Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
Search

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Slashdot Log In

Log In

Create Account  |  Retrieve Password

Nanoknives To Be Used to Cut Cells

Posted by Zonk on Sun Nov 26, 2006 06:44 PM
from the take-that-you-cytoplasmic-scoundrel dept.
Biotech Science
Roland Piquepaille writes "American researchers have built a carbon nanotube knife. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this nanoknife will be used to cut and study cells. With this new tool, scientists and biologists will be able to make 3D images of cells and tissues for electron tomography, which requires samples less than 300 nanometers thick. And as cells are usually stored in wax for dissection, the researchers plan to test their nanoknives on a block of wax later this year. But read more for additional references and a picture of this nanoknife."
+ -
story

Related Stories

[+] Hardware: Intel Experimenting With Nanotubes 85 comments
illeism writes "C|Net is reporting on Intel's experimentation with nanotubes in processors. From the article: 'The chip giant has managed to create prototype interconnects — microscopic metallic wires inside of chips that link transistors ... Carbon nanotubes ... conduct electricity far better than metals. In fact, nanotubes exhibit what's called ballistic conductivity, which means that electrons are not scattered or impeded by obstacles.'"
[+] Ancient Swords Made of Carbon Nanotubes 293 comments
brian0918 writes "Nature reports that researchers at Dresden University believe that sabres from Damascus dating back to 900 AD were formed with help from carbon nanotubes. From the article: 'Sabres from Damascus are made from a type of steel called wootz. But the secret of the swords' manufacture was lost in the eighteenth century.' At high temperatures, impurities in the metal 'could have catalyzed the growth of nanotubes from carbon in the burning wood and leaves used to make the wootz, Paufler suggests. These tubes could then have filled with cementite to produce the wires in the patterned blades, he says.'"
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

Nanoknives To Be Used to Cut Cells 50 Comments More /

 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More
Loading... please wait.

  • That is so cool... (Score:4, Funny)

    by creimer (824291) on Sunday November 26 2006, @06:46PM (#16996140) Homepage
    I just can't wait for the Rachel Ray version.

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by wkk2 (808881)
      Imagine how many nano-knives the TSA trash can will hold at the airport.
    • I prefer the crocodile dundee version... "That's not a knife... THIS is a knife..."
      • Or the Simpsons version:

        "You call that a knife? THIS is a knife!"
        "That's not a knife, that's a spoon."
        "Ah, I see you've played knifey-spooney before!"
    • Nano Knives would make one DANGEROUS DANGEROUS Weapon. The whole concept of a Nano Knife just sounds creepy, what is next? The Nano gun?
  • From the article:
    It doesn't seem that this tool will be available before a while. The researchers have "found that the welds were the weakest point of the nanoknife, and they are now experimenting with alternative welding techniques."
    Wouldn't it be better to wrap or tie the carbon nanotube to a specially shaped tungsten needles rather than trying to weld them? Given the small size, welding directly to the needles seems like it could never work ... better to rely on the strength of the nanotube than on the adhesive capacity of some other material.

    • Re:How hard is it to wrap a carbon nanotube? (Score:5, Informative)

      by imsabbel (611519) on Sunday November 26 2006, @07:01PM (#16996268)
      Friction on atomar level isnt what you are used to.

      Trying to tie or wrap those nanotypes would be more than futile.
      • Trying to tie or wrap those nanotypes would be more than futile.

        So what you're saying is that friction's resistance would be useless?
      • Just wrap the nanotubes around the tungsten rods and then welding it

        Man, I should work at the NIST
    • All they really need to do is cut a nano-width-slot in each side of those tungsten prongs (creating a two-pronged fork on each prong). Then create a nano-axel by welding a small bead to each end of the nano-tube cutter (each bead being larger than the width between the fork prongs). Slide the nano-axel between the two tungsten forks. Pinch the ends of the forks together. Bingo! The nano-cheese-cutter can bend as much as it needs to and there are no fixed points to break.
  • Still, I guess I'd feel safer being thretened by one of these than a normal knife.. 'Give me all your money, or I'll cut the top layer of dead skins cells off your throat!'

  • If it's so thin (Score:5, Interesting)

    by TubeSteak (669689) on Sunday November 26 2006, @06:49PM (#16996178) Journal
    Will getting "cut" by it make you bleed?
    Will it even trigger your nerves?
    • Hath not a Jew eyes?
      Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
      Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?

