Dentistry on the bridge to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Dentistry is the area of medical sciences that is most resistant to the introduction of the novel methods arisen from the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the last 20 years. Without moving on to science fiction like views pointing to times far ahead in the future, we show that the available nanoscale devices and processes of current science and technology, partly inherited from the areas of microscopy and microelectronics, have already proven to be useful for research and development in different fields of dental research. To this goal, we review some results obtained in the last few years at our Institute in the area of dental materials and their characterization, which showed successful application of our background in microscopy and nanoengineering

Optical nanoscopy

AbstractThis article deals with the developments of optical microscopy towards nanoscopy. Basic concepts of the methods implemented to obtain spatial super-resolution are described, along with concepts related to the study of biological systems at the molecular level. Fluorescence as a mechanism of contrast and spatial resolution will be the starting point to developing a multi-messenger optical microscope tunable down to the nanoscale in living systems. Moreover, the integration of optical nanoscopy with scanning probe microscopy and the charming possibility of using artificial intelligence approaches will be shortly outlined

MUCIDS: an operative C environment for acquisition and processing of polarized-light scattered from biological specimens

In this work, we describe a software package, MUCIDS, completely developed in our laboratory, for acquisition and processing of differential polarizxition light-scattering data from specimens of biophysical interest. MUCIDS is a C environment that manages the whole activity of an instrument used for measurements of Mueller matrix scattering elements. It allows one to capture, analyse, process and display data from this or from other similar light-scattering experiments. The entire system is suitable for routine measurements in a general biophysical (or microbiological) laboratory because of its easy handling and maintenance. The software was written in C lattice and will run on IBM personal computers and similar. It uses IBM/DAC and GPIB/IBM interface card

Simultaneous multiplane confocal microscopy using acoustic tunable lenses

Maximizing the amount of spatiotemporal information retrieved in confocal laser scanning microscopy is crucial to understand fundamental three-dimensional (3D) dynamic processes in life sciences. However, current 3D confocal microscopy is based on an inherently slow stepwise process that consists of acquiring multiple 2D sections at different focal planes by mechanical or optical z-focus translation. Here, we show that by using an acoustically-driven optofluidic lens integrated in a commercial confocal system we can capture an entire 3D image in a single step. Our method is based on continuous axial scanning at speeds as high as 140 kHz combined with fast readout. In this way, one or more focus sweeps are produced on a pixel by pixel basis and the detected photons can be assigned to their corresponding focal plane enabling simultaneous multiplane imaging. We exemplify this method by imaging calibration and biological fluorescence samples. These results open the door to exploring new fundamental processes in science with an unprecedented time resolution

Two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy using photonic crystal fibre

We report the application of a simple yet powerful modular pulse compression system, based on photonic crystal fibres which improves upon incumbent twophoton laser scanning fluorescence microscopy techniques. This system provided more than a 7-fold increase in fluorescence yield when compared with a commercial two-photon microscopy system. From this, we infer pulses of infrared radiaton of less than 35 fs duration reaching the sample

Nanopatterning with Photonic Nanojets: Review and Perspectives in Biomedical Research

: Nanostructured surfaces and devices offer astounding possibilities for biomedical research, including cellular and molecular biology, diagnostics, and therapeutics. However, the wide implementation of these systems is currently limited by the lack of cost-effective and easy-to-use nanopatterning tools. A promising solution is to use optical methods based on photonic nanojets, namely, needle-like beams featuring a nanometric width. In this review, we survey the physics, engineering strategies, and recent implementations of photonic nanojets for high-throughput generation of arbitrary nanopatterns, along with applications in optics, electronics, mechanics, and biosensing. An outlook of the potential impact of nanopatterning technologies based on photonic nanojets in several relevant biomedical areas is also provide

Printability conditions for an all-solid-state laser transfer

Several laser technologies exist capable of adding solid materials to a targeted area of a substrate, including photopolymerization, laser sintering, or laser-induced forward transfer. However, the added material normally undergoes a phase change, causing adverse effects such as shrinkage, stress, or degradation. As recently demonstrated, this issue can be addressed by using laser pulses to mechanically delaminate and eject a disk from a solid film. In this case, the laser plays the role of a catapult, with minimal thermal damage to the transferred disk. Despite proven success in micro-electronics and micro-optics, little is known about the mechanical properties of the film that lead to a crack-free all-solid-state transfer. Here, we present a theoretical and experimental study on the effects that film rigidity, elasticity, and plasticity play on laser catapulting. By combining the thermodynamic equations of the laser-generated propulsion force with the theory of thin plate bending, we derived an analytical model that fully describes the list of events responsible for disk ejection. The model is in good agreement with experiments using elastomers, polymers, and metals. A complete printability map based on the film mechanical parameters is reported, which can help to broaden the family of materials suitable for laser additive manufacturing