Microelectromechanical Systems in Medicine

Owing to the massive growth in the field of biomedical microsystems, a variety of innovative micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices have been introduced. For decades, the health care sector has been using macro devices but due to the various disadvantages that came along with the macro devices, research about micro devices began. Micro devices have various advantages such as low energy consumption, lightweight, biocompatibility, small size and many more. This paper mainly focuses on application of MEMS in the field of medicine in three main fields: (1) MEMS in diagnosis (2) MEMS in precision surgery (3) MEMS in therapeutic systems. BioMEMS in diagnosis help in precise and early detection of medical conditions. BioMEMS in the surgical field help in performing less invasive surgery and thus shorter recovery period. BioMEMS in therapeutic field enable therapy treatment with increased efficiency. Micro and miniature devices offer numerous novel treatments that can be performed with more precision and less complication. It is a challenging research field as it involves the study of complex functions of living bodies. Miniaturized analytical, surgical and therapeutic microsystems will become a necessity for the medical field in the long term, to obtain a more delineated view into the processes of the living body and to deliver precise quantity of drugs more efficiently. Application of BioMEMS in the area of stent fabrication, microneedles patch requires more research and has the potential to improve health care.