‡ Nanorobotics deals with the controlled manipulation of objects with nanometer-scale

dimensions. As an atom has a diameter of a few Angstroms' (1 Å = 0.1 nm = 10-10 m), and a
molecule´s size is a few nanometers.

‡ Nanorobots are nanodevices that will be used primarily for the purpose of maintaining and
protecting the human body against pathogens.

‡ Basically, we may observe two distinct kind of nanorobot utilization. One is nanorobots for
the surgery intervention, and the other is nanorobot to monitor patients' body.

‡ Nanorobot is designed to be able to interact with the 3-Dimensional human body

environment, in order to fulfill programmed tasks.

‡ The major challenges faced by scientists regarding

nanorobot fabrication and control are power supply,
propulsion, navigation and communication.

‡ Nanotechnology is expected to find application (in concert

with genetics and robotics) in medical diagnostics, aging
extension, engineered organ (even cellular/sub cellular
organelle) replacements, disease treatments, advanced
pharmacology and many other areas.
=
 


  ð Arteriosclerosis refers to a
condition where plaque builds along the walls of
arteries. Nanorobots could conceivably treat the condition
by cutting away the plaque, which would then enter the
bloodstream.

 


ð Doctors hope to use nanorobots to treat cancer patients. The robots could either
attack tumors directly using lasers, microwaves or ultrasonic signals or they could be part of a
chemotherapy treatment, delivering medication directly to the cancer site. Doctors believe that by
delivering small but precise doses of medication to the patient, side effects will be minimized
without a loss in the medication's effectiveness.




ð One particular kind of nanorobot is the


, or artificial platelet. The
clottocyte carries a small mesh net that dissolves into a sticky membrane upon contact with blood
plasma. According to Robert A. Freitas, Jr., the man who designed the clottocyte, clotting could be
up to 1,000 times faster than the body's natural clotting mechanism. Doctors could use clottocytes
to treat hemophiliacs or patients with serious open wounds.
˜

 
ð Kidney stones can be
intensely painful -- the larger the stone the more
difficult it is to pass. Doctors break up large kidney
stones using ultrasonic frequencies, but it's not always
effective. A nanorobot could break up a kidney stones
using a small laser.

ð out is a condition where the kidneys lose the

ability to remove waste from the breakdown of fats
from the bloodstream. This waste sometimes
crystallizes at points near joints like the knees and
ankles. People who suffer from gout experience
intense pain at these joints. A nanorobot could break
up the crystalline structures at the joints, providing
relief from the symptoms, though it wouldn't be able
to reverse the condition permanently.

˜

 ð Blood clots can cause complications ranging from muscle death to a
stroke. Nanorobots could travel to a clot and break it up. This application is one of the most
dangerous uses for nanorobots -- the robot must be able to remove the blockage without losing
small pieces in the bloodstream, which could then travel elsewhere in the body and cause more
problems. The robot must also be small enough so that it doesn't block the flow of blood itself.

Vsing a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device,
doctors could locate and track a nanorobot by detecting
its magnetic field. Detection, tracking and control of a nano-
robot using MRI has been successfully carried out by scientists.
Because many hospitals have MRI machines, this might
become the industry standard -- hospitals won't have to
invest in expensive, unproven technologies.




Doctors might also track nanorobots by injecting a radioactive dye into the
patient's bloodstream. They would then use a fluoroscope or similar device to detect the radioactive
dye as it moves through the circulatory system. Complex three-dimensional images would indicate
where the nanorobot is located. Alternatively, the nanorobot could emit the radioactive dye, creating
a pathway behind it as it moves through the body.

=
Nanorobots might include a miniature television camera. An operator at a console will

be able to steer the device while watching a live video feed, navigating it through the body
manually. Camera systems are fairly complex, so it might be a few years before nanotechnologists
can create a reliable system that can fit inside a tiny robot.
Vsing Chemical reactions with blood ð Nanorobots could get power directly from the bloodstream.
A nanorobot with mounted electrodes could form a battery using the electrolytes found in blood.
Another option is to create chemical reactions with blood to burn it for energy. The nanorobot
would hold a small supply of chemicals that would become a fuel source when combined with
blood.

Vsing Capacitors ð Considering the fact that capacitors have relatively large power to weight ratio,
as compared to batteries, engineers are devising nano scale capacitors that are both reliable and
economically feasible.

