Nanosensors For Healthcare And Environmental Monitoring

Nanosensors refer to a miniature electronic sensing device that works on a "Nano-scale" region. A nanosensor is a device that can transfer information and data on the behaviour and characteristics of tiny particles to a higher degree of visibility. Nanosensors can be used to distinguish chemical or mechanical data, such as the presence of material species and nanoparticles, or to screen real limitations on the nanoscale, such as temperature. Nanosensors are categorised depending on their design and intended use. Based on their structure, nanosensors are classified into two types: optical nanosensors and electrochemical nanosensors. Depending on the application, the nanosensor can be purchased as a material nanosensor, biosensor, electrometer, or deployable nanosensor. Nanosensors can measure down to the level of a single particle. Nanosensors include an analyte, sensor, transducer, and indicator. Nanosensors work by continuously monitoring electrical changes in sensor materials. The analyte diffuses from the solution for the sensor's outer layer and responds explicitly and competently, changing the physicochemical properties of the transducer surface, prompting an adjustment of the optical or electronic properties of the transducer's outer layer, and this change is converted into an electrical sign that is recognized. Like new technology, intelligent healthcare systems are moving toward new approaches and models of healthcare-based nanosensors, smart phones, smart watches, and other gadgets. This book deeply discusses the deployment of nanomaterials and nanosensors to enhance the healthcare system with continuous and real-time monitoring of individuals to avoid huge life risks. Environmental pollution has become a serious global issue affecting public health, the economy, and society. Organic pollutants, heavy metals in the soil, pesticide intake from fruits and vegetables, and the influence of illnesses and their toxins are all considered serious environmental problems. This book focuses on current advancements in DNA-nanosensors for environmental monitoring that make tracking contaminants simpler. DNA nanosensors are used to detect harmful microbiological contaminants, toxins, and medications. Some contemporary DNA-nanosensor environmental monitoring applications are discussed.

Advanced materials and nanotechnology is a promising, emerging field involving the use of nanoparticles to facilitate the detection of various physical and chemical parameters, including temperature, humidity, pH, metal ion, anion, small organic or inorganic molecules, gases, and biomolecules responsible for environmental issues that can lead to diseases like cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, bacterial infections, and brain, retinal, and cardiovascular diseases. By monitoring environmental samples and detecting these environmental issues, advanced nanotechnology in this type of sensory technology is able to improve daily quality of life. Although these sensors are commercially available for the detection of monovalent cations, anions, gases, volatile organic molecules, heavy metal ions, and toxic metal ions, many existing models require significant power and lack advanced technology for more quality selectivity and sensitivity. There is room in these sensors to optimize their selectivity, reversibility, on/off ratio, response time, and their environmental stability in real-world operating conditions. This book explores the methods for the development and design of environmentally-friendly, simple, reliable, and cost effective electrochemical nanosensors using powerful nanostructured materials. More specifically, it highlights the use of various electrochemical-based biosensor sensors involved in the detection of monovalent cations, anions, gases, volatile organic molecules, heavy metal ions, and toxic metal ions, with the ultimate goal of seeing these technologies reach market.

Advances in Nanosensors for Biological and Environmental Analysis presents the current state-of-art in nanosensors for biological and environmental analysis, also covering commercial aspects. Broadly, the book provides detailed information on the emergence of different types of nanomaterials as transduction platforms used in the development of nanosensors. These include carbon nanotubes, graphene, 2-D transition metal dichalcogenides, conducting polymers and metal organic frameworks. Additional topics include sections on the way nanosensors have inspired new product development in various types of biological and environmental applications that are currently available and on the horizon. Features detailed information on various types of biological and environmental nanosensors Gives particular attention to the different categories of advanced functional interfaces, processes for their development, and application areas Includes the current state-of-the-art in terms of commercial aspects

