The Development of Microscopic Imaging Technology and its Application in Micro- and Nanotechnology.

Abstract: Due to micro-/nanorobots having several propulsion mechanisms, drug delivery through micro/nanorobots is moving to the forefront of nanomedical research. However, low biocompatibility and low imaging efficiency have become major obstacles in the further development of micro- /nanorobots. This article firstly introduces the application of micro-/nanorobots in the field of nanomedicine in recent years, expresses the importance of micro-/nanorobots in terms of nanomedicine, and then summarizes and compares several propulsion mechanisms. The improvement and optimization of the preparation methodologies and structures in terms of micro-/nanorobots are also reviewed. The imaging effect and biocompatibility of micro-/nanorobots have been improved to the extent that it is suitable for clinical medicine while ensuring the efficiency of drug delivery. Then, the advantages of different propulsion mechanisms, imaging effects, and biocompatibility are compared. The aim of the review is to enable people of various knowledge backgrounds to learn directly and choose suitable modified methods based on realistic situations. Finally, future development trends and further prospects of micro-/nanorobots are discussed.

A new advanced nano-particle material (NPM) has been developed by the SBIR ERS/Siloptix Co. This material has many attractive applications in micro- and opto-electronic packaging. Particularly, an effective practical technology for making NPM-based optical silica fiber coatings has been developed under grants from DARPA/Navy. The developed technology enables one to create ultra-thin, highly cost-effective, highly mechanically reliable, and highly environmentally durable coatings for silica light-guides. The obtained results have demonstrated the performance superiority of the developed technology over polymer-coated and metallized fibers, as well as a potential that the NPM has for various commercial and military applications in micro- and opto-electronics packaging and beyond.

The development of micro- and macrocracks in rocks under dynamic influence is considered. The important role of structural features of rocks on this process is noted. Based on ultrasound studies, it is shown that rock samples, as a rule, are heterogeneous and differ in the distribution of longitudinal wave velocity values in certain local regions. The initial heterogeneity determines the spatial development of the microcrack development area under external influence. Using optical microscopy and computer X-ray microtomography, the parameters of microcracks were determined on the example of granite after exposure. Experimental studies using optical, electron and scanning confocal laser microscopy were performed to evaluate the parameters of microcracks in granite. Structural features of rocks affect the nature of the development, trajectory and speed of crack propagation.

Focused Ion Beam (FIB): A novel technology for advanced application of micro- and nanoanalysis in geosciences and applied mineralogy

Advances in new micro- and nanotechnologies are accelerating the identification and evaluation of drug candidates, and the development of new delivery technologies that are required to transform biological potential into medical reality. This article will highlight the emerging micro- and nanotechnology tools, techniques and devices that are being applied to advance the fields of drug discovery and drug delivery. Many of the promising applications of micro- and nanotechnology are likely to occur at the interfaces between microtechnology, nanotechnology and biochemistry.

Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS)-based drug delivery devices have become commercially-feasible due to converging technologies and regulatory accommodation. The FDA Office of Combination Products coordinates review of innovative medical therapies that join elements from multiple established categories: drugs, devices, and biologics. Combination products constructed using MEMS or NEMS technology offer revolutionary opportunities to address unmet medical needs related to dosing. These products have the potential to completely control drug release, meeting requirements for on-demand pulsatile or adjustable continuous administration for extended periods. MEMS or NEMS technologies, materials science, data management, and biological science have all significantly developed in recent years, providing a multidisciplinary foundation for developing integrated therapeutic systems. If small-scale biosensor and drug reservoir units are combined and implanted, a wireless integrated system can regulate drug release, receive sensor feedback, and transmit updates. For example, an "artificial pancreas" implementation of an integrated therapeutic system would improve diabetes management. The tools of microfabrication technology, information science, and systems biology are being combined to design increasingly sophisticated drug delivery systems that promise to significantly improve medical care.

