Nano-surgeons: The Pioneers Of Precision Medicine

Nano-surgery refers to surgical procedures performed at the nanoscale using nanorobots or nanoscale tools. While the concept of nano-surgery is still in the early stages of development, researchers are exploring various approaches to enable precise and minimally invasive surgical interventions. Remote-controlled nanorobots are designed to be remotely controlled by external devices or operators. These robots could be guided through the body using magnetic fields, ultrasound, or other means of propulsion. The operators would control the nanorobots’ movements and actions from outside the body, allowing for precise manipulation at the nanoscale.

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Let’s Get Introduce with Nano-surgeons; What are They Made Of?

The principal element expected to compose the majority of medical nanorobots is carbon, primarily in the form of diamond or diamondoid/fullerene nanocomposites. Other light elements like hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, silicon, etc., will be utilized for specific purposes in nanoscale gears and components. Diamond has been proven to be chemically inert through various experimental studies.

In one experiment involving mouse peritoneal macrophages cultured on diamond-like carbon (DLC), there was no significant release of certain enzymes associated with inflammation, indicating no toxicity or inflammatory reaction. Morphological examination confirmed no physical damage to fibroblasts, macrophages, and human osteoblast-like cells.

The smoothness and flawlessness of the diamond surface correlated with lower leukocyte activity and fibrinogen adsorption. In another experiment, diamond wafers implanted in live mice showed minimal inflammatory response, with a small number of activated macrophages observed on rougher surfaces. The near-nanometer smoothness of the diamond exterior resulted in very low bioactivity due to its high surface energy and hydrophobic nature, rendering it chemically inert.

How Nanobots / surgeons find the site to be treated?

By developing smaller sensors and actuators at the nanoscale, nanorobots are able to locate the source of chemical release. A Nanorobot Control Design (NCD) simulator has been created to model nanorobots in fluid environments governed by Brownian motion and viscous forces. The scientists compared different methods for locating the target using the simulator. The first method involved nanorobots conducting a random search based on their small Brownian motions. The second method involved nanorobots monitoring chemical concentrations significantly higher than the background level and moving towards areas of higher concentration. In the third approach, nanorobots at the target released another chemical that served as an additional guiding signal for other nanorobots. Only nanorobots passing within a few microns of the target were likely to detect this signal.

What is NCD (Nanorobot Control Design)?

Nano robot control design refers to the process of developing control systems and strategies for nanorobots, which are tiny robots at the nanoscale. These control systems aim to regulate the behavior, movements, and actions of nanorobots to achieve specific tasks or objectives.

The design of nano-robot control involves several key aspects:

1. Sensing and Perception: Nanorobots require sensors to gather information about their environment. These sensors can include chemical, optical, or mechanical sensors that enable the nanorobots to perceive their surroundings, detect targets, or sense changes in their environment.
2. Actuation and Mobility: Nanorobots need mechanisms for movement and actuation at the nanoscale. This can involve designing nanoscale motors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), or other methods of propulsion and manipulation to enable the nanorobots to navigate and interact with their environment.
3. Communication and Coordination: Nanorobots often work in teams or swarms, requiring communication and coordination among the individual robots. Developing communication protocols and mechanisms allows nanorobots to exchange information, share tasks, and collaborate effectively.
4. Control Algorithms and Logic: Control algorithms play a crucial role in governing the behavior of nanorobots. These algorithms determine how nanorobots respond to sensor inputs, make decisions, and execute actions. They can be designed using various techniques such as feedback control, artificial intelligence, or bio-inspired algorithms.
5. Safety and Reliability: Nanorobots operate in sensitive environments, including the human body or complex industrial settings. Ensuring the safety and reliability of nanorobot control systems is essential to prevent unintended consequences or potential harm. Fault-tolerant designs and rigorous testing procedures are employed to enhance the reliability and robustness of these systems.
6. Integration with External Systems: Nano robot control design often involves integrating nanorobots with external systems or interfaces. This can include connections to external computers, sensors, or actuators that provide additional capabilities or enable remote control and monitoring of the nanorobots.

How Nanorobot Get Energy to do Work?

There are two strategies through which a nano-robot can get energy to perform actions in the living system.