      If you prick us, do we not bleed?
    • That would depend on where you got cut. If they took off some surface cells, probably not, but if a long one cut you in half I bet you'd notice.

    • Re:If it's so thin (Score:5, Interesting)

      by NanoProf (245372) on Sunday November 26 2006, @09:22PM (#16997292)
      That's an interesting question- the thinnest possible nanotube knife, a single single-walled nanotube, is about 1 nanometer wide. I could imagine that a living cell membrane would self-heal as a nanotube knife passes through it, since the cell membrane is a dynamic fluctuating entity. Bigger problems would be created with the knife hit a large, covalently bound molecule, or a macromolecular assembly held together by strong non-bonded interactions (muscle fiber, microtubule, bone, extracellular matrix of various kinds). I'd think that many of those things wouldn't self-heal very well, but it's not totally obvious to me that the damage pathway would be wide enough that slowly passing a nanotube knife through say, an arm would make it fall off, or prevent it from healing back together over time. If I had to bet, I'd say yes, it would either fall off or end up attached so tenuously that it dies and falls off later, but who knows... (one problem is that a single nanotube is most likely not strong enough to slice through an entire arm)
      • If you read the original article instead of Roland Piquepailles summary (RTOAIORPS), you will notice that the cells are frozen:

        For years, biologists have wrestled with conventional diamond or glass knives, which cut frozen cell samples at a large angle, forcing the samples to bend and sometimes later crack.

  • . . . they patent this centuries-old technology?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by kimvette (919543)
      Meh. Nevermind. This isn't the centuries-old steel knife with embedded nanotube structures. My bad, for posting before RTFA. *hangs head in shame*
      • it's possible for either a silicon dioxide or obsidian knife to be one molecule thick too, so I don't think this nanotube knife is much improvement on some of the broken edges of other material that have been used for centuries.

  • And if you call within the next 15 minutes (Score:3, Funny)

    by Henry 2.0 (1017212) on Sunday November 26 2006, @06:51PM (#16996190)
    The NanoFork will be yours, absolutely free!

  • I've already seen that (Score:5, Funny)

    by macadamia_harold (947445) on Sunday November 26 2006, @06:51PM (#16996194) Homepage
    According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this nanoknife will be used to cut and study cells.

    I saw my first nano knife when I brought my nano on the subway in New York. The guy took my wallet, too.
  • They should have made glass knives [wikipedia.org].

    • Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Interesting)

      by cyfer2000 (548592) on Sunday November 26 2006, @08:01PM (#16996736) Journal

      Actually they did. The art of cutting thin slice is called microtomy [wikipedia.org]. Glass knife and diamond knife are used for microtomy. The advantage of glass knife is cost, the glass cost almost nothing. But glass knife doesn't last long, it gets blunt after 20 or 30 cuts. Also glass knife become blunt even you do nothing with it because glass is essentially fluid and the sharp edge has huge surface tension. Diamond knife lasts forever if you don't do anything wrong with it. But the diamond knife is pricey, a single knife can cost several thousand of dollars.

      I have been doing microtoming for years. But I don't see how could this can be used to replace diamond knife. Basically we need to trim the sample to 0.1x0.25mm block and cut the block. This is small but still 100um. I at least need a knife of 150um wide to work on this. Nanotubes as long as 150um are not so well available at least for now. Then the knife is a 150um long 10nm thin wire, which I can not see with my eyes. How do I know the wire is stretched? And if it is stretched, during the cutting, the temperature and change from room temperature to -90 degree C. So how do I handle the thermal expansion? Also the problem troubled me mostly is how do I handle the section? When I am using a glass or diamond knife, the section and block fall to different sides of the knife, then I can use special tools to pick the section up. But when the wire cut through the sample, the section sticks back to the block. Also how much the wire knife cost and how long it can last? I can resharpen a 3mm diamond knife for $1500 after I made enough mistakes on it, which can be 5 or 10 years.

      However, I really think this thing can be used as a wire saw to make MEMs [wikipedia.org].

