Technology
different medications are potential possibilities for non-invasive surgery. With technological advancement, nanorobotics is expected to have several new medical applications and are expected to bring major transformations in cancer treatment, diabetes monitoring, wound- healing (regenerative medicine), dentistry, and blood monitoring (blood clot), among several others. Eventually, these nanobots and xenobots
(nanobots made from biological materials) could be assembled into swarms to deliver drugs or unblock arteries. MIT has even created microbots that self-assemble into larger structures, with applications such as enveloping a tumour to cut off blood supply. If one robot isn’t enough to build the structure, it copies itself and splits the work. This is not producing progeny directly, but rather collecting material and building copies of itself. It is interesting to note that living organisms produce some impressive natural nanomachines. These natural nanobots transport chemical loads very effectively as part of the body’s cellular functions. Nanotechnology in the healthcare industry is
one of the primary factors driving the market growth in the internet of nano things (IoNT) not just the nano systems used for the detection, diagnosis, imaging, and prevention of various diseases but also IoNT used to create smart wearables for medical applications that assist in real-time monitoring of a patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure, and diagnosing diseases at an early stage.
Potential hurdles Beyond the problem of working with things smaller than one millionth of a metre, the difficulties that developers face creating nanobots include global restrictions and evolving government regulations about things that can be used medically and inserted into the body. They may also have to address the science fiction warnings of swarms that could self-replicate and in the process use up all the planet’s resources or even just all the resources in the host body.
Nanobots are already finding their way into healthcare applications, but what could be next on the horizon?
Power is a problem area, including concerns about, for example, nuclear power – a worry to some, even at this miniscule size; and control to get the nanobot to the right place with its payload. There is a further problem with the end of use disposal, dispersal or extraction of nanobots.
Redressing the balance Demand for qualified people, medicines and resources in healthcare is outstripping supply all over the world, with the potential of leaving an ever-growing number of people without the care they need. Nanobots have the potential to deliver much smaller amounts of medicine directly to where they will do most good; to reduce the need for invasive surgery, cutting both time in hospital and recovery; and to greatly improve preventive medicine through monitoring and regenerative interventions. The technology now exists, we need to harness it and use our imagination to support its evolution and application.
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.
About the author CSJ
Chu Canh Chieu is Managing Director of Global Healthcare Center at FPT Software. Fresh out of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, he joined the company in 2006 as a developer before taking on multiple managerial roles. In 2016, he was appointed Business Unit Leader and gained success in developing the business unit in terms of both size and operating markets. From 2020 to 2022, he was Vice Leader of FPT Software Hanoi Strategic Unit. Chieu contributed significantly to laying the foundation for the company’s strategic unit in healthcare solutions. Chu Canh Chieu was named among FPT Software’s Best Managers in 2022, and FPT Corporation’s Top 100 Best Performers in 2008, 2014 and 2019.
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