Nanorobotics is one of the emerging fields of technology that creates components at the size of a nanometre. They are also used for maintaining and protecting the human body against pathogens. Nader Jalili, an associate professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University, is putting efforts at creating a nanorobot. He intends to use this robot for performing cancer surgeries with extreme precision.
Precision is the most important factor of surgeries that can be taken care of with the introduction of nanorobotics in the field of medicine. It will develop and improve the complex surgical procedure and make them more precise and safe.
Doctor’s surgical instruments cannot reach positions where nanorobots with their tiny sizes will easily be able to. Their size will help the doctors to see the exact position and condition of the tumours. Further, they can also inject medicines and other fluids only in specific minute areas where the tumour lies.
Synthetic zinc oxide, quartz, and gold are nanomaterials used to make sensors and actuators of nanorobots. These elements elevate the performance of robots in surgical procedures. These nanomaterials, when activated with electrical energies, make mechanical movements that can be controlled.
With nanorobotics used in medical surgeries, doctors will assume supervisory roles. They would be vested with the responsibility of controlling these robots and assuming complete control if something goes wrong. Jalili compares their role to the pilot who puts the plane on cruise control and says, “You don’t want to go to sleep when you’re in cruise control. Surgeons will follow the procedure and will be supervisors in case something goes wrong.”
Though the use of nanoparticles has been increased within the realm of medicine, there is still a lot of research that is left to be done. However, access to the smallest of the smallest dimensions of the human body assures the progress in medication and treatments and makes nanorobotic technology an essential part of medicine.
Akshara Palshetkar