  • I could be walking down the street and jab someone. Question is... would i actually be able to slice them in half or what!
  • After you cut, how do you suture it?
    • Did you not see the picture?
      There is a length of nano-cotton.
      All they are waiting for is instructions on how to build a nano-thimble.

      On this subject, the thread looks thinner than the knife, could they make a more effective cheese cutter?
  • Sounds like only one step away from a Variable Sword.
    • Without a stasis field it doesn't fly though... about as probable as a lightsaber.

  • But Wait: There's More! (Score:3, Funny)

    by M0b1u5 (569472) on Sunday November 26 2006, @07:26PM (#16996448) Homepage
    That's all wel and good - but where is my Carbon-Monofilament garotting tool?

    It'll be great, I can see the adverts now:

    "See! New Nanoknife will cut straight through this small meteorite, and then through this tomato! But wait, there's more! If you call in the next 15 minutes we'll also include the amazing NanoJuicer, and a second Nanoknife for free. And as a bonus for the first 100 callers today, you'll also recieve this fabulous set of nano-forks..."
  • Seriously. I can't find it.
    • The NaNorwegian Geitost or the NaNeufchâtel?

      Furthermore, are you taking into account the possiblity that someone Moved Your Nano-cheese?

      We could be talking Nano-ok of the North, here.

  • Size scales (Score:5, Informative)

    by SiliconEntity (448450) on Sunday November 26 2006, @07:46PM (#16996622)
    It's easy to get sizes mixed up. Nanometers, microns, angstroms, they all sound about the same.

    300 nanometers is a third of a micron. Cells vary greatly in size and shape but a ballpark figure for human cells is 20 microns. So we're not talking about something that is all that "sharp" compared to the size of the object it aims to cut.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by wall0159 (881759)
      The 300 nm refers to the typical desired thickness of a slice of tissue. TFA states that typical glass knives need to be relatively thick to be strong enough, causing the sample to bend as it is being sliced.

      Conversely, the nano knife consists of a single carbon nanotube, stretched between two brackets. This is not a 'blade' in the traditional sense of the word, but is more akin to a cheese knife that is a wire under tension.

      Wikipedia states that the diameter of a carbon nanotube is in the order of a few n

  • Were none of the researchers ever boy scouts? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by lindseyp (988332) on Sunday November 26 2006, @08:20PM (#16996840)

    If the nanotube itself is the strongest part of the system why weaken it by welding it to the tungsten?

    If they can manipulate objects at such a scale, They would surely get much better results by tying the nanotube to suitably shaped anchors.

    Off the top of my head, a bowline [wikipedia.org] would be a good start, I'm sure some slashdot sailor could suggest a loop knot or hitch more suitable for a slippery line.

  • Is this something we should be keeping away from nano-emo kids?
  • Nano shiv used to cut out of a cell.

  • The basics (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 26 2006, @09:41PM (#16997396)
    The idea here is that the carbon nanotube may be able to replace the diamond [emsdiasum.com] or glass knives typically used for cutting biological specimens which have been embedded in a cured plastic resin. The knife and the sample to be cut are mounted on an ultramicrotome [leica-microsystems.com] and then sectioned at 50-90nm increments.

    TFA states that the carbon nanoknife has yet to be tested cutting anything, so it's unclear to me the extent to which it could be used to replace a diamond knife. Also, a diamond or glass knife edge can be millimeters long, whereas this nanotube thread looks much shorter.

  • Wow, this is just so high-tech! (Score:3, Funny)

    by cciRRus (889392) on Monday November 27 2006, @12:18AM (#16998302) Homepage
    I'm amazed by this cutting-edge breakthrough!
  • Could someone explain to me how these nano-tools are actually used? Obviously you can't use them by hand or you'd slice through a million cells with a twitch of a muscle and I wasn't aware that we had a mechanical means to control these things... If anyone could explain how they're used I'd be grateful.
  • Imagine THIS being used for a bris!

    --
    BMO
  • How is it possible to make all shorts of nano-devices (motors, knifes etc) and it is not possible to make nano-processing units? Just out of curiosity...
  • "Nano Nano ... ow, I just cut myself!"

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by MSBob (307239)
      Yeah, with all the recent announcements it's pretty hard to disregard Kurzweil's predictions. I was very sceptical of his claims until I realized that his timeline appears to be dead on so far.

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest © 1997-2009 Geeknet, Inc.