Tethered Power sources ð Tethered systems would need a wire

between the nanorobot and the power source. The wire would
need to be strong, but it would also need to move effortlessly
through the human body without causing damage. A physical
tether could supply power either by electricity or optically.

Non-Tethered Power sources ð Magnetic fields, Vltrasonic signals fall under this category. A
nanorobot with a piezoelectric membrane could pick up ultrasonic signals and convert them into
electricity. Systems using magnetic fields, can either manipulate the nanorobot directly or induce an
electrical current in a closed conducting loop in the robot.
 Propelling a nanorobot is a very complex process. As it may have to
travel against the flow of blood, the propulsion system has to be relatively strong for its size.
Another important consideration is the safety of the patient -- the system must be able to move
the nanorobot around without causing damage to the host.

Vi-rob ð The Vi-rob is a robot that is a few millimeters in length,

which uses small appendages to grip and crawl through blood
vessels. The scientists manipulate the arms by creating magnetic
fields outside the patient's body. The magnetic fields cause the
robot¶s arms to vibrate, pushing it further through the blood vessels.

Vibrating Membrane ð Another potential way nanorobots could move around is by using a
vibrating membrane. By alternately tightening and relaxing tension on a membrane, a
nanorobot could generate small amounts of thrust. On the nanoscale, this thrust could be
significant enough to act as a viable source of motion.

Electromagnetic and jet pumps ð Capacitors can be used to generate magnetic fields that would
pull conductive fluids through one end of an electromagnetic pump and shoot it out the back
end. The nanorobot would move around like a jet airplane. Miniaturized a
 could even
use blood plasma to push the nanorobot forward, though, unlike the electromagnetic pump,
there would need to be moving parts.




 -- a hollow section inside the nanorobot might hold small doses of medicine
or chemicals. The robot could release medication directly to the site of injury or infection.
Nanorobots could also carry the chemicals used in chemotherapy to treat cancer directly at
the site. Although the amount of medication is relatively miniscule, applying it directly to the
cancerous tissue may be more effective than traditional chemotherapy, which relies on the
body's circulatory system to carry the chemicals throughout the patient's body.

 
, 
and


 -- to remove blockages and plaque, a nanorobot will need
something to grab and break down material. They might also need a device to crush clots into
very small pieces. If a partial clot breaks free and enters the bloodstream, it may cause more
problems further down the circulatory system.





and   
 

 -- to destroy cancerous
cells,doctors need methods that will kill a cell without rupturing it. By using fine-tuned
microwaves or ultrasonic signals, a nanorobot could break the chemical bonds in the
cancerous cell, killing it without breaking the cell wall. Alternatively, the robot could emit
microwaves or ultrasonic signals in order to heat the cancerous cell enough to destroy it.



 
-- two electrodes protruding from the nanorobot could kill cancer cells by
generating an electric current, heating the cell up until it dies.


-- tiny, powerful lasers could burn away harmful material like arterial plaque, cancerous
cells or blood clots. The lasers would literally vaporize the tissue.
Benefits ð

In medical field, we will have these nano robots floating through our bloodstreams fighting
against cancer cells, genetic disorders, skin diseases, and maybe even ageing.

Nano robots will be extremely precise in drug delivery and ailing. In a conventional type
syringe injection of doses, only a diluted concentration of dose reaches the particular part of
the body.

Nanorobots could also help improve resistance in fighting diseases and increase strength
and intelligence.

When the task of the nanorobots is completed, they can be retrieved by allowing them to
effuse themselves via the usual human excretory channels.

Other benefits of nanorobots can be in Super computers, military technology and some
commercial applications like cosmetics, etc.

Limitations ð

The major limitation when considering the development of nano robotics is that, nanorobotics
is still a research field and applying all this theory into feasible produce may take at least
another 25 years.
 All of these current developments in technology directs
humans a step closer to nanorobots and simple, operating nanorobots is the near future.
Nanorobots can theoretically destroy all common diseases of the 2lst century thereby ending
much of the pain and suffering. It can also have alternative, practical uses such as improved
mouthwash and cosmetic creams that can expand the commercial market in biomedical
engineering. People can envision a future where people can self-diagnose their µown ailments
with the help of nanorobot monitors in their bloodstream. Simple everyday illnesses can be
cured without ever visiting the physician. Invasive surgery will be replaced by an operation
carried out by nano-surgical robots. Although research into nanorobots is in its preliminary
stages, the promise of such technology is endless.