1. NANOROBOTS
-The future nano surgeons
ABSTRACT: organic substances interferes with normal bodily
Like primitive engineers faced with advanced function.
technology, medicine must „catch up' with the In this paper, we will describe a NanoRobot
technology level of the human body before it can that can be created with existing technology ,
become really effective. Since the human body is that can be used to seek out and destroy inimical
basically an extremely complex system of tissue within the human body that cannot be
interacting molecules (i.e., a molecular machine), accessed by other means.
the technology required to truly understand and The construction and use of such devices would
repair the body is molecular machine technology. result in a number of benefits. Not only would it
A natural consequence of this level of provide either cures or at least a means of
technology will be the ability to analyze and controlling or reducing the effects of a number of
repair the human body as completely and ailments, but it will also provide valuable
effectively as we can repair any conventional empirical data for the improvement and further
machine today development of such machines. Practical data
Nanotechnology is “Research and garnered from such operations at the microscopic
technology development at the atomic, molecular level will allow the elimination of a number of
and macromolecular levels in the length scale of false trails and point the way to more effective
approximately 1 -100 nanometer range, to methods of dealing with the problems inherent in
provide a fundamental understanding of operation at that level.
phenomena and materials at the nanoscale and to We will address and propose the method of
create and use structures, devices and systems entry into the body, means of propulsion, means
that have novel properties and functions because of maintaining a fixed position while operating,
of their small and/or intermediate size.” control of the device, power source, means of
This paper will describe a micro/nano scale locating substances to be eliminated, mans of
medical robot that is within the range of current doing the elimination and how to remove the
engineering technology. It is intended for the device from the body afterward.
treatment and/or elimination of medical NANOMEDICNE:
problems where accumulation of undesired It is the application of nanotechnology
(engineering of tiny machines) to the prevention

2. and treatment of disease in the human bodys.
More specifically, it is the use of engineered
nanodevices and nanostructures to monitor,
repair, construct and control the human
biological system on a molecular level. The most
elementary of nanomedical devices will be used
in the diagnosis of illnesses. A more advanced
use of nanotechnology might involve implanted circulatory system
devices to dispense drugs or hormones as needed
be balanced against the fact that the larger the
in people with chronic imbalance or deficiency
nanomachine the more versatile and effective it
states. Lastly, the most advanced nanomedicine
can be. This is especially important in light of
involves the use of Nanorobots as miniature
the fact that external control problems become
surgeons. Such machines might repair damaged
much more difficult if we are trying to use
cells, or get inside cells and replace or assist
multiple machines, even if they don't get in each
damaged intracellular structures. At the extreme,
other's way.
nanomachines might replicate themselves, or
The second consideration is we have to get it
correct genetic deficiencies by altering or
into the body without being too destructive in the
replacing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
first place. This requires that we gain access to a
molecules.
large diameter artery that can be traversed easily
to gain access to most areas
Introduce the device into the body:
We need to find a way of introducing the
nanomachine into the body, and allowing it
access to the operations site without causing too
much ancillary damage. We have already made
the decision to gain access via the circulatory
system.
The first is that the size of the nanomachine
determines the minimum size of the blood vessel femoral artery
that it can traverse. We want to avoid damaging of the body in minimal time. The obvious
the walls of whatever blood vessel the device is candidate is the femoral artery in the leg. This is
in, we also do not want to block it much, which in fact the normal access point to the circulatory
would either cause a clot to form, or just slow or system for operations that require access to the
stop the blood flow. What this means is that the bloodstream for catheters, dye injections, etc., so
smaller the nanomachine the better. However, it will suit our purposes.
this must

