Nanotechnology and Food Packaging

This week I read about possibilities of the use of nanotechnology in food packaging. Due to restrictions and regulations in the food industry, the use of nanotechnology is slow and limited. But the more I read about nanotechnology, the more I agree that it could change the food industry drastically. 

Food packaging right now is mainly in film made with flexible plastics, but over time oxygen could still go through the film and damage the food. Nanotechnology coating can be used in this case, to help create impermeable layers to protect the food. 

     Film plastic used to protect food. 

But more than just keeping the food fresh and making them last as long as possible, another possible use researchers are talking about is the use of “smart” packaging. The nanoparticles inside food packaging could potentially help control the environment inside food package, and alert consumers when the food is not safe to consume anymore. 

This made me think about a new use for nanoparticles in food packaging. We are used to storing all kinds of food in locked plastic boxes. What if the plastic food containers for food storage can be manufactured with nano particles within, and could indicate if the food has gone bad, or is going bad. Maybe the food container could change color to alert consumers. Even better, if the nanoparticles can be programed or made to detect different kinds of food, whether it’s cheese, fish, meat, and in order calculate longevity of edible time then users can feel safer. 

In the example below, researchers form the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies in Munich developed an inexpensive plastic film that will change color when the food is rotten. I believe this could be incorporated with food storage boxes. 

Plastic film that changes color when food has gone bad.  

      Food storage boxes. 

Citations: 

"In the Know...on Food Packaging." Nanotechnology in the Food Packaging Industry. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Ortiz, Christina. "Wait, There's Nanotech in My Food?" Popular Mechanics. N.p., 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Soutter, Will. "Nanotechnology in Food Packaging." AZoNano.com. N.p., 02 July 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

"EU Project Applies Nanotechnology to Food Packaging." EU Project Applies Nanotechnology to Food Packaging. N.p., 11 June 2015. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

COXWORTH, BEN. "Inexpensive Plastic Developed That Indicates Freshness of Food." Inexpensive Plastic Developed That Indicates Freshness of Food. N.p., 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Nanotechnology and Tattoos

This week I read about “nano tattoos” that can help diabetics track their sugar levels. The glucose tattoo is made from fluorescent nanoparticle ink that is injected under the skin, and will reflect infrared light in response to glucose through a monitor worn over he skin. The ink would last about six months before it needs to be refreshed. 

After reading about how “nano tattoos” can help diabetics track their sugar levels. The idea I have is having nano tattoos monitor health of a person. It will monitor heart rate, temperature, and all the necessary data to predict and prevent illness. The tattoo could possibly predict someone’s health problems before symptoms appear, predict a baby’s cold before it gets worse, or even diagnose cancer early? 

After doing some research, there are recent articles about the use of this kind of technology. The software company Chaotic Moon has developed a “tech tattoo” that tracks a person’s financial and medical information. This tattoo monitors if a person is about to get sick. Instead of going to the doctor once a year for physical, the tattoo can monitor everything and sends the data to your doctor, if there’s anything wrong they could call you. 

This tattoo would also carry your financial information! “We carry wallets around and they are so vulnerable. With the tech tattoo you can carry all your information on your skin and when you want your credit card information or your ID, you can pull that up automatically through the system,” says Eric Schneider, company’s hardware creative technologist. 

Obviously, someone has thought of this sort of idea already, but what are can nanotechnology do to make this idea better? Even smaller electronics? Maybe it doesn’t even look like a “device” on your skin, the the photo from Chaotic Moon showed below. What if the tattoo can be invisible?  

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Citations 

Trafton, Anne. "'Tattoo' May Help Diabetics Track Their Blood Sugar." MIT News. N.p., 28 May 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

Q, By Charles. "Needle-Free Tattoos Can Check Diabetics' Sugar Levels." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

"Seen At 11: Company Developing 'Tech Tattoos' So People Can Track Their Medical, Financial Info." CBS New York. N.p., 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

Devon, L.J. "Mark of the Medical Beast: 'Tech Tattoos' Will Store Your Personal Medical and Financial Information on a Microchip Embedded in Your Skin." NaturalNews. N.p., 19 Feb. 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

"BIOWEARABLES: Tech Gets Skintimate | CHAOTIC MOON STUDIOS." CHAOTIC MOON STUDIOS. N.p., 24 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

Nanotechnology and Teeth cleaning!

After reading some articles about the Nanotechnology toothbrush developed by Japanese designer Kosho Ueshima with the tech firm Yume Shoknin, I started thinking about how nanotechology in cleaning can be applied to other things. 