Metabolizing glucose and oxygen: The nanorobots can derive energy for their functioning by metabolizing glucose and oxygen locally. This means that they can utilize the available glucose and oxygen in their immediate environment to power their operations. Researchers are trying to equip these tiny robots with components such as enzymes or fuel cells that can metabolize glucose and convert it into a usable form of energy, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the energy currency used by cells to fuel various biochemical processes. The nanobots would interact with glucose molecules in their environment, potentially utilizing enzymes that facilitate glucose metabolism. These enzymes could break down glucose into simpler molecules, extracting energy during the process. This energy can then be harnessed by the nanobots to power their various functionalities, such as movement, sensing, or performing specific tasks.

It’s important to note that the practical implementation of nanobots metabolizing body glucose is still a topic of ongoing research and development. There are numerous challenges to overcome, including designing efficient energy conversion systems at the nanoscale, ensuring biocompatibility, and addressing potential issues related to glucose availability and regulation within the body.

Externally supplied acoustic energy: An alternative option for powering the nanorobots is through externally supplied acoustic energy. This implies that the nanorobots can be energized or activated using acoustic waves or vibrations from an external source.

How Nanorobots are retrieved from body after action completion:

Once the nanorobots have completed their intended tasks, there are two suggested methods for their retrieval. The first method involves allowing the nanorobots to exfuse themselves, which means they would be eliminated from the body through the normal excretory channels, such as urine or feces. The second method involves actively removing the nanorobots using scavenger systems specifically designed for this purpose. These systems would locate and extract the nanorobots from the body.

What Are Strategies Of Nanorobots for doing Nano-surgery?

Nanoscale tools and instruments: Nanorobots can be equipped with nanoscale tools and instruments, such as miniature surgical instruments or nanoscale lasers. These tools would allow the nanorobots to perform precise cutting, ablation, or other surgical tasks at the cellular or molecular level.

Biological targeting and navigation: Nanorobots could be designed to navigate through the body using various mechanisms, including chemical signaling or magnetic targeting. By attaching specific ligands or receptors to the nanorobots’ surfaces, they can be directed to specific target sites within the body, such as tumor cells or damaged tissues.

Imaging and feedback systems: Nanorobots can be integrated with imaging technologies, such as nanoscale cameras or sensors, to provide real-time feedback during surgical procedures. This would enable surgeons or operators to visualize the surgical site at the nanoscale and make informed decisions during the procedure.

Drug delivery and therapeutics: Nanorobots can serve as carriers for targeted drug delivery during surgery. They can transport medications or therapeutic agents directly to the surgical site, providing localized treatment and reducing the potential for side effects.

Self-assembly and self-repair: Future advancements in nanorobotics may involve self-assembling nanorobots that can autonomously organize and adapt to the surgical environment. These nanorobots could repair damaged tissues, regenerate cells, or perform other functions to facilitate the healing process.

Nanorobots as Respirocytes: They Help In Respiratory Ailments

Artificial respirocytes are tiny, hollow, spherical nanomedical devices that are approximately 1 micron in diameter. They function as highly efficient red blood cells, capable of transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules. These respirocytes act like miniature scuba tanks within the bloodstream, allowing a person to hold their breath for an extended period, exceeding an hour. Equipped with sensors and a brain-like control system, they can autonomously navigate within the body. During emergency situations, respirocytes can be directly injected into the bloodstream of a person in danger. They travel along with the natural flow of blood, similar to regular red blood cells. Once dispersed throughout the body, the respirocytes start releasing oxygen and collecting carbon dioxide. This feature is particularly useful when an individual loses access to a sufficient oxygen supply, such as in cases of drowning, choking, or asphyxia. The respirocytes continue to release oxygen into the bloodstream until the threat is eliminated.

Respirocytes enable breathing in oxygen-deprived environments or situations where normal respiration is physically impossible. By promptly administering a therapeutic dose or pre-emptively infusing an augmentation dose, the number of choking-related deaths can be significantly reduced, along with a potential decrease in emergency tracheostomies, artificial respiration, and the need for mechanical ventilators in first aid scenarios.

Nanorobots as Heart Surgeons

During this surgical procedure, microsurgeons in the form of nanorobots are employed to address clogged arteries. These nanorobots consist of magnetically charged particles that cluster together to perform their tasks.

The surgical process involves two stages.

1. In the first stage, the nanorobots deliver drugs to the site of the clogged arteries. These drugs aid in softening the blockages, preparing them for further intervention.

