at Technical Horizon Inc.Bahram Farahmand is Chief Scientist at Technical Horizon Inc.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
عکسهای خیره کننده از سیاره زحل:
 |
| Rhea looms over its sibling moon Epimetheus |
قمر رئا دومین قمر بزرگ سیاره زحل با قطر 946مایل معادل1513 کیلومتر در فاصله 250,000 مایلی قمر هم منظومه ای خود اپيمدئوس که قطرآن 70مایل برابر 112کیلومتر میباشد قرار دارد.
در این تصویر حلقه زحل در زمینه دیده میشود.
بر خلاف این که در این عکس رئا و اپيمدئوس بسیار به هم نزدیک دیده میشوند, فاصله هر کدام از فضاپیما به ترتیب 1.2 میلیون کیلومتر و 1.6 میلیون کیلومتر است.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
عکسهای خیره کننده از سیاره زحل:
این روز ها عکسهای خیره کنندهای از زحل توسط فضاپیمای کاسینی (cassini)ارسال میشود.
این فضاپیمادر سال1997 از زمین به مقصدنهایی زحل پرتاب شد .ماموریت این فضاپیمادر سال 2008به اتمام رسید ولی جهت مطالعات بیشتر روی پدیده برابران زحل این زمان به27 ماه دیگر تمدید شد.
یکی از مهم ترین اهداف این فضاپیما بررسی جو تيتان بزرگ ترین قمر سیاره زحل میباشد .
تيتان بیشترین شباهت را به زمین در منظومه شمسی دارد.
موسسه ناسا دوازده عدد از عکسهای زیبا وخیره کننده سیاره زحل را انتخاب کرده که سر روز یک عکس ازاین مجموعه را همراه با کمی توضیحات نمایش میدهم.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Whiskey Biofuel ??????????????????
Scientists in Scotland announced this week that they figured out a way to produce biofuel from whiskey. At first, this dram fan was horrified: Why would anyone want to waste good whiskey to make biofuel? But the process turns out to be rather brilliant.
A team of researchers at Edinburgh Napier University's Biofuel Research Center led by the center's director, biology professor Martin Tangney, have spent the last two years experimenting with two byproducts of the whiskey-making process.
They took the byproducts, a liquid from copper stills called "pot ale" and spent grains, wonderfully named "draff," and turned it into a butanol "superfuel." The butanol could then be blended with regular gasoline or diesel, similar to the way small amounts of ethanol are blended now, meaning engines wouldn't need any alterations.
The scientists used draff and pot ale from the Glenkinchie Distillery in Pencaitland, Scotland, but they're staying mum on exactly how they made the biofuel. I can only imagine there were some heady smells involved.
The potential market for transforming this organic waste into fuel is actually sizable. According to the university, the $6.25 billion whiskey industry produces more than 400 million gallons of pot ale and 187,000 tons of draff every year. So far, the scientists have filed a patent on the biofuel and plan to start a company that will develop it commercially.
I think the appropriate thing to say now is something along the lines of "cheers!" or "bottoms up!" but I'm going to go with "whiskey-biofuel!" Neat.
Photo: A whiskey library. Credit: Ethan Prater.
A team of researchers at Edinburgh Napier University's Biofuel Research Center led by the center's director, biology professor Martin Tangney, have spent the last two years experimenting with two byproducts of the whiskey-making process.
They took the byproducts, a liquid from copper stills called "pot ale" and spent grains, wonderfully named "draff," and turned it into a butanol "superfuel." The butanol could then be blended with regular gasoline or diesel, similar to the way small amounts of ethanol are blended now, meaning engines wouldn't need any alterations.
The scientists used draff and pot ale from the Glenkinchie Distillery in Pencaitland, Scotland, but they're staying mum on exactly how they made the biofuel. I can only imagine there were some heady smells involved.
The potential market for transforming this organic waste into fuel is actually sizable. According to the university, the $6.25 billion whiskey industry produces more than 400 million gallons of pot ale and 187,000 tons of draff every year. So far, the scientists have filed a patent on the biofuel and plan to start a company that will develop it commercially.
