Technology
The future of nanobots in healthcare
Nanobots, miniature robots 10 times smaller than a blood cell, are poised to revolutionise the healthcare industry. Nanotechnology, in combination with next-generation software platforms and supervised machine learning, provide a wide range of powerful diagnostic, monitoring and treatment tools. Chu Canh Chieu provides an insight into the future of nanobots in healthcare.
Designed to carry out a very specific task, nanobots can hunt for cells with identifiable characteristics; carry a payload of medicine for delivery to a specific place in the body and take a camera through a particular route to organs. With delivery options including an oral pill and injection, nanobots can be guided and accurately targeted while remaining minimally invasive and avoiding collateral damage, such as occurs with treatments like chemotherapy. The 2023 SNS Insider report indicates that
The Nanorobotics Market reached USD 7.46 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit USD 17.56 billion by 2030. Transparency Market Research expects the nanorobotics in medicine market to reach USD 12.6 billion by the end of 2031, citing the increase in adoption of nanorobots in pharmacokinetics, diabetes monitoring,
biomedical instrumentation and surgical procedures focusing on programming, controlling and designing nanoscale robots for various healthcare applications.
Pinpoint accuracy Researchers worldwide have devoted themselves to the research and development of cancer-killing nanorobots and their work is beginning to bear fruit. Cancer applications for nanobots can be seen already in drug delivery, tumour sensing and diagnosis, targeted therapy, minimally invasive surgery and other treatments. Early diagnosis and treatment are recognised as critical to successful outcomes and many current treatments are harsh. Nanobots provide answers to these challenges and will do more in the future. Nanobots are
programmed with the ability to diagnose and cure contagious diseases, with no major side effects. Unlike common drugs that have to move
through and impact the entire body before reaching a particular cell, nanobots can deliver a payload to identified cells. They can also ingest plaque that is built up in the arteries. Electric microchips within a nanobot can combine with human tissues to capture and monitor blood sugar levels in diabetics. Nanobots are used for smart vaccines, digital therapy and to conduct capsule endoscopy. They can also spread antibiotics throughout a wound, rather than impacting only locally. Bacteria is the fourth largest cause of death in US hospitals and kills approximately 1.2 million people each year. Nanobots can be made from almost
anything. For medical applications they need to be made from materials compatible with the human body and its components. This has led to the development of nanorobots built from biological or organic matter and even DNA molecules. Recent DNA nanotechnology research promotes the use of nanobots in regenerative medicine on a large scale, which is expected to contribute to market growth. However, they are also made from metals and, most commonly, from silicon. Nanobots need energy to function, so generators in nanobots can use electrolytes within the bloodstream or use blood to create a chemical reaction that generates energy. Magnetic fields and ultrasonic sounds are alternative external power sources and can be used to guide the nanobots within the body. Nuclear power has also been mooted as a possible source.
In the future, nanobots could have a key role to play in a tackling a wide range of health issues. 28
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I February 2024
The near future Nano-sized robots capable of accurately creating holes in specific cell membranes to destroy aberrant cells and even administering
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