Role of Nanomaterials in the Fabrication of bioNEMS/MEMS for Biomedical Applications and towards Pioneering Food Waste Utilisation

Abstract

bioNEMS/MEMS has emerged as an innovative technology for the miniaturisation of biomedical devices with high precision and rapid processing since its first R&D breakthrough in the 1980s. To date, several organic including food waste derived nanomaterials and inorganic nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, silica, gold, and magnetic nanoparticles) have steered the development of high-throughput and sensitive bioNEMS/MEMS-based biosensors, actuator systems, drug delivery systems and implantable/wearable sensors with desirable biomedical properties. Turning food waste into valuable nanomaterials is potential groundbreaking research in this growing field of bioMEMS/NEMS. This review aspires to communicate recent progress in organic and inorganic nanomaterials based bioNEMS/MEMS for biomedical applications, comprehensively discussing nanomaterials criteria and their prospects as ideal tools for biomedical devices. We discuss clinical applications for diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic applications as well as the technological potential for cell manipulation (i.e., sorting, separation, and patterning technology). In addition, current in vitro and in vivo assessments of promising nanomaterials-based biomedical devices will be discussed in this review. Finally, this review also looked at the most recent state-of-the-art knowledge on Internet of Things (IoT) applications such as nanosensors, nanoantennas, nanoprocessors, and nanobattery.

Keywords: biomedical microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS); biomedical nanoelectromechanical systems (bioNEMS); drug delivery system; nanomaterials; point-of-care.

Figure 5

(a) Photomicrograph of the test platform configuration using silicon cornea, (b) schematic depiction of activities that could induce acute intraocular hypertension and (c) schematic illustration of the sensing mechanism of contact lens integrated with SAG film. Reprinted with permission from ref [117]. Copyright 2022 John Wiley and Sons.

Figure 1

Development trends and clinical applications of nanomaterials-based bioNEMS/MEMS devices and future opportunities for integration with Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Figure 2

Types of inorganic nanomaterials developed using bioNEMS/MEMS techniques for biomedical applications.

Figure 3

Household food waste in Asia and Europe countries published in Food Waste Index Report 2021 [27].

Figure 4

bioNEMS/MEMS fabrication strategies.

Figure 6

Schematic depiction of cell-sorting separation and cell manipulation adapting the NEMS and MEMS technology. Illustrations are adapted from mechanisms described by ref [6] and [111], and are not-to-scale.

Figure 7

Platform for safety assessment of nanomaterials with focus on human health and the environment. EHS, environmental, health and safety; NM, nanomaterials.