An oxygen-carrying pressurised microcapsule
In the body, oxygen is mainly carried to the organs by red cells. For 80 years, scientists have been searching for artificial products to carry oxygen.
Conceived and designed by Robert A. Freitas Jr. (www.rfreitas.com) - Artist: © Forrest Bishop (www.iase.cc - E-spaces s.a. www.e-spaces.com), All Rights Reserved
An oxygen-carrying pressurised microcapsule
The simplest design of oxygen carrier is a pressurised microcapsule. It should be as compact as possible, which means spherical. This blue sphere is an artificial red cell or "respirocyte".
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
An oxygen-carrying pressurised microcapsule
This artificial red cell could be used to replace blood by transfusion, treat anaemia, diagnose and treat tumours, prevent asphyxia, etc.
© 2005 by E-spaces (www.e-spaces.com) & Robert A. Freitas Jr. (www.rfreitas.com)
An oxygen-carrying pressurised microcapsule
The minimum diameter of the "respirocyte" could be 58 nm. Its buoyancy could easily be controlled by filling ballast tanks with water.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
An oxygen-carrying pressurised microcapsule
On-board power is supplied by a mechanical-chemical motor that uses heat from a glucose-oxygen combination to create mechanical energy that drives rotors.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Cleaning arteries obstructed by atherosclerosis
Nanobots could treat atherosclerosis, a degenerative disease of the arteries. It is caused by cholesterol infiltration of their inner wall, reacting with the blood and possibly forming a clot that blocks the artery.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobot acting as an artificial white cell
This type of nanobot could act as a lymphocyte, defending the body from foreign agents.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobot acting as an artificial white cell
We can clearly see the nanobot’s retractable tentacles grasping pathogens (in green).
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
A kind of "mother ship" for other nanobots
The tentacular arms of this nanobot attached to the wall of a blood vessel can trap and release active spheres.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobot cleaning the pulmonary vesicles
Nanobots (in green) collect metabolic and toxin waste (pollution, dust of all kinds, tobacco residues, etc.) and carry it to reprocessing centres (in blue).
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobots acting as blood platelets
Here (in blue), at the site of a cut, nanobots act as blood platelets, responsible for blood coagulation. They could play a haemostatic role (stopping a haemorrhage) by deploying a biodegradable “net” able to block red cells (in green).
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobots acting as blood platelets
These one-micrometer (a thousandth of a millimetre) artificial platelets could stop a haemorrhage up to 1,000 times faster than biological platelets. A small wound could be closed in a few seconds.
© Tim Fonseca
Toxin-destroying nanobot
Another form of nanobot designed to destroy toxins in an artery.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Nanobot in the brain
This octopus-shaped nanobot links a number of brain cells. The aim is to create a network of billions of nanocomputers able to act as a "second neuron network", or alleviate certain deficiencies caused by disease or ageing.
© Tim Fonseca, All Rights Reserved
Detail of a nanobot connected to a series of neurons
This nanobot is intended to replace or increase nerve-cell capacity.
© 2005 by E-spaces. (www.e-spaces.com)
Example of a basic nanobot unit
Picture of a nanobot which, when joined to others, would form a structure able to simulate a vast series of materials in solid or gaseous states (anticipated areas of application: targeted release of drugs, action on the nervous system). (See Storrs Hall).
© Murray Robertson 1999-2007
