Living tissue mechanisms and concepts as models for biomedical microsystems and devices

Microtechnologies offer the new possibility of designing and building sensors and actuators in dimensional scale close to that of living tissues or even to single cells. The world of microtechnology between micrometers (or less) and millimeters, is governed by laws which differ from those valid for human size. Superficial tension, boundary layers, electrostatic effects, surface state, diffusion capillary forces... are preponderant for this size, whereas they are weak or negligible at macroscopic scale. Living tissues have been using "micro" and "nano" technologies for several hundred million years. They are models for the design of sensors, actuators, structures, organizations and concepts. One has to study this field, keeping in mind that nature does not give one "blue prints" "ready to copy".