The advent of super computers for large scale atomic simulations and the invention of proximal testing devices such as atomic force microscope, friction force microscope, surface force apparatus, nanoScratcher etc., have led to the development of micro- and nano-tribology. This paper reviews some fundamental concepts and steps involved in molecular dynamics modeling of nanotribology together with some significant aspects such as the mechanisms of wear and friction, the scale effect of asperity contact size on friction, and the deformation induced by two-body and three-body contact sliding on the atomic scale with a focus on the authors' work on copper and silicon. Studies on diamond-copper sliding reveal that there exist four distinct regimes of deformation, and that no-wear deformation can be achieved by using a lower sliding speed, a smaller tip radius and a better lubrication. The variation of the frictional force is a function of contact area in all regimes except that in the cutting regime where the conventional friction law still holds. Investigations into the diamond-silicon sliding show that the amorphous phase transformation is the main deformation in silicon. In a two-body contact sliding, the deformation of silicon falls into no-wear, adhering, ploughing, and cutting regimes while in a three-body sliding it falls into no-wear, condensing, adhering, ploughing and no-damage wear regimes.

The use of micro- and nanofluidic systems in modern analytical instruments allow you to implement a number of unique opportunities and achieve ultra-high measurement sensitivity. The possibility of manipulation of the individual biological objects (cells, bacteria, viruses, proteins, nucleic acids) in a liquid medium caused the development of devices on microchip platform for methods: chromatographic and electrophoretic analyzes; polymerase chain reaction; sequencing of nucleic acids; immunoassay; cytometric studies. Development of micro and nano fabrication technologies, materials science, surface chemistry, analytical chemistry, cell engineering have led to the creation of a unique systems such as “lab-on-a-chip”, “human-on-a-chip” and other. This article discusses common in microfluidics materials and methods of making functional structures. Examples of integration of nanoscale structures in microfluidic devices for the implementation of new features and improve the technical characteristics of devices and systems are shown.

With the continuous development of science and technology, exploration in the field of life sciences has become increasingly profound, encompassing the understanding of human beings themselves and the exploration of disease etiology and treatment methods.Artificial intelligence is defined as the intelligence exhibited by artificially created systems. The application of artificial intelligence is quite extensive and can replace humans in various aspects of work, significantly enhancing efficiency in daily life and work. Artificial intelligence has a dual nature, as it could provide convenience to human society but could also bring about various adverse effects.This paper summarizes the current applications of artificial intelligence in the field of life sciences. By analyzing the applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as gene editing, drug development, and bioinformatics, it demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence in the field of life sciences. At the same time, this paper also points out the ethical, technical, social, and various challenges that the application of artificial intelligence technology in the field of life sciences faces, with the aim of providing reference for research in related fields.

