Abstract
This report is a detailed assessment of the products and technologies under development in the nanometer scale and micrometer scale levels with clinical applications, and an assessment of the market potential for products/technologies to be successfully commercialized for use in clinical practice within a ten year forecast period. The report identifies the technological, market, regulatory or other hurdles to be crossed en route to commercialization. The report provides particular emphasis in detailing the current activities and status of product development at active companies. The report reveals specific opportunities for current or hopeful competitors.
Table of Contents
Section 1 Introduction
Micro- and nano-technology applications, technologies and manufacturing processes. Differentiation between:
- MEMS technology:
- "top down" approach, using established technology in the millimetre range to develop and manufacture devices in the mictometre range.
- Nanotechnology:
- "bottom up" approach, assembling nanoscale-devices from molecular-scale units.
Section 2 Biomedical Applications
Established uses of extremely small technology (mainly MEMS) and potential applications (mainly nanotech).
Current biomedical MEMS and Nanotech applications discussed will include:
- Trojan Horse drug delivery in cancer,
- Liposome-encapsulated drug delivery
- Incorporation of MEMS in pacemaker accelerometers
Advanced-stage research projects, with anticipated near-term realization, to include:
- Nanoparticles in drug delivery
- Targeted drug delivery in cancers
- Gold nanoshells for heat-killing of cancer cells
- Cancer diagnostics
- Sensors for continuous blood glucose monitoring
- MEMS in implantable pumps (eg insulin pumps)
- Nanosensors to detect airborne pathogens
- Earlier-stage research projects, including:
- Nano-battery for artificial retina
- Artificial viruses as gene carriers
- MEMS in hearing aids and defibrillators
- Applications in biomedical research: DNA/RNA/protein analysis, lab-on-a-chip, etc.
Section 3 Future Possibilities
Exploration of newly-emerging, and experimental uses of MEMS and nanotechnology, including smart cancer therapies, oxygen delivery to ischaemic tissues, smart prosthetics and implants, micro-guided surgery, whole-body diagnostic systems, etc. Coverage of emerging and potential applications is rooted in specific developments and successes in basic research or commercial development (i.e., minimal emphasis on largely speculative applications).
Section 4 Market Assessment and Forecasts
This section will treat existing (established and evolving) markets separately from speculative (i.e., potentially upcoming but not yet extant) market areas. Five-year forecasts will be included, and separate assessments for US, European and Japanese markets. Leading applications and companies will be identified.
Section 5 The Nanotech and MEMS industries
Profiles of companies involved in research, development and manufacture of nanotech- and MEMS-enabled devices, and also companies providing components and infrastructure. These may need to be divided into MEMS and nanotechnology sections, since the technologies, and specialisations, are fundamentally different. It may also be necessary to divide the profiles into a priority list of detailed profiles and a secondary list of relatively brief profiles.
Company Profiles (preliminary)
- 5.1 Nanotech Companies
- 5.1.1 Ablynx
- 5.1.2 Abraxis Bioscience
- 5.1.3 AcryMed Inc.
- 5.1.4 Acusphere Inc.
- 5.1.5 Advanced Magnetics Inc
- 5.1.6 Alltracell
- 5.1.7 AlphaRx
- 5.1.8 American Pharmaceutical Partners Inc (American Bioscience Inc)
- 5.1.9 Anson Nano-Biotechnology Company Ltd
- 5.1.10 Angstrom Medica
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- 5.1.79 Spherics Inc.
- 5.1.80 Spinelix
- 5.1.81 Starpharma Pooled Development Ltd
- 5.1.82 SurgRx Inc.
- 5.1.83 Tecan Group Ltd
- 5.1.84 Telemolecular Corporation
- 5.1.85 TransGenex Nanobiotech, Inc.
- 5.1.86 Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd
- 5.2 MEMS Companies
- 5.2.1 Apogee Technology Inc.
- 5.2.2 Aquamarijn MicroFiltration BV
- 5.2.3 Caliper Life Sciences
- 5.2.4 CardioMEMS Inc
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- 5.2.12 Silex Microsystems AB
- 5.2.13 TRONIC Microsystems S.A.
