BioMEMS isone of the most promising areas of microfabrication technologies. The market for bioMEMS is expected to reach more than $20 billion in the next year. Due to intensive research in the area of bioMEMS, commercial success has been achieved and the technical potential has been realised. MEMS offer a particular advantage to the medical field in many ways. BioMEMS leverage chemical functions, mechanical functions, electrical and neural functions of microstructures in ways that mimic or interact with the way that the human body does. During the past few years, BioMEMS devices have become the largest and most diverse applications of MEMS devices. Few important applications include:

• Aural (Sound) Sensing Devices

• Remote powering

• Micro-optics

• Biosensors (General)

•Structural elements with computation, communications, and controls for application to medicine

• Bioreactors

• Cell Handling Devices

• For cell manipulation, sorting, trapping and culturing

• Drug Delivery Devices

• Genomics and proteomics

• Micro-chromatography Systems

• Microfluidics

• Molecular Detection/Handling

• Neural Interface Devices

• Optical/retinal Sensing

• Surgical Devices

• Surgical microsystems (intelligent micro-invasive surgical tools)

• Diagnostic microsystems (biochips and related microinstrumentation)

• Therapeutic microsystems (health care management systems)

• Tissue Handling Devices

• MEMS in precision surgery-ophthalmology

• MEMS in biomolecular recognition

• MEMS in autonomous therapy management systems - micropumps for drug delivery

Some of the specific advantages of BioMEMS in the medical field are:

• Biocompatibility – silicon is biocompatible, plus micro texturing of surfaces

• Greater uniformity and reliability

• Reproducibility

• Miniaturized implants

• Ability to respond on short time scales

• Ability to provide electrical stimulus

• Low power

• Optical and electrical sensitivity

• Ability to integrate sensor and actuator – closed loop systems are possible

• Ability to integrate electronics

• Precise control

• small size, ability to integrate sensors and actuators

• Ability to interact with fluids – micro fluidics, biochemical sensors, etc.

• Precise control, quick response, short time scale operation, response to electrical stimulus for drug delivery applications, for example

• Chemical functionalization and micro texturing, especially for tissue engineering applications

• Miniaturization and ability to measure physiological signals as well as the ability to provide electrical impulses, such as for pace maker applications

• Implantable pressure sensors can be used in cardiovascular monitoring, glaucoma monitoring, and monitoring of intracranial pressure

• BioMEMS also enable non invasive/painful procedures and information retrieval

• Drug delivery as well as sample gathering for tests is made easy as micro needle can reach interstitial fluids without going deep enough to stimulate nerve endings that trigger pain.