Robot nano silver technology
American Physical Society Sites: Big Impacts from Small Science April 6, The Scale of Things. National Center for Electron Microscopy. Nanodentistry made its debut in a less-than-glamorous fashion: Fillings are a materials challenge.
Dentists need a material that is pliable and conforms easily to a hole in the tooth, but that hardens quickly and is strong enough to withstand daily chomping. Amalgam does this relatively easily and cheaply and has been used to fill billions of cavities.
However, it has been plagued by concerns about possible health risks associated with its mercury content despite the approval of major health organizations including the US Food and Drug Administration.
The mixture starts to harden almost immediately after the mercury is added. Aside from the mercury concerns, the main downside to amalgam is its color. Many people prefer fillings that match the color of their teeth over the silver-colored amalgam.
The most common alterative to amalgam is composite resin. The plastic resin controls the consistency of the mixture. It starts off soft and doughy so that the filling can conform to the cavity. After the composite resin is placed, the dentist shines a bright, blue light on the tooth to harden the filling. The energy from this light initiates a process called polymerization within the resin.
During this process the single molecules that compose the resin bond together into polymer chains, making the filling more rigid. Unlike amalgam, composite resins can be color-matched to a tooth.
They tend to cost more though, even for patients with insurance, and they wear out sooner in large cavities. Dentists can choose from many kinds of composite resins, which are often categorized by the size of the filler particles.
Nano-composite resins use nano-sized filler particles and have several advantages. There is an assumption that smaller means better. We expect new tech to shrink compared to older counterparts. Then there is the simple fact that it saves on space.
Homeowners may want their home filled with gadgets and helpful tools, but they need to be discrete. Also, size is important in home hubs and cleaning devices. Both are common tools these days, with many brands and many generations of a single product. These generations show a clear decrease in size, as developers shrink down tech into a more convenient design.
Alexa can listen to commands from tiny speakers and other inconspicuous hubs. Robotic vacuum cleaners are slim enough to handle corners and under furniture.
They do so with the same power and performance as users expect. The development of nanotechnology means shrinking computer components, not just shrinking bodies. Tiny processors and chips allow for greater memory and functionality within the device. The robots become more capable and intelligent. Then there are the improvements to the size and performance of the batteries. This allows the devices to express this intelligence and capability for longer. Size is just the start when creating the perfect smart devices for modern homes.
We call them smart devices for a reason — so intelligence is essential. New and improved models must be smarter and more interesting than their previous forms.
This means providing new solutions to problems, relaying information or dealing with tasks in a more effective manner. Home robots are great examples of increasingly smart devices with this problem-solving ability. A great example of this comes with those home robots aware of their surroundings. Many robot devices, such as Roomba vacuum cleaners, robotic pool cleaners , and patrolling drones, have a sense of space.
They can map out the room around them to plot routes and handle problems. The laser mapping and algorithms involved are now highly sophisticated. They can understand the layout of a whole floor, detect dirt and avoid obstacles. Some even have the capacity to learn. As with the issue of size, consumers now expect this sort of impressive tech for the high-end bots on the market.
This then increases the capacity for other capabilities — such as WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Connectivity is essential in any smart home. Many homeowners are reliant on the internet of things. This is the interconnected system of devices that make life easier. It is all a big web of convenience. This means the home hub, major systems, and all devices must connect up and sync up. So, consumers want their new smart devices to join the pack and comply — without any hassle.
Wi-fi-enabled kitchen appliances, exercise machines, and cleaning tools are must-have items. Those cleaning tools are a great example of this trend towards connectivity. This is an area where growth and development are plain to see over product development. For instance, the Roomba iRobot vacuum used to be smart enough if it just handled some dirt with minimal human interaction. Now humans want no interaction whatsoever. Smart scheduling and remote controls increase this separation between owner and cleaner.
This all requires connectivity to WiFi, and to the devices sending the prompts. Then there are developers pushing the boundaries even further. The iRobot Roomba series is one of the most popular for robotic vacuum cleaners. The idea is that the Roomba Series will detect WiFi signal strength, highlighting areas with poor connectivity. When developers shrink down these computerized components, they also open up space to add other features. Cool functions and tools, once impossible to include, now have a place in the system.
There is also the improved power and CPU to run with ease. There is a sense of competition to see how much one little device is capable of.
In its summary , the Panel suggested that the EPA should consider the hazard profiles of silver nanoparticles to be different from the profiles of conventional silver. In , the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated in part a conditional registration for AGS, another silver nanoparticle-containing pesticide. The EPA failed to consider risk mitigation, which contravened the unreasonable adverse effects clause of conditional registration.
The EPA granted the conditional registration, finding that doing so was in the public interest and that Nanosilva LLC had insufficient time to generate data required for unconditional registration. The EPA responded by issuing its brief on March 8, A conditional registration under this subparagraph shall be granted only if the Administrator determines that use of the pesticide during such period will not cause any unreasonable adverse effect on the environment, and that use of the pesticide is in the public interest.
For insight in interpreting this section of FIFRA, the court looked to the legislative history of the statute. Data collected during the conditional registration period cannot fulfill the public-interest requirement. Nanomaterials are chemical substances that measure between nanometers nm, meters along at least one dimension. Nanomaterials exhibit chemical and physical characteristics distinct from their bulk material counterparts. Because of their different properties, nanomaterials interact with environmental chemicals to yield new and unclear manifestations.
The EPA uses conservative assumptions to derive unique risk profiles and is constantly refining methods used to assess nanomaterial characteristics. The active ingredients in the proprietary Nanosilva formulation are silver nanoparticles. In response to companies seeking to use nanosilver in their pesticides, a scientific advisory panel suggested that the distinct biological distributions of silver nanoparticles could lead to unique hazard profiles.
Silver is an antimicrobial agent that is becoming increasingly incorporated into pesticide formulation and materials as a preservative.