Recent Patents on Biomedical Engineering (Discontinued) - Volume 5, Issue 1, 2012

We would like to thank the guest editors Drs. Sirinrath Sirivisoot, Rajesh Pareta and Thomas J. Webster for bring us the special issue focusing on novel nano-drug delivery systems and nanomaterials for treatments of major human diseases. Applications to several human diseases were reviewed, which include cardiovascular diseases (David A. Stout and Thomas J. Webster), diabetes (Rajesh A. Pareta), bone and cartilage Read More

Nanotechnology has drawn much attention in the field of implantable drug and gene delivery devices to treat various diseases worldwide. Control of the molecular assembly of materials at the nanoscale offers many advantages to selectively target diseases and locally release drugs leading to maximum therapeutic efficacy with low systemic toxicity. It has become increasing apparent that every individual responds differently to Read More

With the advent of the nanotechnology era, one vital region with huge potential is the use of nano drug systems for cardiovascular applications. Nanotechnology offers a broad range of opportunities for improving drug delivery systems due to the fact that many biological components, like DNA, involve some sort of nano-dimensionality. In accordance with cardiovascular research and in contrast with conventional drugs, loc Read More

One current approach to the development of implantable drug/protein delivery systems utilizes a technique to produce electrospun fibrous structures, which have inherently high surface area to volume ratios, high interconnectivity, and structural morphologies similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of native tissues. The electrospinning technique is able to incorporate bioactive molecules into the fibers of these construct Read More

With the development of biomedical techniques, a new generation of gene delivery systems were investigated, characterized and developed. Many of them were also filed as patents. Such advanced gene delivery techniques have greatly improved gene therapy from in vitro, in vivo to clinics. In this review, three most significant gene delivery systems (physical transfection techniques, virus based delivery vectors and chemically Read More

Pharmaceutical development and therapeutic delivery as they pertain to nanomedicine predominantly involve the use of nanometer-sized (1-100nm) structures or complexes comprised of two or more constituents whose goal is to deliver a specific therapeutic to a targeted site for localized treatment. This illustrates one of the predominant underlying paradigms in nanomedicine: increased efficacy through targeted Read More

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide and is on the rise. At present, there are no life-long treatments to cure diabetes. Insulin therapy, while effective in short term leads to complicated secondary complications. Allogenic islet transplants are also not very effective and only works for few years. Lot of good research and patents has been presented for the development of bioartificial pancreas. The steps invol Read More

Current advancement in nanotechnology created novel solutions to improve drug delivery and enhance the efficacy of therapeutics for tissue regeneration and disease treatment. Nanomaterials can be designed and fabricated to have biomimetic characteristics and unique properties for controlling cellular functions (e.g. cell adhesion and stem cell differentiation) and delivering therapeutics more effectively. Different nano Read More

In the last several decades liposome science has developed enormously. Many scientists have made significant discoveries and advancements in the clinical field using the unique properties of liposomes for drug delivery. These nanotechniques using liposomes have lead to a new era of nanomedicine especially in the diagnosis and therapeutics area. Aims of the present paper are to review the applications of liposomes in Read More

The emergence of nanotechnology has made a major impact in medical device technology. Nanosized materials enable innovative solutions, including improvements in biocompatibility and advanced drug delivery systems. Through nanotechnology, one can design and incorporate “intelligent” materials and devices, which can respond to their surrounding environment or be externally triggered to improve their func Read More

Injuries to the peripheral and central nervous system represent difficult physical challenges for those suffering from these injuries as well as a significant cost to the U.S. healthcare system. Treatment methods include electrical stimulation, improved rehabilitation techniques, cell therapies, and biomaterials. Biomaterial solutions to the challenges of nerve injury offer a potential long-term solution if used alone or in combinati Read More

Advancements in the field and rising interest among pharmaceutical researchers have led to the development of new molecules with enhanced therapeutic activity. Design of new drugs which can target a particular pathway and/or explore novel targets is of immense interest to ocular pharmacologists worldwide. Delivery of suitable pharmacologically active agents at proper dose (within the therapeutic window) to the t Read More

The patents annotated in this section have been selected from various patent databases. These recent patents are relevant to the articles published in this journal issue, categorized by medical imaging, bioinformatics, image processing, biomaterials, Pharmaceutical drugs, bioengineering, medical devices, design, biological devices, biomechanics & diagnostic devices related to biomedical engineering.