Nanobots might sound like something from fiction, cartoons or movies. Like in the movie Big Hero 6, the character Hiro creates tiny robots called microbots that can connect together and form structures and ideas which backfires at some point for him. While this technology looks futuristic and cool to a few, it’s already in the works. Scientists are already researching ideas using nanotech.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative states that nanotechnology works at about “1 to 100 nanometers”, small enough so machines can move easily throughout the human body thus named nanobots. In the future, nanobots could help humans by identifying health risks faster, precise enough to do operations that require a highly skilled doctor.
It also helps reduce medical costs by repairing problems inside the body before they become serious. There are even more ways nanobots could help.
These tiny bots have the potential to travel through the bloodstream of a human or any animal and locate damaged cells, infections or early signs of disease. Instead of waiting until a problem becomes severe, nanobots could repair tissues or remove harmful cells immediately.
The National Cancer Institute explains that nanotechnology can “precisely administer therapies to cancerous cells and tissues”. With such precise and accurate treatment, patients would experience less effects and recover way faster.
“The goal is pretty much to kill everything in your body without killing you.”
This is what American actress, producer and writer Rashida Jones says about chemotherapy in Oprah Magazine in 2009. Her comment shows why a more targeted and less harmful option, like nanobots, would matter so much to patients.
Nanobots could also help people save large amounts of money on healthcare. A lot of medical treatments today are expensive because they require surgeries, hospital stays and long recovery periods. If nanobots could fix problems inside the body early, people would not need multiple complicated methods or procedures.
Scientists believe nanotechnology might possibly allow doctors to monitor, repair and improve biological systems at the molecular level. Preventing diseases and repairing damage early would lower medical costs for both patients and hospitals.
Overall, nanobots have the huge potential to transform medicine entirely in the future. What once seemed like fiction in cartoons like “Big Hero 6” could be real through science and tech.
By repairing the body from the inside out and preventing illnesses, nanobots could help people live healthier lives while also saving money on medical care if done right. It’s a dream in the grasp of humanity.
