NANOBOTS

BY: KAUSHAL MANDALMADHURIMA BHATTACHARYYAMOUSAM HOSSAINNANDINI MALAKAR

What is a Nanobot?

A nanotechnological robot nanomachine, also called a nanite.

A mechanical or electromechanical device whose dimensions are measured in nanometers (millionths of a millimeter, or units of 10^-9 meter).

Introduction & Prospects… Nanomachines are largely in the

research-and-development phase, but some primitive devices have been tested.

An example is a sensor having a switch approximately 1.5 nanometers across, capable of counting specific molecules in a chemical sample.

A Bit Of History: According to Richard Feynman, his former

graduate student Albert Hibbs had originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines.

Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced to so small a size that it would, in theory, be possible to "swallow the doctor".

The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay ‘There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom’.

Some Basic Features of Nanobots:*Diameter of .5 to 3

microns*Mainly made out of

carbon*Passive diamond

coating*Power Metabolizing

local glucose and oxygen

Various application fields :

1.Cancer treatment :

Nanobots swim through the bloodstream,find the malignant tumor, and zap it cell by cell with laser until it is completely removed.Benefits over conventional procedures:

They are non-invasive and non-traumatic compared to chemotherapy,…as simple as getting a shot of a syringe of medicine.

2.Artificial Blood :

In future,human blood could be replaced with trillions of nanobots (known as Respirocytes)distributed throughout the body’s vasculature. .Respirocytes will act as artificial RBC,carrying O2 and CO2 molecules through the bodyBenefits Over RBC :

100% of O2 stored in them is accessible to the tissues whereas only 25% is accessable in case of RBC.They can duplicate natural RBC function indefinitely if the patient is breathing and for 2mins if he is not.

Continued…

By infusing the largest possible number of respirocytes (nearly 900 trillion devices ) in the bloodstream one could hold breath for 3.8 hours, at the normal resting metabolic rate which is almost super human!! 3.Studying

human brain :

Nanobots may be sent to the brain stem painlessly and non-invasively to observe the firing of synapses and other pracedures,thus help in better understanding the functioning of human brain.

4.Hearing Aid : Nanobots can replace damaged hair cells in cochlea thereby helping in hearing.

5.AIDS Treatment :

An effective synthetic immune system comprising of nanobots in place of natural immune cells will help the affected to survive the HIV/AIDS onslaught.

6.Cure organ senility or

tissue damage :

Nanobots can be made to swim to the affected area, perform micro-surgery and slowly repair damaged tissue. 7. Nanobots can

identify harmful pathogens and other toxins in body fluids and destroy them.

8.Nanobots can help clear plaque in blood vessels and thus prevent heart diseases.

Other functions :

Converting trash and waste to beneficial products.

Building extra small computer circuits.

Mouthwash.

Skincream.

Use large numbers of them to perform engineering tasks

Nanobots as the artificial blood: Robert A. Freitas Jr. visualizes a future

"vasculoid" (vascular-like machine) that would replace human blood with some 500 trillion nanorobots distributed throughout the body’s vasculature as a coating.

One therapeutic dose can duplicate natural red cell function indefinitely if the patient is breathing and for 2 minutes if he is not.

If treated with the maximum safe augmentation dosage (954 trillion devices in

the bloodstream.) one could hold breath for 3.8 hours at the normal resting metabolic rate!

How does it work? THE ARTIFICIIAL RESPIROCYTES Hollow, spherical nanomedical

device of I micron diameter built of 18 billion precisely

arranged structural atoms artificial red blood cells three main storage tank-for

oxygen , carbon dioxide and ballast water

An onboard chemomechanical turbine or fuel cell generates power,combining glucose drawn from the bloodstream and oxygen.

Working: (cont..) Molecular sorting rotors and other subsystems work

somewhat like a variety of biological motor systems such as bacteria flagella.

Each powerplant develops 0.3 picowatts of power. That's enough energy to fill the oxygen tank in 10 seconds from empty, a pumping rate of 100 million molecules/sec.

Power is transmitted mechanically or hydraulically and is distributed with sliding rods and gear trains, or using pipes and mechanically operated valves, and is controlled by the computer.

An onboard computer is necessary for precise control

Respirocytes vs RBC

The average male human body has 28.5 trillion red blood cells, each containing 270 million hemoglobin molecules binding four O2 molecules per hemoglobin.

However, since hemoglobin normally operates between 95% saturation (arterial) and 70% saturation (venous), only 25% of stored oxygen is accessible to the tissues.             

By contrast, each respirocyte stores up to 1.51 billion oxygen molecules, 100% of which are accessible to the tissues.

Are They Safe? Yes. Absolutely. Preliminary tests show that

diamondoid surfaces are very biocompatible.

A simple analysis of likely radiation damage suggests that the average respirocyte should last about 20 years before failing.

The 7.3 picowatts of continuous thermal energy the device is generating, is easily absorbed by the huge aqueous heat sink, which has a bountiful heat capacity.

If the device explodes inside human tissue, then water temperature raises only by 0.04°C.

FURTHER

TECHNICALITIES…

INTEGRATED NANOELECTRODESfor nanoparticale detection

Electrodes can be fabricated with electron beam lithography to have precisely gaped and shaped electrodes.

Connection of these electrodes could indicate presence of a specific compound.

Optical Antennas for Nano-photonic Applications

Fractals enhance the antenna’s effect by maximizing Frensel zones

EBL is used to create metallic nanostructures that and detect specific wavelengths of light via the photoelectric effects..

Such “antennas” can detect light, and could be used by nanobots to seek cells or viruses tagged with quantum dots.

Also, they could be used to communicate with other nanobots, or a controller external to the body.

Electron Beam Nanolithograpgy

Beams of electrons can etch a substrate

By ionizing atoms into a reactive ions which can be reacted away, a pattern is made.

This technique can create objects on the nano-scale

Whereas conventional photolithography has a threshold of 200 nanometers.

NUCLEIC ACID ROBOTS(NUBOTS):

Nubots are organic molecular machines at nanoscale

These nano-devices create sensors that could detect specific genes and DNA sequesnces

Moreover, DNA could be employed as a data storage for nanobots, as the ‘brain’ and a power source

An emerging technological trend… In the same ways that technology

development has space race and nuclear arms race, a race for nanorobots is occurring.

Large corporations, such as General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and Northrop Grumman have been recently working in the development and research of nanorobots.

Cont.. Surgeons are getting involved and proposing

ways to apply nanorobots for common medical procedures. Universities and research institutes were granted funds by the government exceeding $2 billion towards research developing nanodevices for medicine.

Bankers are also strategically investing with the intent to acquire beforehand rights and royalties on future nanorobots commercialization.

Some aspects of nanorobot litigation and related issues linked to monopoly have already arisen.A large number of patents has been granted.

Used as biological weaponsMind controlAre nanobots alive?Potential problems in the environment and ecosystemsWhat if people become superhuman?

Concern!

It is often used in a futuristic or science fiction context, as the required technologies do not yet existIt .

Grey Goo : It is a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all matter on Earth while building more of themselves

The promises made by nanotechnology sound great, maybe even unbelievable, don’t they?

But reasearchers say that within twenty years nanotechnology will advance greatly, and may be fully capable of producing tiny complex machines.

The old dreams of expanding our biosphere beyond our one vulnerable planet suddenly look feasible once more.

Conclusion :