Seeker

by Douglas E. Richards

EXCERPT: A respirocyte is a theoretical engineering design for an artificial red blood cell—a machine that cannot be constructed with current technology. Respirocytes are micron-scale spherical robotic red blood cells containing an internal pressure of 1000 atmospheres of compressed oxygen and carbon dioxide. At this intense pressure, a respirocyte could hold 236 times more oxygen and carbon dioxide than our natural red blood cells. Respirocytes are an elegantly simplistic design, powered by glucose in the blood and able to manage carbonic acidity via an onboard internal nanocomputer and a multitude of chemical/pressure sensors. 3D nanoscale fabrication will allow respirocytes to be manufactured in practically unlimited supply very inexpensively, directly from a computer design. An injection of such nanotechnological devices would enable a person to run at top speed for 15 minutes or remain underwater for four hours on a single breath.