Nanoskin Saves Lives and Limbs

Engineers and experts in orthopedics at Brown University are applying nanotechnology to medicine called nanomedicine to mimic the tiniest features and contours of the human skin. Skin servers as a barrier to keep bacteria out of the body. Researchers believe by mimicking skin the likelihood of infections will be cut down.

The researchers at Brown University are focusing on providing protection to patients who suffered a loss of a limb. Patients often want to be able to use a prosthetic limb to be able to do day-to-day activities, but there is still a risk of the prosthetic causing an infection. Often screws are used to attach the prosthetic device to the bone, but bacteria can grow on the screws causing an infections. To prevent infections caused by bacteria growing on the screws, researchers have developed a screw that mimics tissue like features. The screw has a different texture, is dipped in hydrofluoric acid, and at the same time has a voltage applied to it.

This technology is still in the study phase, but has great potential to save people from infections caused by screws or other mechanical components that are implanted in the body. 

 http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2011/09/904a.html