In the world of health and medicine, there is an almost negligible window for errors. Even a small mistake can turn fatal for patients or sometimes for doctors’ careers. Quite evidently the medical professionals are highly trained and well-versed in their job and skills yet in some case extreme precision is the utmost requirement. To reach this level of accuracy, experts and professionals are continuously doing extensive research and advanced development in nanotechnology to find the best uses of nanorobots and nanomachines in the medical industry.
About Nanobots
Nanorobotics, also known as nanoids, deals with the design and development of devices at an atomic, molecular or cellular level. Such hypothetical robots are extremely tiny that range from 0.1-10 micrometers. Nanobots are capable of traveling inside human blood. As all the nanorobots have specialized sensors that are able to target molecules, they can be programmed to determine and treat targeted diseases.
Classification of Nanobots in Medical Industry
According to Robert A. Freitas Jr., who has pioneered the study and communication of the benefits to be obtained from advanced nanorobotics and biotechnology, nanorobots have been classified into three types – Respirocytes, Microbivores, and Clottocytes
| Respirocytes | Microbivores | Clottocytes |
|---|---|---|
| These nanorobots are intended to act as artificial mechanical red blood cells. Its characteristics are: spherical blood-borne shape with 1 micrometer in diameter; it composes of a diamondoid 1000 atm pressure container, the exterior casing; and it has reversible molecule-selective pumps. | It is an artificial white blood cell that is also known as Nanorobotic Phagocytes. Microbivores is a spheroid device that consists of a diamond and sapphire and measures 3.4 micrometers in diameter along its major axis and 2.0 micrometers diameter along the minor axis. The nanobot consists of 610 billion of arranged structural atoms inside it. | They are described as artificial mechanical platelet, designed for Hemostasis. Clottocytes is spherical in shape and is powered by serum-exyglucose. The nanobot is about 2 micrometers in diameter and it contains a fiber mesh that’s neatly folded inside. |
Nanobots: Use Cases in Healthcare Industry
Here the significant use cases of nanobots across various departments of medical and healthcare industry.
- Nanomites are used in case of drug delivery. They are specifically designed for drug transport called Pharmacytes. The dosage of the drug will load into the payload of the Pharmacyte and they can transport and precisely target the drug to specific cellular points.
- Nanobots can be used in body surveillance where the patient’s vitals can be continuously monitored.
- Dentifrobots are structured for dental treatment that can help induce oral analgesia, desensitize teeth, manipulate the tissues. Apart from this, such nanomachines can also be used to realign and straighten irregular sets of teeth.
- When it comes to surgery, a nanobot is a program to be self-sufficient onsite surgeons inside the body.
- The multiple functions of nanobots also include detecting pathology, diagnosing, correcting lesions.
- Nanorobots, made with a mixture of a polymer, is capable of detecting tumor cells. The transferrin feature embedded chemical biosensors, primarily used for detecting tumors.
- In terms of diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, nanobots use a Chemosensor in which they can modulate the hSGLT3 protein glucose-sensor activity.
- Nanobots can also help in delicate surgeries as they can provide better access to the required area. They can even outdo doctors with their unmatched precision for surgeries.
- The medical Nanomites can treat genetic diseases through analysis of the molecular composition of DNA and proteins found in the cell.
- More significantly, by using Chromallocytes it can perform Chromosome replacement therapy too.