I think the appropriate thing to say now is something along the lines of "cheers!" or "bottoms up!" but I'm going to go with "whiskey-biofuel!" Neat.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
نمایش خودرو با سوخت بیومتان
استفاده از گاز متان تازگی ندارد. در اروپا و آمریکا از این گاز به عنوان منبع انرژی استفاده میکنند و به آن گاز طبیعی فشرده میگویند.
گاز متان از تجزیه و فاسد شدن گیاهان و مواد ارگانیک (آلی) و همچنین زبالههای انسانی حاصل میشود. از این گاز به طور معمول برای به حرکت در آوردن توربینها یا گرم کردن مخازن آب استفاده میکنند.
نقش متان در پدید آوردن "اثر گلخانهای" ۲۰ بار بیشتر از دی اکسید کربن است. انتشار کنترلنشدهی این گاز در فضا تأثیر بسیار زیادی در گرمتر شدن کرهی زمین دارد. با وجود این استفاده از متان در مقادیر اندک معمول است. از این گاز به عنوان منبعی گرمازا استفاده میشود و به تازگی هم به عنوان سوختی آلترناتیو برای به حرکت در آوردن خودروها.
این سوخت در زمره "سوختهای سبز" به شمار میآید و در حال حاضر بهترین آلترناتیو در برابر سوختهای معمول خودروها محسوب میشود.
بریستول، محل نمایش خودروی جدید
خودرویی که بیومتان مصرف میکند به تازگی در خیابانهای بریستول بریتانیا به نمایش گذاشته شد. این خودرو یک فولکسواگن بیتل است.
برای اینکه یک خودرو قابلیت استفاده از بیومتان را پیدا کند باید در آن تغییراتی داده شود. این تغییرات ۳ تا ۴ روز به طول خواهد انجامید. بهای این تغییرات در بریتانیا حدود ۲۵۰۰ یورو است.
اما این خودرو کماکان به مقدار مشخصی از بنزین یا دیزل نیاز دارد. با وجود این امکان اینکه سوخت آن را تنها منحصر به بیومتان کرد نیز وجود دارد.
برای رسیدن به این هدف باید تغییرات بیشتری در خودرو داده و بهای بیشتری نیز پرداخت شود.
خودرویی که در بریستول به نمایش گذاشته شد تنها برای دقایق نخست خود بعد از به راه افتادن به بنزین نیاز دارد، یعنی تا زمانی که موتور آن گرم شود. پس از آن سیستم آن به طور خودکار تغییر یافته و برای مصرف بیومتان تنظیم میشود.
این ویژگی استفاده از بنزین به عنوان گازی مضر برای محیط زیست را کاهش داده و امکان استفاده از متان به عنوان یک گاز سبز یا مفید برای محیط زیست را افزایش میدهد.
افزون بر این در صورت خالی شدن مخزن بیومتان سیستم خودرو به صورت خودکار مجددا برای مصرف بنزین تنظیم میشود.
آیا خودروهایی که با بیومتان کار میکنند خودروهای آینده خواهند بود؟ اینگرام لگه، مدیر کمپانی گرینفیول بریتانیا، به این سئوال پاسخ مثبت میدهد و میگوید: «در آینده خودروهایی با سوختهای متفاوت تولید خواهند شد، اما یکی از آنها به طور قطع خودرویی است که بیومتان مصرف میکند».
و در آن زمان، یعنی روزی که امکان استفاده از سوختهای متفاوت برای خودروها بسیار وسیع شود، دورهی بنزین به سر خواهد رسید.
DW-WORLD.DE
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Low Power Piezo Motion
Low Power Piezo Motion: "Dramatic reductions in voltage and power requireÂments are makingt..."
Published August 12, 2010
A new nanotech "wiretap" can enter living cells and monitor their activities in real time, scientists say.
Scientists used silicon nanowires to create hairpin-shaped conducting transistors that are smaller than a typical virus. The transistors are able to float freely inside the cells and "listen in" on crucial biological functions.
When put to the test inside cultured chicken heart cells, the transistors recorded changes in the cells' heartbeat-driving electrical output.