Featured ApplicationDrag reduction in many applications of micro-/nano-fluidic channel.In the development of micro/nano fluid control systems, fluid resistance has always been one of the key factors restricting its development. According to previous studies, it is found that the boundary slip effect of the solid-liquid interface can effectively reduce the resistance of the microfluid and improve the transport efficiency of the microfluid. The boundary slip length is mainly affected by surface wettability, roughness, and surface charge density. Among them, the influence mechanism of surface charge density on the boundary slip is the most complicated, and there is a lack of relevant research, and further investigation is needed. In this paper, we present research on quantification of effective slip length and surface charge density, where the roughness effect is considered. The electrostatic and hydrodynamic force data obtained from atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were fitted and processed for comparative analysis. We obtained the variation of surface charge density and effective slip length when different oleophobic surface samples were immersed in ethylene glycol with different pH values. The effect of pH on the surface charge density and effective slip length was investigated by their variations. The mechanism of the effect of pH on the surface charge density was discussed. The experimental results show that in the ethylene glycol solution, no matter whether the pH value of the solution increases or decreases, the charge density of the surface with the same properties decreases, and the effective boundary slip length also shows a downward trend. In deionized water, the surface charge density and effective boundary slip length decreases with the decrease of PH value.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ion beam milling (FIB) techniques are mature nanoscale measurement technologies, while Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a developing technology with intense interest in the scientific community for basic research and development. We discuss the recent integration of these techniques into a single instrument enabled by technological innovation in AFM instrument design, and applications of this instrument for characterization of FIB milled trenches. An AFM integrated into the SEM/FIB has specific design constraints that need to be met involving the AFM scanner, probe design, and feedback loop so that it geometrically fits into the chamber without interfering with the electron and ion beams. An ultraflat scanning stage was thus developed for precise sample motion that enable large ranges (85 microns or greater) in x,y, z. SPM probes that do not interfere with the electron beam were manufactured from fused silica in a cantilevered geometry (see Fig 1) where there is full visualization of the tip, without any loss of SPM functionality. These probes are combined with a tuning fork based feedback mechanism to maintain accurate tip-sample control; this mechanism does not involve lasers or optical beam deflection that interferes with the electron and ion beams. The many benefits of this combined approach to three-dimensional nanoscale characterization are illustrated in the imaging of a FIB milled trench. Figure 2a shows an AFM image profiling a 25-µm-deep trench milled in silicon with FIB imaged with the large Z range of the system. In this measurement, the FIB beam was used to mill this feature, and it was followed immediately by AFM imaging without having to remove the specimen from the FIB chamber and search in the AFM. Furthermore, the true depth of the trench was measured by the AFM in a crosssectional profile (Figure 2b) while a 3D reconstruction revealed the geometry of the sidewall (Figure 2c). Sidewall imaging with such long and exposed tips now are feasible with this instrument. The red arrow in this image clearly shows a Pt decoration on this structure, and the white arrow shows an undercut. Additionally, the ability of AFM to quickly and easily follow FIB milling with high Z resolution provides a straightforward and convenient method to check on FIB milling results. This capability is demonstrated in Figure 3 where several FIB-milled features in Si were monitored during the milling process. The grayscale SEM image in Figure 3a can easily locate these features and measure their widths but cannot provide direct information on their depths. The AFM delivers a 3D reconstruction (Figure 3b), and a cross sectional profile that together provide a true topographic map of specimen features. These depth profiles demonstrate the linearity of the etching process with time. This instrument incorporates important innovations in the design and technology of atomic force microscopy enabling its integration with SEM and FIB into a single powerful capability.

The basic physics behind the interaction of ions with solid-state matter is discussed, with an emphasis on the formation of interaction products between the ions and target atoms. Processes covering modification of high-resistance materials for use in small-sized 3D structure technology are described. Current trends in and problems facing the development of the scanning nuclear microprobe (SNMP) are reviewed. The application of slow positrons to diagnosing materials is examined and the techniques of positron microscopy and microprobing are presented. The potential of near-field microwave microscopy for diagnosing superconducting ceramics and of microwave microscopy for nanotechnology applications are assessed. The examples given include the use of micro- and nanoprobes to analyze nanoobjects (such as green algae cells with 3D-distributed microelements, etc.), to develop the topological aspects of integrated microcircuits in nanoelectronics, and some other applications. The role of iron in pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is highlighted, the latter being the subject of research in neurochemistry.

Application of Micro- and Nanobeams for Materials Science

Asian Journal of ControlVolume 17, Issue 1 p. 367-367 Call for Paper Special Issue on “Recent Emerging Technologies in Atomic Force Microscopy” First published: 22 January 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/asjc.1090Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume17, Issue1Special Issue: Distributed and Networked Control SystemsJanuary 2015Pages 367-367 RelatedInformation

In this paper, a novel microscopic imaging technology, termed light field Fourier ptychographic microscopy (LFFPM), is presented which enables the reconstruction of wide-field, high-resolution images with the depth information by utilizing a light-emitting-diode (LED) illumination matrix.Conventional light field microscope lacks the ability of high lateral resolution because it sacrifices its lateral resolution to its angular resolution. Compared to conventional light field microscope, LFFPM enhances the lateral resolution with no need for the object to be in focus. Using LFFPM, the result shows that the lateral resolution is more than 2 times better than light field microscopy in simulation and 1.5 times in the experiment. Furthermore, the simulation result also shows that the ability of LFFPM to recovery the information of the phase and amplitude.Thus, this technology has a wide prospect of various biomedical applications such as neuroanatomy and haematology.