Nanoscience and nanotechnology have steered in the new era of medical innovation and offered a promising solution to the longstanding challenges in the healthcare due to size dependent physicochemical properties. The ability to engineer the specific nanostructures makes the nanomaterials more attractive and find potential applications in the field of biomedical sciences. Among various noble metal nanomaterials, copper and copper-based nanomaterials are considered as a unique nanomaterial for multitude of the biomedical applications. Plant biomolecules contain various terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, flavones, proteins, polyphenols, saponins, tannins, steroids, as well as other nutritional compounds; which are capable of acting as reducing and capping agents for copper-based nanomaterials formation. Biosynthesis of copper-based nanomaterials has great advantages due to less-toxicity, biocompatible, antiviral or anti-bacterial properties for the development of bio-sensor or drug delivery application. In this mini-review, the biosensor and drug delivery potential of the copper-based functional nano-formulation are discussed.

A large amount of medical equipment is now extensively utilized in healthcare institutions to assist clinical practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. And the applications of such advanced and sophisticated medical equipment have greatly improved the quality of patient care, significantly alleviated the sufferings of patients, and facilitated their rehabilitation. Nevertheless, failures and malfunctions of medical equipment have compromised its reliability and effectiveness as well as jeopardizing the safety of patients and clinical staffs. And a majority of the failures can be attributed to the insufficient and inappropriate maintenance. Therefore, it is imperative to implement effective maintenance management to ensure that medical equipment is in its optimal function, and thereby mitigating the clinical risk resulted by adverse events. The presented review mainly discussed the maintenance strategies of medical equipment including corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance. In order to replace the fixed-interval of preventive maintenance, we systematically discussed methods to adjust the maintenance period. Additionally, two strategies to predicting future failures of medical equipment through processing and analyzing the maintenance data obtained from the historical maintenance logs and condition data collected by the embedded sensors are elaborated. Besides, the classification and life cycle of medical equipment are also summarized.

Brain diseases, including psychosis, neurological disorders, strokes, etc., account for more than 15% of all global health damage, which is higher than that caused by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Brain health and the treatment of brain diseases have become major challenges of the 21st century. The past few decades have witnessed a series of significant advances in human brain science research. The pathogenesis of brain diseases at the molecular and genetic level is being revealed, indicating promising outcomes. However, the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) significantly impedes the delivery of drugs and genes to the brain, which seriously hinders the treatment of brain diseases. This review article provides a brief overview of the concept and history of the BBB. We focus on the critical obstacles and solutions of different kinds of therapeutics, including small molecule drugs, peptides, proteins, and genes, to break through the BBB. Delivery mechanisms, strategies, and vehicles are summarized. Recent advances and efforts in drug delivery studies that aim to overcome the BBB will greatly facilitate the development of brain disease treatment.

Peptic ulcer is a common disease with a high clinical incidence and frequent recurrences. The well-characterized galactomannan-type polysaccharide, extracted from Cassia grandis seeds, can accelerate the stages of wound healing and improve the remodeling of the extracellular matrix of injured tissues; this way, the gastroprotective potential of the galactomannan was proposed to be evaluated in the treatment of rat peptic ulcers induced by ethanol. Galactomannan was extracted by ethanol precipitation and prepared at 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg concentrations. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into groups (n = 5) and orally treated with saline (negative control, NC), galactomannan at 0.1 mg/Kg (G0.1), galactomannan at 1.0 mg/Kg (G1), galactomannan at 10 mg/Kg (G10), and lansoprazole 30 mg/Kg (positive control, CP). Ethanol (1 mL/100g of body mass) was administered 1 h after the treatments and, after another hour, the animals were euthanized. The stomachs were removed, fixed between Petri dishes, and photographed to calculate the percentage of the injured regions by computerized software. Histological analysis and the quantification of lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) were also performed. G1 and G10 reduced the injured area (P < 0.001) by 40 and 36%, respectively, concerning NC. It was observed the preservation of the gastric mucosa in all of the animals treated with galactomannan, in addition to reduced (P < 0.001) lipid peroxidation and GSH levels higher (P < 0.05) than NC. The galactomannan extracted from C. grandis seeds showed gastroprotective activity at 1.0 and 10 mg/kg by reducing the area of ulceration and oxidative stress.

