The use of telemedicine technologies in monitoring and supporting of nephrological patients

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Nanoclusters and nanotubes for swift ion track technology

With interest rising recently in nanostructures of all kinds, attention was also given to etched ion tracks in insulators. The emerging nanopores with a very high aspect ratio enable one to create new functionalities especially in thin polymeric foils and oxide on silicon structures, when combined with electronic, optical, catalytic or sensing materials. These materials are often inserted into the nanopores in the form of nanoparticles, for several reasons. On the one hand, quantum effects can easily be exploited in this way, and on the other hand, tailoring of size and distance of semi conducting nanoclusters enables one to obtain any desired conductivity value between insulating and metallic of the nanocluster nanopore devices. Also, the very large surface areas of nanoclustered materials may be useful for initiating chemical reactions e.g. for sensing, catalytic, or medical purpose. Nanotubes may be grown within the nanopores, which enhances the range of possibilities greatly. Potential applications of these strategies are outlined