This toothbrush called Misoka toothbrush has bristles that measure about 0.178 millimeters in thickness, and they are coated with nano-size mineral ions which helps scrub the teeth squeaky clean. The coins removes stains and forms a protective coating that makes it more difficult for plaque and other material to adhere to the enamel of teeth. This toothbrush supposedly is not intended to be used with toothpaste, just running water to activate it! 

A company called Nanofilm developed liquid with polymer molecules that align with each other, and when applied to surfaces like windshield, it bonds with glass and form thin film to protect from water, dirt, and also increases visibility. This type of film has even longer lifetime than conventional films. They have the same type of products for coating eyewear and electronic screens as well. 

Brushing your pet's teeth can be frustrating.

I think this cleaning and shielding property of nano-sized ions have potential to also be applied to pets teeth! For most owners, brushing their pet's teeth is a nightmare, dogs don’t like having a stick with bristles and paste being jammed in their mouth and moved around, let alone cats. But teeth hygiene is very important part of pet’s health. I think if there was a chew toy, that can be coated with the same nano-sized ion like the Misoka toothbrush, then the dogs’ teeth don’t even need to be manually brushed. While chewing on their toys, the dogs teeth are getting cleaned, and protected with a coating, there is no more hassle for teeth hygiene. 

Another use of nanotechnology in cleaning is in the soap that we use. Companies are looking to nanoparticles in soap that will clean and also substitute for some of the harmful ingredients found in soap. I believe we will be able to use nano particles for pets’ teeth hygiene. 

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Citation: 

Boysen, Earl. "Cleaning Products and Nanotechnology." Cleaning and Nanotechnology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

Grozdanic, Lidija. "Never Buy Toothpaste Again with This Nanotech Toothbrush." Inhabitat. N.p., 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

CONRAD, HENRY. "Nanotech Toothbrush Means You Never Need Toothpaste Again." ZME Science. N.p., 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

"Nanotechnology Solutions for Self-cleaning, Dirt and Water-repellent Coatings." Nanotechnology Solutions for Self-cleaning, Dirt and Water-repellent Coatings. N.p., 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

Woodford, Chris. "Self-cleaning Windows." How Do Self-cleaning Windows Work? N.p., 14 Nov. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

Using nanotechnology to generate Electricity 

This week’s reading is about Nanotechnology and self-assembly. For this week, I propose using nanotechnology in creating more electricity. I think there could be a way to put nano particles in the asphalt concrete roads we drive on every day. Researchers have tried using sheets of nanotubes wrapped around hot pipes or such, to generate electricity from heat. I think utilizing such method, the asphalt concrete roads that are everywhere around the world, exposed to the sunlight most of the time, will be able to generate a sufficient amount of electricity. Electricity that could be later used in powering road lamps, and maybe even households. Another way nano particles mixed in the ground could generate electricity is from friction. The combined friction and heat can make the roads we drive and walk on a useful source for electricity.

Researchers at Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) found out using carbon nanotubes in the materials for making wind turbine blade can be a great advantage. Adding the carbon nanotubes to a typical turbine blade will be able to increase the material thermal conductivity by more than 80%. Due to this new material of nanotube-filled epoxy, stronger and lighter weight blades are made possible. The resulting blades increase the amount of electricity generated by each windmill. This is an example of how nanotubes can increase electricity. 

Another example of nanotechnology generating electricity is from using outside heat. The Integrated Nanotechnology Lab at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology explored the idea of thermoelectric materials at nanoscale with the window glasses to generate electricity based on temperature difference between outside (hot) and inside (cold). For example, Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (image below) a 99 floors skyscraper with about 85,000 square meters of glass coverage, can provide 2.8 megawatts of power using the method described. 

 

The following is their prototype of four thermoelectric pillars. 












Citation: 

Boysen, Earl. "Nanotechnology and Energy." Nanotechnology and Energy. UnderstandingNano, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.

Inayat, Salman. "Nanotechnology Windows Generate Electricity from outside Heat." Nanotechnology Windows Generate Electricity from outside Heat. N.p., 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.

Wang, Zhong Lin. "How Self-Powered Nanotech Machines Work." Scientific American. N.p., 09 Nov. 2008. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.

"Wind Turbine Blade Carbon Nanotubes / Polymer Nano Composites Developed." Wind Turbine Blade Carbon Nanotubes / Polymer Nano Composites Developed. N.p., 10 July 2014. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

"Nanotechnology Now." IMPROVING THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT. N.p., 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.