The Promise of Nanotechnology in Healthcare

Nanotechnology is a promising field of engineering and science that deals with the manipulation of molecules and atoms at the nanoscale level for the effective design of structures for devices. This allows the production of materials that exhibit good electrical conduction properties, are more reactive and durable, lighter, and strong for different application areas. These properties provide great opportunities for application in healthcare through effective medical drug delivery systems, diagnostics, disease monitoring, and wound treatments among others. In this chapter, we discuss the application of nanotechnology in the healthcare sector under four (4) distinct areas; nanomedicine, nanobots, nanofibers, and nanotech-based wearables. Real-world fabrication of these nanostructures for nanomedicine, nanobots, nanofibers, and nanotech-based wearables for application in drug delivery, cancer treatment, wound treatment, medical diagnosis, tissue engineering, and wearables for health monitoring like heartbeat and blood pressure are further discussed to provide a clear overview of the promising applications of nanoscale particles for the healthcare sector. Some ethical considerations on the use of nanotechnology for healthcare delivery are also provided. The chapter finally concludes with some insights into promising areas for future studies for nanotechnology in healthcare.