(May 7, 2015) Technology
in common household humidifiers could enable the next wave of high-tech medical
imaging and targeted medicine, thanks to a new method for making tiny silicone
microspheres developed by chemists at the University of Illinois.
Led by chemistry professor Kenneth Suslick, the researchers
published their results in the journal Advanced Science.
Microspheres, tiny spheres as small as a red blood cell,
have shown promise as agents for targeted drug delivery to tissues, as contrast
agents for medical imaging, and in industrial applications. One prime contender
as a material for microspheres is silicone, the rubbery plastic found in
everything from bathtub caulk to kitchenware to medical implants, but a method
of making silicone into microspheres has eluded scientists.