3. Move the device around the body: smaller than we would need for our preliminary
We start with a basic assumption: that we will microrobot. One or several of these motors could
use the circulatory system to allow our device to be used to power propellers that would push (or
move about. We must then consider two pull) the microrobot through the bloodstream.
possibilities: (a) carried to the site of We would want to use a shrouded blade design
operations,(b) to be propelled so as to avoid damage to the surrounding tissues
The first possibility is to allow the device to be (and to the propellers) during the inevitable
carried to the site of operations by means of collisions
normal blood flow. There are a number of 2.Cilia/flagellae:
requirements for this method . We must be able we are using some sort of vibrating cilia
to navigate the bloodstream; to be able to guide
the device so as to make use of the blood flow.
This also requires that there be an uninterrupted
blood flow to the site of operations. In the case
of tumors, there is very often damage to the
circulatory system that would prevent our device
(similar to those of a paramecium) to propel the
from passively navigating to the site. In the case
device. A variation of this method would be to
of blood clots, of course, the flow of blood is
use a fin-shaped appendage. While this may have
dammed and thus our device would not be
its attractions at the molecular level of operation,
carried to the site without the capability for
3.Crawl along surface:
active movement. Another problem with this
Rather than have the device float in the blood, or
method is that it would be difficult to remain at
in various fluids, the device could move along
the site without some means of maintaining
the walls of the circulatory system by means of
position, either by means of an anchoring
appendages with specially designed tips,
technique, or by actively moving against the
allowing for a firm grip without excessive
current.
damage to the tissue. It must be able to do this
despite surges in the flow of blood caused by the
beating of the heart, and do it without tearing
through a blood vessel or constantly being torn
free and swept away.
There are a number of means available for active
propulsion of our device.
1.Propeller:
An electric motor that fit within a cube 1/64th of
an inch on a side is used . This is probably along the wall of vessel

4. For any of these techniques to be practical, they the operations site; that is, the location of the
must each meet certain requirements: clot, tumor or whatever is the unwanted tissue.
The device must be able to move at a practical The second purpose is to gain a rough idea of
speed against the flow of blood. where the microrobot is in relation to that tissue.
The device must be able to move when blood is This information will be used to navigate close
pooling rather than flowing steadily. enough to the operations site that short-range
The device must be able to move in surges, so as sensors will be useful
to be able to get through the heart without being (1).Ultrasonic:
stuck, in the case of emergencies. This technique can be used in either the active or
The device must either be able to react to the passive mode. In the active mode, an
changes in blood flow rate so as to maintain ultrasonic signal is beamed into the body, and
position, or somehow anchor itself to the body so either reflected back, received on the other side
as to remain unmoving while operating. of the body, or a combination of both. The
Movement of the device : received signal is processed to obtain
The next problem to consider is exactly how to information about the material through which it
detect the problem tissue that must be treated. has passed.
We need two types of sensors. Long-range In the passive mode, an ultrasonic signal of a
sensors will be used to allow us to navigate to very specific pattern is generated by the
the site of the unwanted tissue. We must be able microrobot. By means of signal processing
to locate a tumor, blood clot or deposit of arterial techniques, this signal can be tracked with great
plaque closely enough so that the use of short- accuracy through the body, giving the precise
range sensors is practical. These would be used location of the microrobot at any time. The
during actual operations, to allow the device to signal can either be continuous or pulsed to save
distinguish between healthy and power, with the pulse rate increasing or being
switched to continuous if necessary for more
detailed position information.
(2).NMR/MRI:
This technique involves the application of a
powerful magnetic field to the body, and
subsequent analysis of the way in which atoms
unwanted tissue.. Another important use for
within the body react to the field.
sensors is to be able to locate the position of the
microrobot in the body. First we will examine
the various possibilities for external sensors.
These will be at least partially external to the
microrobot, and their major purpose will be
twofold. The first is to determine the location of
MRI