The new device is surprisingly noninvasive, said study leader Charles Lieber, a nanoscientist at Harvard University.
That's because the wires were coated with cell membrane, so that target cells were enticed to fuse the wires with their own membranes and "suck" the wires inside naturally, Lieber said.
(Related: "New Needle So Tiny It 'Injects' Meds Into Cell Organs.")
The nanowire method also eliminates the need for needle-like insertions, which can harm cells.
Nano "Wiretap" May Offer New Insights Into Body
If hooked up to an external computer, the tiny wires could potentially provide scientists with far more sophisticated analyses of human cells producing electrical impulses, such as beating heart cells or firing brain neurons (human-body interactive).
By adding protein receptors to the wires' ends, scientists could monitor real biological changes inside cells, such as the production of certain molecules.
The nanotechnology may also help nanoscientists better understand how cells interact with toxins or drugs, Lieber said.
"So this could be useful as a kind of tool for drug discovery or maybe just for understanding how neural circuits are working in a deeper manner than before."
(Read more about brain mysteries in National Geographic magazine.)
Nanotech Could Improve Medicine by "Light-Years"
Future developments of the nanowire could further blur the line between biology and technology, Lieber added.
Several transistors could be made into a "circuit" inside the cell, he suggested, and neural or heart tissue could be grown around the circuit to combine the biological functions of the cells with the power of the digital circuit.
"If you're thinking about neural implants, you might bridge hybrid tissue to this device and connect it to a prosthetic," he said. (See "Nanotech Clothing Produces Power From Motion.")
"You're going to be light-years beyond what's being done today."
Nanowire research published today in the journal Science.
Scientists used silicon nanowires to create hairpin-shaped conducting transistors that are smaller than a typical virus. The transistors are able to float freely inside the cells and "listen in" on crucial biological functions.
When put to the test inside cultured chicken heart cells, the transistors recorded changes in the cells' heartbeat-driving electrical output.
The new device is surprisingly noninvasive, said study leader Charles Lieber, a nanoscientist at Harvard University.
That's because the wires were coated with cell membrane, so that target cells were enticed to fuse the wires with their own membranes and "suck" the wires inside naturally, Lieber said.
(Related: "New Needle So Tiny It 'Injects' Meds Into Cell Organs.")
The nanowire method also eliminates the need for needle-like insertions, which can harm cells.
Nano "Wiretap" May Offer New Insights Into Body
If hooked up to an external computer, the tiny wires could potentially provide scientists with far more sophisticated analyses of human cells producing electrical impulses, such as beating heart cells or firing brain neurons (human-body interactive).
By adding protein receptors to the wires' ends, scientists could monitor real biological changes inside cells, such as the production of certain molecules.
The nanotechnology may also help nanoscientists better understand how cells interact with toxins or drugs, Lieber said.
"So this could be useful as a kind of tool for drug discovery or maybe just for understanding how neural circuits are working in a deeper manner than before."
(Read more about brain mysteries in National Geographic magazine.)
Nanotech Could Improve Medicine by "Light-Years"
Future developments of the nanowire could further blur the line between biology and technology, Lieber added.
Several transistors could be made into a "circuit" inside the cell, he suggested, and neural or heart tissue could be grown around the circuit to combine the biological functions of the cells with the power of the digital circuit.
"If you're thinking about neural implants, you might bridge hybrid tissue to this device and connect it to a prosthetic," he said. (See "Nanotech Clothing Produces Power From Motion.")
"You're going to be light-years beyond what's being done today."
hello every one
hello every one today i'm coming to start posting in my blog again after very long period of absent.
the new blog will have new features like photo of the day and particularly will scratch mechatronics right from beginning . discussing about green energy is also another new feature of the blog.
this new blog will be in both Persian and English language so that we can get some comments from friends in Iran.
hope to see u all back here and sharing comments with me.
the new blog will have new features like photo of the day and particularly will scratch mechatronics right from beginning . discussing about green energy is also another new feature of the blog.
this new blog will be in both Persian and English language so that we can get some comments from friends in Iran.
hope to see u all back here and sharing comments with me.
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