2. In the second stage, the nanorobots initiate their action by drilling into the blockages. With precision and force, they break apart the heart blockages, effectively removing the obstruction and restoring blood flow. The utilization of these robotic molecules offers a minimally invasive approach to treating arterial blockages, potentially providing a more targeted and efficient solution compared to traditional surgical methods

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Nanorobots as Dentists

Dental nanorobots, also known as nanobots, nanomotors, and nano propellers, are made to fit into tiny crevices within teeth to clean even the most intricate and confined tooth canals during RCT (Root Canal Treatment). To see them, dentists require specialized tools like electron microscopes. Due to their small size, they may fit into tooth canals and navigate to previously inaccessible depths and curves.

Let’s explore how these tiny assistance can make RCTs easier.

Accurately determining the location and severity of the infection in the root canal is one of the key problems in RCT. X-rays are a popular technique, but they have drawbacks, and it might be challenging to locate all the damaged areas.

Dental nanorobots are magnetically driven and help locate and identify the specific sites of infection in teeth, ensuring a more accurate diagnosis Dental nanobots can travel from the tooth’s surface to the pulp chamber in seconds.

Once there, they can work according to the dentist’s need by producing immediate numbness in the tooth that needs treatment. Nanorobots can also help patients who fear needles during RCTs. Antibiotics can be placed into nanobots and set up to release themselves when they come into contact with an infected area.

These nanobots have sensors, use outside signals to guide them, and deliver the medications to the desired locations by the dentist. Nanobots, despite their small size, migrate fast inside root canals. They are quicker than traditional rotary devices and dental drills used for cleaning canals.

Nanorobots killing Tooth Eating Bacteria

The researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru have made significant progress in developing magnetic nanorobots for combating pathogenic bacteria in human teeth. These nanorobots are designed to seek out and destroy harmful bacteria within the oral cavity.

The magnetic properties of these nanorobots allow them to be guided and controlled using external magnetic fields. By attaching specific antimicrobial agents or substances to the nanorobots’ surfaces, they can effectively target and eliminate pathogenic bacteria in the vicinity of the teeth. The use of these magnetic nanorobots offers potential advantages in dental health. They can specifically target bacteria that cause oral infections or tooth decay, minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

In the Treatment of cancer: Nano-oncology

The nanorobots are currently designed to recognize 12 different types of cancer cells.

Nanoparticles are loaded with cancer cell killing drugs with the responsibility of loading them to the accurate site. It leads to explode the cancerous cell without harming normal cells of the body. these particles are:

1. Dendrimers: Dendrimers are highly branched macromolecules with a defined structure. They can encapsulate drugs within their interior or conjugate drugs onto their surface, allowing for controlled and targeted drug release.
2. Silica nanoparticles: Silica nanoparticles offer a versatile platform for drug delivery. They can be engineered to encapsulate drugs, and their surface properties can be modified to improve stability, enhance targeting, or enable controlled release.
3. Drug nanocrystals: Drug nanocrystals involve reducing drug particles to nanoscale dimensions, improving their solubility and bioavailability. These nanocrystals can be formulated into various delivery systems for targeted drug release.
4. Liposomes: Liposomes are lipid-based vesicles that can encapsulate drugs within their aqueous core or lipid bilayer. They are biocompatible and can be modified to improve stability, control drug release, and enhance targeting to specific tissues or cells.
5. Metal nanoparticles: Metal nanoparticles, such as gold or iron oxide nanoparticles, have unique properties that can be exploited in drug delivery. They can be functionalized with drugs or targeting ligands and used for imaging, hyperthermia, or targeted therapy.
6. Polymersomes: Polymersomes are self-assembled vesicles formed from block copolymers. They offer stability, encapsulation of drugs, and the ability to modify their surface for enhanced targeting and controlled release.
7. Magnetic nanoparticles: Magnetic nanoparticles can be utilized for targeted drug delivery using external magnetic fields. They can be guided to specific sites within the body and release drugs in a controlled manner.

In conclusion, these nanomaterials provide versatile platforms for delivering drugs with improved efficacy, reduced side effects, and enhanced targeting to specific disease sites. Each material has its unique properties and advantages, making them suitable for various applications in drug delivery systems. Ongoing research aims to optimize their formulation, improve their biocompatibility, and evaluate their effectiveness in clinical settings. What could be the possible hazards or drawbacks of this technology? Comment section is welcoming your wonderful ideas.

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References

Images are Retreived from Pexel

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