5. It usually requires a prolonged period to obtain and analyze the results of its operations. These
useful results, often several hours, and thus is not sensors will be of two types. The first type will
suited to real-time applications. While the be used to do the final navigation. When the
performance can be increased greatly, the device is within a short distance of the operation
resolution is inherently low due to the difficulty site, these sensors will be used to help it find the
of switching large magnetic fields quickly, and rest of the path, beyond what the external sensors
thus, while it may be suited in some cases to the can do. The second type of sensor will be used
original diagnosis, it is of only very limited use during the actual operation, to guide the
to us at present. microrobot to the tissue that should be removed
(3).X-ray: and away from tissue that should not be
X-rays as a technique have their good points and removed.
bad points. On the plus side, they are powerful (1).Chemical:
enough to be able to pass through tissue, and Chemical sensors can be used to detect trace
show density changes in that tissue. This makes chemicals in the bloodstream and use the relative
them very useful for locating cracks and breaks concentrations of those chemicals to determine
in hard, dense tissue such as bones and teeth. On the path to take to reach the unwanted tissue.
the other hand, they go through soft tissue so This would require several sensors so as to be
much able to establish a chemical gradient, the
alternative would be to try every path, and
retrace a path when the blood chemicals
diminish. While it is not difficult to create a
solid-state sensor for a given chemical, the
difficulty increases greatly when the number of
chemicals that must be analyzed increases.
Consequently, we would probably need a series
mobile Xray
more easily that an X-ray scan designed to show of microrobots, one for each chemical, or at least
breaks in bone goes right through soft tissue a set of replaceable sensor modules
without showing much detail. On the other hand, (2).Spectroscopic:
a scan designed for soft tissue can‟t get through This would involve taking continuous small
if there is any bone blocking the path of the x- samples of the surrounding tissue and analyzing
rays. them for the appropriate chemicals. This could
be done either with a high-powered laser diode
Control the device:
or by means of an electrical arc to vaporize small
we consider the case of internal sensors. When
amounts of tissue. The laser diode is more
we say internal sensors, we mean sensors that are
practical due to the difficulty of striking an arc in
an integral part of the microrobot and are used by
a liquid medium and also due to the side effects
it to make the final approach to the operation site
possible when sampling near nerve tissue. The

6. diode could be pulsed at regular intervals, with away, to be eliminated by the normal
an internal capacitor charging constantly so as to mechanisms of the body.
provide more power to the laser diode than the In the case of blood clots, it is possible that the
steady output of our power source. action of physically attacking the clot could
(3).TV camera: cause it to break away in large chunks, some of
This method involves us having a TV camera in which could subsequently cause blockages in the
the device and transmitting its picture outside the blood flow.. We can set up some mechanism to
body to a remote control station, allowing the catch these blood clots and further break them
people operating the device to steer it. One up,
disadvantage of this technique is the relatively In the case of tumors, the problem is more
high complexity of the sensors. On the other serious. The act of physically shredding or even
hand, solid-state television sensors are an just breaking loose clumps of cells can result in
extremely well developed technology, and it the cancer metastasizing throughout the body.
should not be difficult to further develop it to the One possible solution is to filter the cancerous
level needed. This could be combined with the cells out of the blood immediately downstream
laser diode at low power of the tumor. Even if it is possible to distinguish
Means of treatment: cancerous cells from normal cells by filtering,
The treatment for each of the medical problems this would not prevent the spread of tumor
is the same in general; we must remove the causing chemicals released by the ruptured cells.
tissue or substance from the body. This can be (2).Physical trauma:
done in one of several ways. We can break up Another way of dealing with the unwanted
the clump of substance and rely on the body‟s tissues is by destroying them in situ. This would
normal processes to eliminate it. Alternately, we avoid damaging the cancerous cells and releasing
can destroy the substance before allowing the chemicals into the bloodstream. In order to do
body to eliminate the results. We can use the this effectively, we need a means of destroying
microrobot to physically remove the unwanted the cell without rupturing the cell wall until after
tissue. We can also use the microrobot to it is safe. We shall consider a number of methods
enhance other efforts being performed, and (a)Resonant microwaves/Ultrasonics:
increase their effectiveness. Rather than merely apply microwave/infrared or
(1).Physical removal: ultrasonic energy at random frequencies, the
This method can be effective in the treatment of frequency of the energy could be applied at the
arteriosclerosis. In this case, a blade, probe or specific frequencies needed to disrupt specific
edge of some sort can be used to physically chemical bonds. This would allow us to make
separate deposits of plaque from the artery walls. sure that the tumor producing chemicals created
The bloodstream would carry these deposits by cancerous cells would be largely destroyed,
with the remaining amounts, if any, disposed of
by the body‟s natural defenses.