This book covers two most important applications of smart sensors, namely bio-health sensing and environmental monitoring. The approach taken is holistic and covers the complete scope of the subject matter from the principles of the sensing mechanism, through device physics, circuit and system implementation techniques, and energy issues to wireless connectivity solutions. It is written at a level suitable mainly for post-graduate level researchers interested in practical applications. The chapters are independent but complementary to each other, and the book works within the wider perspective of essential smart sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT). This is the second of three books based on the Integrated Smart Sensors research project, which describe the development of innovative devices, circuits, and system-level enabling technologies. The aim of the project was to develop common platforms on which various devices and sensors can be loaded, and to create systems offering significant improvements in information processing speed, energy usage, and size. This book contains substantial reference lists and over 150 figures, introducing the reader to the subject in a tutorial style whilst also addressing state-of-the-art research results, allowing it to be used as a guide for starting researchers.

This book provides a comprehensive overview on the most important types of nanosensor platforms explored and developed in the recent years for efficient detection of environmental/clinical analytes. The chapters cover basic aspects of functioning principles and describe the technologies and challenges of present and future pesticide, metal ions, toxic gases analytical sensing approaches and environmental sensors. Nanosensors are nanoscale miniature devices used for sensing of analyte in ultra-low range. These have gained considerable interest in environmental applications such as environmental chemistry and functionalization approaches, environmental engineering, sustainability, green technology for sensing, environmental health monitoring, pesticide detection, metal and ions detection using electrochemical and wireless sensor.

Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications explores the key aspects of sensor technologies, covering wired, wireless, and discrete sensors for the specific application domains of healthcare, wellness and environmental sensing. It discusses the social, regulatory, and design considerations specific to these domains. The book provides an application-based approach using real-world examples to illustrate the application of sensor technologies in a practical and experiential manner. The book guides the reader from the formulation of the research question, through the design and validation process, to the deployment and management phase of sensor applications. The processes and examples used in the book are primarily based on research carried out by Intel or joint academic research programs. “Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications provides an extensive overview of sensing technologies and their applications in healthcare, wellness, and environmental monitoring. From sensor hardware to system applications and case studies, this book gives readers an in-depth understanding of the technologies and how they can be applied. I would highly recommend it to students or researchers who are interested in wireless sensing technologies and the associated applications.” Dr. Benny Lo Lecturer, The Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College of London “This timely addition to the literature on sensors covers the broad complexity of sensing, sensor types, and the vast range of existing and emerging applications in a very clearly written and accessible manner. It is particularly good at capturing the exciting possibilities that will occur as sensor networks merge with cloud-based ‘big data’ analytics to provide a host of new applications that will impact directly on the individual in ways we cannot fully predict at present. It really brings this home through the use of carefully chosen case studies that bring the overwhelming concept of 'big data' down to the personal level of individual life and health.” Dermot Diamond Director, National Centre for Sensor Research, Principal Investigator, CLARITY Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, Dublin City University "Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications takes the reader on an end-to-end journey of sensor technologies, covering the fundamentals from an engineering perspective, introducing how the data gleaned can be both processed and visualized, in addition to offering exemplar case studies in a number of application domains. It is a must-read for those studying any undergraduate course that involves sensor technologies. It also provides a thorough foundation for those involved in the research and development of applied sensor systems. I highly recommend it to any engineer who wishes to broaden their knowledge in this area!" Chris Nugent Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ulster What you’ll learnThe relevant sensing approaches and the hardware and software components required to capture and interpret sensor data. The importance of regulations governing medical devices. A design methodology for developing and deploying successful home- and community-based technologies, supported by relevant case studies. Health, wellness, and environmental sensing applications and how they work. The challenges and future directions of sensing in these domains. Who this book is for Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications is targeted at clinical and technical researchers, engineers, and students who want to understand the current state of the art in sensor applications in these domains. The reader gains a full awareness of the key technical and non-technical challenges that must be addressed in the development of successful end-to-end sensor applications. Real-world examples help give the reader practical insights into the successful development, deployment, and management of sensor applications. The reader will also develop an understanding of the personal, social, and ethical impact of sensor applications, now and in the future. Table of ContentsChapter One: Introduction Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the key challenges and drivers for sensor application development. The reader should also understand how sensor technologies can play a role in addressing some of the key challenges facing global society in the short to medium term. 1. Book overview 2. Drivers for Sensor Applications (Infrastructure Growth in Developing Countries, Advances in Energy Harvesting, New Applications, Cost reduction, Real-time monitoring of situations to avoid unplanned downtime, Security (personal and national), the internet of things). 3. Challenges for Sensor Applications (Power, Efficient Operation in Harsh Environments, Number of Deployable Nodes, Safety and Regulations, High Cost of Installation, Security and Reliability, sensor management) 4. Global Megatrends and the opportunities for sensing technologies o Water and Food Constraints o Aging Demographics o Public Health o Pandemics o Security Chapter 2: Sensing and Sensor Fundamentals Chapter Goal: Reader should understand existing sensor technologies, which can be used in healthcare, wellness, and environmental domains. They should also understand the role of smart sensors and smart phones as mobile sensing platforms and aggregators. 1. Sensing Modalities (Mechanical, MEMS, Optical, ISFET, μTAS) 2. Sensing Domains (Air, Water, Noise, Bacterial, Chemical, Kinematic, DNA, Physiological) 3. Functional Characterisation of Sensors o Communication methods – discrete, wired, wireless o Smart Sensors and Sensor Platforms § MSP430 (SHIMMER and telosB motes) § ATmega § PIC 4. Smart Phones as mobile sensor platforms 5. Selecting and specifying sensors Chapter 3 Key Sensor Technology Components – Hardware and Software Overview Chapter Goal: Reader should have a high level understanding of the key hardware and software components, which are necessary for the development of sensors systems and why technologies are selected for specific applications. 1. Overview – Sensor systems 2. MCU’s (TI MSP430, ATmega, PIC) a. ADCs b. Interrupts c. Real-time Clocks 3. Sensor Interfaces a. Digital b. Analog c. I2C 4. Communications – wired and wireless interfaces RS232/485, USB, Ethernet, FieldbusProprietary Short Range Wireless Protocols (e.g. ANT, BodyLAN, Sensium)Standard Short Range Protocols i. IEEE 802.15.6 ii. Bluetooth/Smart Bluetooth iii. 802.15.4 iv. UWB Medium Range i. Wi-Fi 5. Data storage (EEPROM, sd card, data forwarding) 6. Power management and Energy Harvesting 7. Operating Systems and Software Development Environments (SDK’s) Chapter 4 Sensor Network Architectures Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the various approaches to the design of sensor network architectures; scaling from body worn systems, to ambient sensing, to city-scale deployments. The reader should also understand the advantages and disadvantages of current and evolving sensor network architectures. 