Using Lasers in Root Canals

The Dec. 30th edition of the Asbury Park Press contains an article titled Zapped by the Light (section D Page 1) by Susan Jenks (sjenks@floridatoday.com). The article discusses the use of lasers in medicine and most specifically by dentists in performing root canal surgery. The use of lasers in root canals can inhibit bacterial growth and can sometimes make it possible to avoid anesthesia. A company in Irvine, California known as Biolase manufactures a laser device which the FDA approved earlier in 2008.

Other medical uses of lasers include treating wrinkles, spider veins and during LASIK procedures when used on eyes. Lasers have also been used to break up kidney stones, vaporize prostate tissue and seal off blood vessels.

Nanoscale Solutions for Toxic Chemical and Odor Problems

NanoScale Corporation is a company focused on developing nanotechnologies. Their array of products deal with problems such as neutralizing toxic chemicals; either industrial or related to warfare. Targets include environmental pollutants and biological agents. Technology, which combats odors caused by consumer products, is available. Testing instruments are also part of what the company offers.

Toxic Chemical Sensor Innovation

Clemson researchers advance nano-scale electromechanical sensors is a Clemson University news item providing information about a technological innovation which holds forth the possibility of detecting toxic gases or chemicals through devices employing nano-scale cantilevers which are small and capable of being held in hand.

The nano-scale cantilevers can be smaller than the width of a human hair and able to relay messages as a result of their vibration. Devices may be able to measure temperature and humidity changes in addition to detecting environmental toxins. Quoting from the linked article:

Preliminary results indicate that this fully electrical sensing scheme is so sensitive that it can differentiate between hydrogen and deuterium gas, very similar isotopes of the same element. Since the whole process is electrical, the size limitations that plague competing detection methods are not a problem here. The cantilevers can be shrunk down to the nano-scale and the operating electronics can be contained on a single tiny chip. Rao’s research has shown that a single carbon nanotube can be used as a vibrating cantilever.

Rao credits Clemson Professor Emeritus of Physics Malcolm Skove, who discovered that measuring the resonant frequency of a cantilever at the second or higher harmonies would get rid of the so-called parasitic capacitance, an unwanted background that obscures the signal and has been a major stumbling block to the advancement of similar technology.

Small Power Generators

New Generator Produces AC Current by Stretching Zinc Oxide Wires is the title of a news release of Georgia Institute of Technology. The article discusses tiny electric power generators producing alternating currents by taking advantage of piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide structures. The idea is to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Researchers anticipate that small generators will power devicess used by medical sensors as well as areas like defense technology and consumer products. The local environment would supply power needs, eliminating the necessity of an external power source. This quote does much to explain:

To boost the current produced, arrays of the flexible charge pumps could be constructed and connected in series. Multiple layers of the generators could also be built up, forming modules that could then be embedded into clothing, flags, building decorations, shoes – or even implanted in the body to power blood pressure or other sensors.

When the modules are mechanically stretched and then released, because of the piezoelectric properties, the zinc oxide material generates a piezoelectric potential that alternately builds up and then is released. A Schottky barrier controls the alternating flow of electrons, and the piezoelectric potential is the driving force of the charge pump.

“The electrons flow in and out, just like AC current,” Wang explained. “The alternating flow of electrons is the power output process.”

Miniaturized Solar Cells

Tiniest Solar Array Powers Microscopic Devices! describes advances in miniaturized solar technology. Researchers at the University of South Florida have devised miniature cells built with organic polymers. The polymer can be applied to a surface like a car or a uniform by different methods which include dissolving, spraying or printing. The cells have the capacity to supply power to MEMS devices. However, the 7.8 volts current is only about half of what is required. Researchers are attempting to increase the voltage. The technology would be state of the art.

Product Evaluation Service

International Code Council Evaluation Service has a program intended for those marketing environmentally friendly products- often described as green. It is called Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation program shortened by the acronym SAVE. The linked page states:

Manufacturers who want their construction products evaluated under the SAVE program can view the Application Details. ICC-ES maintains a list of products successfully evaluated under the SAVE program in a Directory of Reports.

A Helpful Website

Are you an employer or an individual involved in architecture, engineering or construction? If so then this site might be of use. It is intended to serve both employers and employees.

Federal Tax Deposits

Making federal tax deposits is routine for most businesses. It is now possible to make electronic payments but the more traditional coupons are still available. At the IRS website, on a page titled Federal Tax Deposit Coupons, the IRS has this to say:

Federal Tax Deposits
Making Federal Tax Deposits is a process most businesses must do throughout the year. Businesses who applied for an Employer Identification Number and indicated they would have a filing requirement on their SS-4 application have been Express Enrolled in EFTPS. In addition, with their EIN, they received one FTD coupon and in a separate mailing, received an EFTPS confirmation letter with their PIN and further instructions on how to activate their EFTPS enrollment. Once you have your EFTPS PIN, call (800) 555-3453 and follow the instructions. For more information on Express Enrollment for new businesses, refer to Publication 4275 (PDF).

