Triggered, Nanostructured Biodegradables (TNBs) for Surgical Implants

In medicine, objects that need to be removed later such as stents are commonly placed in patients, with the time of removal dependent on progress of the patient. In these cases biodegradable materials that last for a specific time may not be suitable. We propose a new class of nanostructured materials that can hold their form as long as wanted, Triggered, Nanostructured Biodegradables (TNBs), that can be disintegrated to microor nanoscaled components when externally triggered on command to do so. DNA nanotensegrity microstructures, metastable foams, nanobots and other bioinspired disintegratable scaffold structures are given as potential examples.