7. (b)Heat: In this case, the power would be transmitted to
The use of heat to destroy cancerous tumors the microrobot from outside the body. This can
would seem to be a reasonable approach to take. be done in a number of different ways, but it
There are a number of ways in which we can boils down to two possibilities. The first is to
apply heat, each with advantages and transmit the power by means of a physical
disadvantages of their own. While the general connection, and the second, of course, is to
technique is to apply relatively low levels of heat transmit it without a physical connection.
for prolonged periods of time, we can apply (a)Physical connection
much higher levels for shorter periods of time to In the first case, we would need some sort of
get the same effect. wire or cable to carry power between the
( c )Microwave: microrobot and the outside power source.
Microwave radiation is directed at the cancerous Problems faced are the first, of course, is that the
cells, raising their temperature for a period of wire needs to be able to reach inside the body to
time, causing the death of the cells in question. where the microrobot is. This means that it must
This is normally done by raising the temperature be thin enough to fit down every blood vessel
of the cells to just enough above body that the microrobot can enter.
temperature to kill them after many minutes of (b)No physical connection:
exposure. we are transmitting power to the microrobot
(d)Ultrasonic: without the use of wires or any sort of physical
An ultrasonic signal, which can be generated by means to transfer the power.
a piezoelectric membrane or any other rapidly 1.Ultrasonic
vibrating object, is directed at, and absorbed by, 2.Induced magnetic
the cells being treated. This energy is converted
to heat, raising the temperature of the cells and Means of recovery from the body:
killing.
(e)Power from the bloodstream: Given sufficiently accurate control of the
There are three possibilities for this scenario. In nanomachine, or a tether, this is not a problem;
the first case, the microrobot would have we can just retrace our path upstream. However,
electrodes mounted on its outer casing that it would be a lot easier, and recommended, to
would combine with the electrolytes in the blood steer a path through the body that traverses major
to form a battery. This would result in a low blood vessels and winds up at a point where we
voltage, but it would last until the electrodes can just filter the nanomachine out of the
were used up. The disadvantage of this method is bloodstream. This will reduce the possibilities
that in the case of a clot or arteriosclerosis, there for difficulties, and also cause less wear and tear
might not be enough blood flow to sustain the on the nanomachine. Of course, either scenario is
required a possibility, depending on where the actual
Power to NanoRobot: operation site is. Another possibility is to have

8. the nanomachine anchor itself to a blood vessel artery walls. This will allow for both improving
that is easily accessible from outside, and the flexibility of the walls of the arteries and
perform a small surgical operation to remove it. improving the blood flow through them. In view
Application of nanorobots : of the years it takes to accumulate these deposits,
1.Tumors. simply removing them from the artery walls and
leaving them in the bloodstream should allow the
We must be able to treat tumors; that is to say, body‟s natural processes to remove the
cells grouped in a clumped mass. While the overwhelming preponderance of material.
technique may eventually be used to treat small
3.Blood clots:
The cause damage when they travel to the
bloodstream to a point where they can block the
flow of blood to a vital area of the body. This
numbers of cells in can result in damage to vital organs in very short
order. In many if not most cases, these
lung tumor
the bloodstream,,. The specified goal is to be
able to destroy tumorous tissue in such a way as
to minimize the risk of causing or allowing a
recurrence of the growth in the body. The
technique is intended to be able to treat tumors
that cannot be accessed via conventional surgery,
such as deep brain tumors.
2.Arteriosclerosis: Blood clot
blood clots are only detected when they cause a
This is caused by fatty deposits on the walls of
blockage and damage the organ in question,
arteries. The device should be able to remove
often but not always the brain. By using a
these deposits from the
microrobot in the body to break up such clots
into smaller pieces before they have a chance to
break free and move on their own
4.Kidney stones
Arteriosclerosis

