Os aplicativos para dispositivos móveis são novíssimas fontes de informação utilizadas fortemente por indivíduos hiperconectados, a chamada “geração polegar”, que além do uso recreativo recorre a estas tecnologias móveis em um contexto educacional inovando o esquema de ensino-aprendizagem. O artigo propõe que a biblioteca universitária seja utilizada como um espaço de ensino e incentivo ao uso de dispositivos móveis como ferramentas educativas, visto que o uso em massa de tablets e especialmente de smartphones reforçam o conceito de aprendizagem móvel e ampliam suas possíveis funções dentro do espaço físico da biblioteca. Na realidade de uma biblioteca universitária que tem como público-alvo alunos da área de saúde e, principalmente de Medicina, focaremos nos aplicativos de saúde como fontes de informação, comunicação e educação. Dentro deste cenário de inovações tecnológicas que modificam as formas de acesso e uso de informação científica, o bibliotecário deve assumir o papel de mediador e facilitador entre estes avanços tecnológicos e seus usuários em potencial.

Applications for mobile devicesarebrand new sources of information heavily used by hyperconnectedindividuals, the so-called “thumb generation”, who, going beyond recreational use, refer to these mobile technologies in an educational context, innovating the teaching-learning process. This paper posits that university libraries should be used as spaces for teaching and encouraging the use of mobile devices as educational tools, since the pervasiveness of tablets and especially smartphones strengthen the concept of mobile learning and widen their possible functions inside the physical space of the library. Taking into consideration the reality of a university library whose patronsarehealth and medicinemajors, our focus will be on health applications used as sources of information, communication and education. In this scenario of technological innovations that alter the ways to access and use scientific information, the librarian should take on the role of the mediator and facilitator between these technological advances and their potential users.

The aim of the article is to present a method for identifying trends in patent applications for nanotechnology applied to the health sector around the world, based on the International Patent Classification. This classification divides the sector into: dental care, drugs, diagnostic kits, and medical apparatus & medical care. The Derwent database was mined for patent documents using nanotechnology terms associated with the IPC subclasses from the health subsectors. The number of patents was found to be rising, led by the United States, particularly universities and R centers. In the dental care subsector, nanotechnology was found to be used in composite material for manufacturing dental appliances. In drugs, the focus is on the use of nanoparticulate compositions comprising agents that are useful for a variety of diseases. In diagnostic kits, nanostructures have been patented that are capable of detecting target analytes. Meanwhile, in medical apparatus & medical care, patent applications have been made for nanocapsules and/or nanocomposite materials inserted in devices and guide catheters. A study was also made of patents in Brazil, where the same assignees and the same country (United States) as in the survey of global patents were found to be the leading patent applicants / holders.

Investment in nanotechnology is now a given constant by governments, research centers and companies in both more developed countries and emerging markets. Due to their characteristics, such as high stability, ability to enable antigen identification on specific cells in the human body and controlling the release of drugs and, therefore, improving therapies, nanoparticles have been the subject of research and patent applications in the pharmaceutical field. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE), patent data can be used as a source of information in order to measure science and technology activities. Thereby, this paper presents an analysis based on patent documents related to nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical sector. As a result, the analysis of patents demonstrate primarily that nanobiotechnology attracts high levels of R&D investments, including nanoparticle-based chemotherapeutic agents/drugs, monoclonal antibody nanoparticle complexes and their role in drug delivery or contrast agents with non-toxic effects.