Not activating your EFTPS Express Enrollment?
If you are not going to activate your EFTPS enrollment, and wish to begin making tax payments using Federal Tax Deposit coupons (Forms 8109), you must call the IRS at (800) 829-4933 to obtain additional coupons. Allow 5 to 6 weeks for delivery. If you indicated a need to make a payment in the near future, Form 8109-B will be mailed to you and can take 7 to 10 days. Even if you decide to continue using coupons, we encourage you to activate your EFTPS enrollment in the meantime or anytime in the future when you are without FTD coupons. FTD coupons cannot be downloaded via the Internet. Acceptable paper forms are the Form 8109; in lieu of a Form 8109 you can temporarily use Form 8109-B.

Need a coupon book?
Employers who are currently using paper tax deposit coupons usually receive new coupon booklets automatically. If not, they should call (800) 829-4933 to reorder.

International Trade Information

Colorado Website

Electronic Industries Alliance

The Federation of International Trade Associations

Importing and Exporting


International Trade Administration

International Trade Center

New Hampshire's Trade Resource Center


State of New Jersey Website

SBA Online Courses

Small Business Administration

Trade Port

UPS

Better Bagging

Sometimes technological progress can overcome product disadvantages. Some American manufacturers have outsourced bags, used for bulk material like salt, sugar and animal feed, to manufacturers in China. As the linked article at Motion System Design indicates, bags can have irregular dimensions. This is problematic for handling by automated machinery.

Engineers of Thiele Technologies Inc., located in Minneapolis and a packaging equipment manufacturer, found a way to precisely position empty bags for the filling process. The system automatically compensates for dimension variations. The source of the custom electric screw linear actuators, which make the automatic compensation possible, is Tolomatic Inc., of Hamel, Minnesota.

Mimicking the Gecko

Mimicking Gecko Feet: Dry Adhesive Based on Carbon Nanotubes Gets Stronger, with Directional Gripping Ability is a news story showing the direction in which adhesive technology is heading. The inspriration for this is none other than the gecko; an animal made into a household name by the Geico Insurance Company which runs some clever commercials. The idea is to mimick the gecko's ability to exploit attraction forces on an atomic level enabling the gripping of surfaces. Polymer or carbon nanotube structures have been targeted by researchers in the mimicking attempts. A more detailed account is available at Georgia Tech Research News.

MRI Technology to Diagnose Breast Cancer

Aurora Imaging Technology Receives FDA Clearance for Spectroscopy Technology is an encouraging article for those interested in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. is based in North Andover, Massachusetts and is dedicated to the development of MRI technology geared to the fight against breast cancer. It has obtained permission from the FDA to make its Aurora Breast MRI available to perform imaging to detect and diagnose breast disease. For more information visit this website.

Useful Sites

Biochemistry Online

Biomass Magazine

Biotechnology for Biofuels

Cool Stuff Being Made

Find Law

Gadget

The Global Small Business Blog

Gov Spot

InterScience

List Company

Match Product

NJBIA

NJ Uniform Construction Code

PsyBlog

The Blue Book

New Product News

Associations

Association, Organization & Government News

Small Business Development

Global Powder Metallurgy Property Database

Learn Chemistry Tutorials

hum-molgen: biomedical companies, requests and sources

Search Engines:

New Product Resource Center

Detecting Small Changes in the Shapes of Proteins

Biochemical reactions can lead to changes in the shapes or conformations of proteins. The conformation of proteins is connected with their functions and protein functions are key to understanding cellular functions. Therefore an understanding of how protein shapes change reveals much about the dynamics of cellular function. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a technological approach used to detect small conformational changes.

Biosensing Instrument Incorporated provides Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) instruments for research and analysis. Their website is linked to here.

An Unexpected Source of Energy?

The article Scorching asphalt and solar power is a good report on the potential use of asphalt to extract energy. Asphalt has some obvious advantages which include the fact that it is a key component of roads and a good conductor of heat. Researchers at at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are investigating a means of harnessing absorbed heat and using it as an energy source. Up to this point technology is too expensive for widespread use but if technology becomes affordable their are plenty of asphalt roads which would need to be repaired and repaved in the future as well as new roads which will be built. Extracting heat from asphalt also would have a cooling effect especially appreciated in big cities.

Memristors

Memristors transit to reality is an EE Times Asia article about electronic circuits known as memristors. Memristors can be associated with other better known passive circuit elements like resistors, capacitors and inductors. They was invented in 1971 but, like their better known cousin the transitor, their revolutionary potential may not be realized until decades later. The hope is that resistive RAMs (RRAMs), which are ultradense memory cells, will enable the realization of the memristor potential, like hearing aids did for transitors in an earlier era. Hewlett-Packard Labs is attempting to lead the way. See details at the link.

M2M Systems

Five Questions to Ask When Designing an M2M System is an article appearing at Sensors. M2M is an acronym for machine to machine and refers to machines that communicate with each other and do so without the need for human intervention. It is a technology expected to experience great growth in the next ten years. By that time there could be more connected machines than there are people on earth today i.e. six billion connected machines.

The article is intended to direct the thinking of those involved in the design of M2M systems. To that end five questions are posed and readers are guided to answers that are applicable to their particular circumstances.