Biodegradable pH-responsive hydrogels have become a powerful tool in medicine for synthesizing wound dressings and drug delivery applications. The current study focuses on the development of crosslinked semi-interpenetrating polymer networks of chitosan/poly(ethylene glycol)/3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPTMS) blends containing honey and aloe vera gel. All hydrogels were prepared by physical blending and solution casting methods. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to analyse the developed interactions among the polymers and crosslinker. To check the thermal behaviour and crosslinking density of all hydrogel matrixes, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was done. The effects of the crosslinker concentration on the swelling trend of all hydrogels were investigated against distilled water and buffers of varying pH. The hydrogel was found thermally stable with enhanced swelling rate, good moisture capability, and pH responsiveness. These properties and the material's cost-effectiveness suggest that the fabricated blend hydrogels can be suitable for wound dressing and other biomedical applications.

The demand for advanced cosmetics needed for remodeling to enhance beauty and fashion is on the increase in modern times. Also, some of the major parts of the human head that bring about great discomfort in the human body if not put in proper conditions are the teeth, nose, ears, and eyes. Among these parts, the teeth are highly susceptible to serious attack and damage at various stages of life. To date, pleasurable feeding would be practically impossible for humans without the aid of teeth that are responsible for cutting and chewing. However, as with other parts of the human body, there are always issues affecting the maxillofacial prosthesis and teeth, which are usually the result of aging, accidents, or diseases. These issues influence the rising need for the replacement of maxillofacial and dental bones with different materials that are developed to meet the structural and biocompatibility needs. Facial and dental implantations have brought about many modifications to human appearance in recent times. The implants are expected to be safe and acceptable to the body system as the patient grows since growth is crucial to human existence. As, growth is a function of the age group in human beings and, the three major age groups respond to growth at different rates. Thus, this review considers the influence of the human age group on maxillofacial and dental implants. The review provides an insight to the demand from each age group and the necessary guides on the selection of appropriate biomaterials as well as future expectations for maxillofacial and dental bones. This is essential because adequate knowledge of the age group of the patients who need maxillofacial and dental bones demands accurate prescriptions.

Integration of inorganic fillers with polymer matrices opens up exciting possibilities for creating high-performance functional materials. Metal/metal oxides/silsesquioxanes as nanofillers are gaining attention for enhancing polymer matrices. Understanding the dispersion and interaction of these nanofillers is crucial for modifying properties in technological applications. Homogeneously dispersed fillers boost physiochemical and biological properties, like mechanical strength and biocompatibility. These functional materials are employed in tissue engineering and other healthcare applications, maintaining their characteristics even in challenging conditions. In the biomedical field, these fillers show promise in developing stimuli-responsive systems, drug delivery, gene vectors, and biological imaging.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a rapidly growing biomedical imaging technique that combines the advantages of optical and acoustic imaging. This technique utilizes pulsed laser light to generate acoustic waves in biological tissue, which are then detected and used to create high-resolution images of tissue structure and function. PAI has several advantages over other imaging modalities, including its ability to provide functional information about tissue properties such as blood oxygenation and blood flow, as well as its ability to image tissue at greater depths than many other techniques. However, there are also challenges associated with PAI, including the need for specialized equipment and concerns regarding the potential for tissue damage due to laser exposure. Despite these challenges, PAI is a promising technique with many potential applications in biomedical research and clinical practice, and ongoing research in this area is likely to yield further advances in the coming years.

The spine is a critical component of the human body, supporting balance, flexibility, and natural movement. However, scoliosis, a condition where the curvature of the spine exceeds 10 degrees, can lead to health complications. In this research, we designed and three dimensional (3D) printed a customized orthosis using the Blender program, supported by ultrasound sensors controlled by an Arduino UNO circuit. Our innovative approach aims to accelerate healing and alleviate pain in patients with scoliosis. This study serves as a starting point for the development of research in the orthotic treatment of scoliosis of the spine by integrating two treatment techniques at the same time. Our ultrasound-reinforced orthosis represents a significant advancement in spinal care, offering a promising solution for scoliosis treatment.