The Cutting Edge: Computing / Technology / Innovation : IN DEVELOPMENT
A Superglue for Gums: A problem for millions of people who suffer from gum disease is that as supporting gum tissue recedes from teeth, it leaves pockets that can trap infectious bacteria. Unless the pockets are closed, often through painful and expensive surgery, the bacteria can attack the supporting bone under the teeth and eventually cause tooth loss.
Biochemists at the University of California, San Francisco, have discovered a synthetic collagen that can reverse the damage caused by gum disease. When tooth surfaces are coated with the substance, called P-15, the gum tissue’s cells bind with the collagen to fill the pocket. “We can actually replace bone tissue lost as the result of gum disease,” said Rajendra S. Bhatnagar, a biochemist and professor of somatology in UCSF’s School of Dentistry.
New Energy for Batteries: The time-worn chemistry of batteries is getting an update to meet the demands of portable computer users who want a battery that really does keep going and going and going. As a result, nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries, once the only rechargeables on the market, are being replaced by newer technologies, mainly nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium.
Nickel-metal hydride batteries solve many of the problems associated with NiCads. They offer longer battery life and far less toxicity. Duracell has chosen NiMH for its entry into the rechargeable market. Virtually all the leading notebook computer makers use NiMH batteries in the latest versions of their products.
Lithium-ion batteries supply up to seven hours of continuous running time. Lithium has presented problems in the past because the metal can become unstable and explode, but today’s batteries use a lithium compound rather than the pure metal. For now, Toshiba is the only company using a lithium-ion battery in a notebook PC. The other company making these batteries is Sony, which makes only small cells for its camcorders and compact disc players.
May I See Your Fingerprint, Please?: Until recently, the primary market for fingerprint identification systems has been law enforcement agencies. But Printrak International Inc., based in Anaheim, believes new technologies make it possible to use fingerprints to identify everyone from applicants for a driver’s license to welfare recipients.
Messy ink pads have been replaced by a technology called “live scan.” The unit performs sophisticated analysis of an individual’s fingerprint ridge information and transmits the data digitally to a central database for matching.
The scan unit can compress the data for each fingerprint so transmission is almost instantaneous.
The public isn’t the only sector interested in knowing who’s who. Current estimates are that worldwide credit card fraud is costing card issuers $1.4 billion annually. Photo ID cards and holograms have not deterred skilled counterfeiters, so MasterCard International is experimenting with live scan fingerprint technology.
