ABSTRACT
Identifying the medical applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and the nanoscale counterpart, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), is highly dependent on the definition one uses and how hard one looks. While some devices clearly fit the definition, others utilize a MEMS/NEMS component technology but are not necessarily 100% MEMS/NEMS devices. For example, a thin film is produced using a micro-or nanoscale manufacturing technology, but the thin film is used to deliver a pharmaceutical from a more macroscopic device (e.g., a blood vessel stent). With a relaxation of the definitions, it will be apparent that there is an arsenal of technologies in use and even more in the development phase that address every major disease process.
