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Symposium J
Biomedical Applications of
"Smart" Technologies
Advisory Board
Invited Speakers


Several well established and ongoing applications are already available for adaptive/active materials in medicine that exploit the properties of shape memory materials, responsive bioceramics and bioglasses, biomimetic polymers and gels, active (nano)particles, smart optical fibers and textiles, etc.
Nevertheless, the today capability to image and manage matter at the atomic and molecular level enabled by a number of nanoscale tools such as scanning probes, self and directed assembly, single molecule techniques, nanolithography and DNA-based technologies, coupled with advances in biomedical informatics, biophotonics, novel theory, multiscale modeling and simulation approaches for nanophase and nanostructured materials and smart devices, is fuelling relevant opportunities and entirely new perspectives in medicine The key driving force is the complementary length scale between biological structures that range from the 10’s of nanometers to the micron scale and the new capability of micro/nanosystems to probe, manipulate and control such feature sizes within our environment.
The convergences of materials, electronics and biological systems at the nanoscale indeed are creating unprecedented opportunities not only through the development of novel diagnosis and imaging methods and minimally invasive targeted therapies for the early detection of disease even before anatomic anomalies are visible, but also offer new opportunities in pharmaceuticals and in biomolecular analysis.
Scope of this symposium, that follows the several ones on the same subject held in previous CIMTEC conferences, is to provide a synergetic approach covering applied chemistry and physics, materials science, electronics, biochemistry and medicine to enlighten how the deeper insight into biological events and its interplay with nanotechnology may support the development of a new generation of smart materials, micro-nano-devices and molecular level approaches suited to solve relevant biomedical problems.
Specific areas of interest include new or creatively engineered materials, multi-scale cell engineering for functional tissues and drug and gene delivery systems, new materials and systems for medical diagnostics, implants and prostheses, as well as systemic interaction in the body environment including side effects, biocompatibility and biofunctionality issues.

Session Topics


J-1 Advances in active and stimuli responsive biomaterials

Synthesis, functionality, constitutive behaviour, modelling
  • Electroactive, and bioresponsive polymers and gels
  • Bioactive and biodegradable ceramics and glasses
  • Shape memory polymers and alloys
  • Biomimetics materials
  • Nanobiomaterials, smart nanoparticles, functionalised nanotubes, nanowires, Q-dots, etc.

J-2 Enabling tools

  • Biosensors, bioactuators, BioMEMS/NEMS
  • DNA/RNA technologies
  • AFM, optical tweezers, molecular probes and devices
  • Self-assembly, bioinspired processes
  • Micro/nano lithography
  • Templating, molecular imprinting
  • Surface modification techniques for bio functionalisation
  • Theory, modelling and numerical simulation of processes and devices

J-3 Medical diagnostics and imaging

  • Sensors ( chip devices and wearables)*
  • In-vitro diagnostics: microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip
  • Non invasive imaging probes and markers: Nanoparticles for targeted imaging
    Multimodal nanoparticles
    Theranostic nanoparticles
    Molecular imaging: MRI, FMT, PET, Tomography, etc.
  • THz technology
  • Minimally invasive implantable devices for diagnosis and imaging
(* See also Symposium I "Progress in Wearable/Wireless and Implantable Body Sensor Networks for Healthcare Applications" and Symposium D "Smart and Interactive Textiles")

J-4 Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Bio-artificial skin, cardiovascular tissues, bio-artificial organs nervous and
musculoskeletal system
  • Scaffolds and substrates for tissue and cell engineering
  • Cell bioengineering by multiscale manipulaton
  • Bioactive signalling molecules
  • Intracellular signalling
  • Cell activation mechanisms in tissue regeneration
  • In-situ tissue regeneration and control
  • Self repair mechanisms
  • Power systems: nanorobots, EAPs, nanoengineered biofuel cells
  • Biomechanics of soft and hard tissues
  • Biofunctionality, bio compatibility and tossicological issues
  • Theory, modelling and numerical simulation

J-5 Targeted delivery and release systems

  • Molecular, cellular and higher levels targeting
  • Systems for targeted delivery of drugs, peptides, proteins, growth factors, gene therapy agents and vaccines, and administration routes
  • Carrier materials: liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, micro/nanocapsules,
    hydrogels, molecularly imprinted polymers, macromolecular conjugates
  • Drug targeting and targeting and imaging agents to site/specific delivery
  • Antibody targeting
  • Controlled release systems
  • Pharmacodynamics
  • Cell surface interactions
  • In-vitro and in-vivo studies and models for drug transport, absorption metabolism
    and retention mechanisms
  • Biocompatibility and safety issues

J-6 Biomedical Applications of Shape Memory Materials and Smart Textiles

  • Advances in SMAs applications: cardiovascular, neurovascular, orthopaedic, orthodontic, etc.**
  • Surgery and therapeutic applications of novel shape memory polymers, including biodegradable SMPs
  • Smart textiles for therapy and sensory and diagnostic applications***
  • Micro- and macro-mechanical models, numerical simulation
  • Biofunctionality, biocompatibility
(** See also Symposium B "State of-the-Art Research and Application of SMAs Technologies"
*** See also Symposium D "Smart and Interactive Textiles")


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