1. Sensor network architectures o Discrete Sensor o Sensor to aggregator o PAN/WPAN/smart clothing o Pervasive/Ambient sensor networks o Wide area networks (city-wide, country wide) 2. Challenges in developing and deploying sensor networks 3. Current and Proposed Solutions o Remote sensor management o Edge Processing o Power harvesting o New communication standards Chapter 5: Adding Vibrancy to Sensor Data Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the various methods to interpret and display sensor data to the user. They will understand the importance of creating a data analysis plan from the outset, and the different types of data analysis throughout the application stack. 1. Data Literacy – How can we intuitively answer questions with sensor data and contextualise answers 2. Data Quality a. Calibration b. Trust and Repudiation 3. Sensor Fusion – combining sensory data from disparate sources 4. Data Mining 5. Data Visualisation 6. Openness, data integration, virtual sensors 7. Exploiting the power of the cloud Chapter 6: Regulation and Standards Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the key technologies, which impact or influence the development of sensor deployment and applications including the emerging standards and regulatory considerations. 1. Regulatory Standards (US, EU, Japan) : why, which, and how standards impact your application 2. Regulatory Issues: Certification 3. Smartphones Considerations o Privacy and data security 4. Standards Bodies and Industry Groups o Continua Healthcare Alliance o ISO/IEEE 11073 5. Wearable Wireless Health Communication Standards Chapter 7: Biosensing in Everyday Life – Driving Biocontextual Aware Computing Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the social relationships that create opportunities and barriers for widespread, consumer-based biosensing. The reader should understand how the social world is shifting from sensor technologies of “should” to sensor technologies of “could” to facilitate new understandings of health and wellness and drive new methods and practices of personal data sharing. 1. Data Security and Ownership - Sharing and Managing Personal Data 2. Game Changing Pressure for Affordable Healthcare 3. Continuous, Personal Data is Improving Lives 4. Emerging Tech-Empowered Citizens 5. Sensing for Self-Discovery, Culture and Play 6. User feedback/Supporting sustainable human behaviours – leveraging the gaming culture Chapter 8: Development and Deployment of Sensor Technologies for Home and Community Settings Chapter Goal: Reader should understand how to design a sensor deployment for a home or community. The chapter informs the reader how to formulate the research question the deployment will address, how to develop prototypes, and manage and deploy them successful. The chapter will finish with exemplar case studies of real world sensor deployments. Study Design – The Right QuestionHome Deployment ElementsHome Deployment ManagementThe Prototyping Design ProcessCase Studies Chapter 9: Body Worn and Ambient Sensor Applications for Assessment, Monitoring, and Diagnostics Chapter Goal: Reader should at the end of this chapter have an understanding of the key characteristics of how body worn and ambient sensor applications, and how they vary according to the domain in which they are deployed. The reader will be presented with the key challenges faced in each domain, and emerging solutions for these challenges. 1. Drivers and Inhibitors (Incidence of chronic diseases, aging demographics, Adjusting provider compensation, prevention, medical work practice changes) 2. Hospital based sensing for assessment and diagnosis 3. Supervised Assessment and Monitoring in Community Settings 4. Home Based Applications o Clinical grade sensing for patient monitoring o Body worn sensing (e.g. PERS) for monitoring and alerting o Passive sensing for monitoring and alerting (e.g. ADL’s) 5. Key challenges Chapter 10: Wellness, Fitness and Lifestyle Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the key trends in how people use body worn sensors to manage their fitness and wellbeing. Key applications include: sensors for measuring activities in sports performance, activity/weight management and sleep tracking, 1. Drivers and Inhibitors 2. Sports and fitness applications (running, walking cycling, field sports) § Vital signs and physiological parameters § Fitness gaming – Wii Fit, Kinect § muscle movement, body stress levels, speed, distance, location § Fitness Statistics and Analysis 3. Outdoor Activities o Pressure (mountaineer and paragliding) o GPS (hiking, cycling, golf) 4. Obesity and weight management 5. Sleep o Baby Monitoring o Sleep Quality – health and social impacts o Sleep Apnoea Chapter 11: Environmental Monitoring for Health and Wellness Chapter Goal: Reader should understand how sensors and sensor networks are used for environmental monitoring, one of the key emerging applications domains. Apart from disaster monitoring, sensing also has the potential for air quality, weather monitoring, pollution etc.; with benefits for both urban and rural dwellers. 1. Drivers and Inhibitors o Correlations to health impacts 2. Home Sensing o Carbon Monoxide o Smoke Detectors o Passive Infrared (PIR) o Temperature o Sound o Sustainable Living 3. Smart Environments 4. Environmental Parameters (Noise, Water, Bacteria, Air Quality, Radiation, Urban Heat Islands) 5. Weather - Exceptional Event and Disaster Management Intelligence Chapter 12: Conclusions and Future Directions Chapter Goal: Reader should understand the key conclusions that the authors have outlined in the previous chapters. The reader should also gain an understanding of the key trends which will affect future sensor applications and how people will utilise these novel applications in their everyday lives. 1. Summary of the overall conclusions 2. Future Directions for Sensing o Use Centred Healthcare o Citizen centric sensing o Influence of urbanisation on health, wellness and lifestyle choices. o Sustainable human behaviour change

Nanosensors are rapidly becoming a technology of choice across diverse fields. They offer effective and affordable options for detecting and measuring chemical and physical properties in difficult-to-reach biological and industrial systems operating at the nanoscale. However, with nanosensor development occurring in so many fields, it has become di