Biosensors diagnostic medical devices

Polymers and Coatings Advances ia polymer chemistry have resulted ia many successful medical devices, including diagnostic assays (26). Polymers (qv), which can be manufactured ia a wide range of compositions, ate used to enhance speed, sensitivity, and versatiUty of both biosensors and dry chemistry systems to measure vital analytes. Their properties can be regulated by composition variations and modifications. Furthermore, polymers can be configured iato simple to complex shapes. 

Manufactures and commercializes innovative medical devices used in interventional cardiology and critical care procedures Glucose and lactate membrane type and thick film type biosensors for clinical analyzers Diagnostic immunoassays, focuses on producing products for the health care and scientific communities Diabetes sensor... 

It is clear that the medical device industry will continue to create new diagnostic devices, as well as find therapeutic and assistive solutions for chronic conditions in an ever-aging population. Advances in biosensors, computers, analysis methods and algorithm development, materials, telemedicine, miniaturization technologies,... 

In this book, a few applications of responsive materials and surfaces are explored, which include cell culture and tissue engineering (Chapter 9), drug delivery and diagnostic systems (Chapter 10), implantable medical devices and biosensors (Chapter 11). These areas were chosen not only because they have huge economic value, but also involve challenges during the development toward applications. 

A wide variety of biomacromolecules have been investigated for the preparation of bioconjugates, including proteins, polysaccharides, DNA plasmids, lipids and phospholipids. However, the most attractive and versatile systems are based on the conjugation of thermo-responsive polymers to different proteins, useful for a great variety of medical devices such as implants, diagnostics, biosensors and immunoassays (Gupta and Mattiasson, 2006 Hoffman, 2000 Pennadam, 2004). 

Smart polymers have been used in the design and construction of medical devices, with an emphasis on biosensors, bioactuators and microfluidics-based systems for enhanced diagnostics and therapy, other medical devices for cancer diagnosis and therapy, and for MIS. This section and those following review these applications. Applications of smart polymers for medical... 

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