Unfortunately I can not find out more about this, as I do not have access to the journals it was published in. Here is the abstract:
Abstract: Molecular manufacturing promises precise control of matter at the atomic and molecular level, allowing the construction of micron-scale machines comprised of nanometer-scale components. Medical nanomachines will be among the earliest applications. The artificial red blood cell or “respirocyte” proposed here is a bloodborne spherical 1-micron diamondoid 1000-atm pressure vessel with active pumping powered by endogenous serum glucose, able to deliver 236 times more oxygen to the tissues per unit volume than natural red cells and to manage carbonic acidity. An onboard nanocomputer and numerous chemical and pressure sensors enable complex device behaviors remotely reprogrammable by the physician via externally applied acoustic signals. Primary applications will include transfusable blood substitution; partial treatment for anemia, perinatal/neonatal and lung disorders; enhancement of cardiovascular/neurovascular procedures, tumor therapies and diagnostics; prevention of asphyxia; artificial breathing; and a variety of sports, veterinary, battlefield and other uses.
I have seen some numbers out there detailing the effectiveness of this artificial cell, although I do not know their accuracy. Apparently you could sit on the bottom of your pool for four hours or run at top speed for fifteen minutes without taking a single breath. I need to get a subscription to these damn peer reviewed publications.
Rob Freitas’ original paper was printed in ‘96, so I imagine there has been quite a bit of progress since then. Has anyone out there heard anything about this? I would be a little worried about any machinery that goes through the blood brain barrier, but this seems almost cool enough to risk being an early adopter.
