ABSTRACT
The application of man-made structures to effectively monitor and actuate biological systems has long been a goal of biomedical engineering. Much progress has been made over the last 50 years with man-made actuation devices, such as pacemakers and cochlear implants, now used routinely in patients. The recent advances in the nanosciences and bionanotechnology have created new hope of generating innovative and powerful devices for both clinical and research applications. This chapter highlights some of the recent advances made in applying nanoscience to create systems capable of monitoring and stimulating bioelectric signals, with a specific emphasis on application to the brain and heart.