9. break up the liver stones as well. By continuing
on up the bile duct into the liver, they can clear
away accumulated deposits of unwanted
minerals and other substances as well.
6.Burn and wound debriding:
By introducing a microrobot into the urethra in a
The microrobots can also be used to clean
manner similar to that of inserting a catheter,
wounds and burns. Their size allows them to be
direct access to the kidney stones can be
very useful for removing dirt and foreign
obtained, and they can be broken up directly.
particles from incised and punctured wounds, as
This can be done either by means of ultrasonics
well as from burns. They can be used to do a
directly applied, or by the use of a laser or other
more complete and less traumatic job than
means of applying intense local heat to cause the
conventional techniques.
stones to break up.
7.Remove or break down tar, etc in lungs:
They could be very useful for the treatment of
dirty lungs. This could be done by removing
particles of tar and other pollutants from the
surface of the alveoli, and placing them where
the natural processes of the body can dispose of
kidney stones them. This would require a microrobot capable
of moving within the lungs, on alveolar surfaces
5.Liver stones
Liver stones accumulate in the bile duct.
Microrobots of the above type can be introduced
into the bile duct and used to
as well as
Break down of tar
over the mucus layer and over the cilia within the
lungs.
Stones Inside Liver Bile Ducts THE ADVANTAGES OF
NANOMEDICINE:

10. 1.Speed of Medical Treatment: Doctors may describing exactly what was found, and what
be surprised by the incredible quickness of was done, and what problems were encountered,
nanorobotic action when compared to the speeds in every cell visited
available from fibroblasts or leukocytes.
Biological cilia beat at ~30 Hz while mechanical 6. Minimum Side Effects: Mechanical
nanocilia may cycle up to ~20 MHz, though nanorobots may be targeted with virtually 100%
practical power restrictions and other accuracy to specific organs, tissues, or even
considerations may limit them to the ~10 KHz individual cellular addresses within the human
range for most of the time. body . Such nanorobots should have few if any
side effects, and will remain safe even in large
2. Non-degradation of Treatment Agents: dosages because their actions can be digitally
self-regulated using rigorous control protocols.
Diagnostic and therapeutic agents constructed of
biomaterials generally are biodegradable in vivo. CONCLUSION:
However, suitably designed nanorobotic agents Nanomedicine will eliminate virtually all
constructed of nonbiological materials are not common diseases of the 20th century, virtually
biodegradable. all medical pain and suffering, and allow the
extension of human capabilities most especially
3.Control of Nanomedical Treatment: A
our mental abilities.
digital biocomputer, which is possible in theory,
A nanostructured data storage device about the
has slower clock cycles, less capacious memory
size of a human liver cell implanted in the brain
per unit volume, and longer data access time and
could store a large amount of data and provides
poorer control
extremely rapid access to this information. But
perhaps the most important long-term benefit to
4.Faster and More Precise Diagnosis: The
human society as a whole could be the dawning
analytic function of medical diagnosis requires
of a new era of peace. We could hope that people
rapid communication between the injected
who are independently well fed, well-clothed,
devices and the attending physician.
well-housed, smart, well educated, healthy and
Nanomachines, with their more diverse set of
happy will have little motivation to make war.
input-output mechanisms, can out message the
Human beings who have a reasonable prospect
results of in vivo reconnaissance or testing
of living many "normal" lifetimes will learn
literally in seconds
patience from experience, and will be extremely
5. Verification of Progress and Treatment: unlikely to risk those "many lifetimes" for any
Using a variety of communication modalities, but the most compelling of reasons.
nanorobots can report back to the attending Finally, and perhaps most
physician, with digital precision, a summary of importantly, no actual working nanorobot has yet
diagnostically- or therapeutically-relevant data been built. Many theoretical designs have been

11. proposed that look good on paper, but these
preliminary designs could change significantly
after the necessary research, development and
testing has been completed.