Posted on 10/09/2004 2:50:30 PM PDT by BenLurkin
How small can nanotech get? Picture cancer cells in the human body glowing like Christmas trees. This lets their nuclei and other parts stand out so they can be studied.
The light comes from minute -- just a few mere atoms across -- bits of siliconlike material planted in the cells.
Scientists have dubbed this material "quantum dots," and they are not musings of some distant future. The dots are here now.
Evident Technologies in Troy, N.Y., already makes these dots for more than 400 clients. Its customers range from General Dynamics and Sumitomo Electric to small biotech companies. They use them to indicate wear on complex electronic products and to serve as a valuable indicator light in research of cells and other tiny organisms.
Other companies also are making quantum dots. Researchers are refining and devising more uses for these dots every day.
"Our dots are like tiny snowflakes, a perfectly formed crystal of semiconductor material," said Evident Chief Executive Clint Ballinger. "We can grow them in a bucket or reaction vat and produce them (a ton) at a time. We're talking about trillions of quantum dots that are all exactly the same size."
This uniformity guarantees quality, he says.
The dots are yet another emerging piece of nanotechnology -- the science of making molecule-sized devices and materials. Nanotech is moving from the drawing board to the product-making stage.
NSF Sees Big Dollars
Nanotech is being used to make molecule-sized sensors, car waxes, tennis balls, superstrong materials, even a no-stain coating for pants.
The National Science Foundation predicts global sales of nanotech products will hit $1 trillion -- with a t -- in 10 to 15 years. That's up from just a few hundred million now.
Evident began selling its dots two years ago, says Steven Talbot, the company's marketing chief.
"We produce anywhere from 50 to 100 grams of dots (millions of dots) at a time," Talbot said. "They're used as components of larger products or in research."
Privately held Evident, founded in September 2000, has 30 employees and will surpass $1 million in sales this year, Ballinger says. It's spending more than it's taking in, since research and development costs are high, but Ballinger said his firm is "almost cash flow positive."
The company also faces safety and health issues that affect all makers of nanotech products. Researchers such as the Royal Society in the U.K. are urging studies on the health effects of tiny nanoparticles on the human body.
Evident's dots aren't quite ready for such a cutting-edge use as to be planted in cancer cells. But that's in the works. The dots would tag a tiny cell so scientists with strong microscopes could track a single cancer cell and perhaps solve some of the mysteries of cancer.
Widespread use of the quantum dots remains some years away. But the dots can already be used to tag DNA molecules in medical research. Another use is optical switches for computing and telecommunications.
'Beacons'
In large power switches found at utility plants, the dots can be used as wear indicators. The dots can emit light when power switches or some such product starts to wear down. It's often difficult to keep track of such wear.
"The dots act as beacons," Ballinger said. "When the surface of the switch wears down enough, these quantum dots are released from the material (that covers them) and you can detect their fluorescence."
The dots include cadmium selenide and lead sulfide, so they transmit light like glass rods. That is, they gather available light and emit light where nothing else would.
This also makes them good candidates for use in new light-emitting diodes, or LEDS, Ballinger says. The dots also might be used as detectors for biological and chemical warfare agents.
They could be used to replace dyes that are now used to identify dangerous germs or chemicals.
Another use is mixed in a polymer to make superthin films, again with their light used to indicate various things.
The dots now give off light in one of three colors: red, blue or green. The color depends on the size of the dots. The larger the dot, the longer the wavelength and the redder the color. Dots get bluer as they get smaller and the wavelength shortens.
One problem is that the dots don't emit white light. If they did, they could conceivably be used in such products as computer displays and even light bulbs.
But Evident says it's found a way to make quantum dots that emit white light by using special light-emission controls. The firm hopes to make white-light dots available starting next year, which opens up all kinds of possibilities, says Ballinger.
"It should," he said, "be a very efficient light bulb replacement."
Is dat anyting like dim dar dippin dots at da fair???
"The dots act as beacons," Ballinger said. "When the surface of the switch wears down enough, these quantum dots are released from the material (that covers them) and you can detect their fluorescence."
Wow, I see they are running out of ideas for shoe design.
Think of the possibilities. Everyone could be encoded at birth! There could be a direct link between yourself and say your bank account. No more ATM cards. You could just walk through a scanner and your bill would be deducted from your account. You`d never get lost, with GPS technology, satellites could track you anywhere. Security! Terrorists could be tracked anywhere around the globe. The government would know what you were doing at ALL TIMES!! How great is that? The "nodes" could be placed into the bar-codes on any item you buy, then you`ll never be robbed! Or be able to litter when the node from that candy wrapper is matched to the one in you from your purchase. The fine would just come in the mail. And then, just like when the cable box goes out and they fix it over the phone, imagine people who exhibit personality characteristics that are deemed "undesirable" the phone rings one day, and "CLICK" you`re fixed too.
I think you're thinking of a different technology, but who knows?
Sorry, I get Art Bell right as I get to work in the morning, just before the local conservative talk show. It`s the same technology, you should HEAR what the kooks are talking about. They say this new tech. (being experimented with in Europe) is the "mark of the beast" once you`re implanted with the quantum dots look out!
How about the Light of the Beast?
cool. Bookmark for later.
http://www.wilmccarthy.com/fact.htm
http://home.sff.net/guestbook.asp?wmccarth
http://www.technofutures.com/charles1.htm check the Coast to Coast AM radio interviews.
http://www.ourmolecularfuture.com/
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/search_results.html?query=nanotechnology&x=7&y=10
check any of the sites some of them discuss the irrational fears many people have when the theory is put into practical application as a tool for digital commerce in the future. The coupling of the nano-implant with the passage in the book of Armageddon that deals with "noone shall be able to buy or sell without this mark..." did you see the original post where I called them "kooks?"
I didn`t mean for this to become a personal debate, you are more the authority on the topic than I, I only wished to relay some of the "fears" about this that I have heard. People fear most thing they don`t understand, and the ones I heard from on this subject fear ir a lot. They also think that grocery store "shopping Cards" are the government`s way of controlling where they shop and what they buy. Hence the monniker "kook"
FDA Approves Use of Chip in Patients
WASHINGTON - Privacy advocates are concerned that an implantable microchip designed to help doctors tap into a patient's medical records could undermine confidentiality or could even be used to track the patient's movements.
"If privacy protections aren't built in at the outset, there could be harmful consequences for patients," said Emily Stewart, a policy analyst at the Health Privacy Project.
just a bit from an article I saw today, is this a precursor to all the "kook" fears I alluded to? here`s the link to the story plus a few other related.
http://www.comcast.net/News/HEALTHWELLNESS//XML/1700_High_Tech/3b28fa7e-6692-41c6-aba7-eef87a7cec56.html
http://www.4verichip.com/ nice quote on verichip,
"VeriChip Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Applied Digital (Nasdaq: ADSX), markets a complete line of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Devices that can be used in a variety of security, financial, emergency identification, and other applications"
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