Non-invasive micro-test technology and its applications in biology and medicine

Non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT) was born in the late 20th century, and is a new means to obtain dynamic information of specific ionic/molecular activities on material surfaces non-invasively. This technique is an integration of cutting-edge developments in the fields of micro-electronics, computer science, micro-mechanics, physics, mathematics, polymer science, nanotechnology and microscopy. It covers different temporal and spatial resolution domains from other traditional techniques, and its 3-dimensional measurement capability enables us to observe the physiological characteristics of biological phenomena which would be difficult or even impossible with other techniques. As a result, new breakthroughs have been made in both fundamental research and practical applications. For instance, a new mechanism of calcium ion absorption by mammalian bone has been discovered which may provide a more efficient way to provide calcium supplements to human beings. The integrated application of NMT with techniques in cellular and molecular biology, fluorescence microscopy and traditional electrophysiology will put us in a better position to piece together the puzzles about life. Up till now, NMT has been used by many research institutions, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, and applications cover many scientific fields including biology, medicine, agriculture and so forth, and the list of applications is still growing.