© 1999 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 1999

7.4.1 Inmessaging from External Sources

Inmessaging occurs when information is conveyed from a source external to the human body, or external to working nanodevices, to a nanorobotic receiver located inside the human body. Security protocols (Chapter 12) are a strong necessity here. The receiver may be associated with medical nanodevices, either individually or collectively, or with specialized communications organs.

Methods of modulating power sources to achieve data transmission have already been examined at length in Section 7.2. To summarize a few of the many possibilities -- commands, data, software, processed results of extensive computations, and messages from medical personnel may be conveyed into the human body by:

A. Chemical Inmessaging -- communicytes or messenger molecules encased in pills or suspended in ingestible liquids, injectable or IV fluids, mouthwashes, earwashes, eyedrops, inhalants, nasal sprays, dermal patches, suppositories or enemas; or artificially vascularized data secretion glands transdermally linked to external control mechanisms.

B. Acoustic Inmessaging -- dermal ultrasound transducers including handheld units, cuffs or bracelets, or transmission through water baths; vibrating treatment tables, beds or chairs; ingestible sonosondes; osteoimplanted acoustic radiators or implanted dental vibrators with rf or direct cable external links; or implanted circumvascular acoustic radiators.

C. Electromagnetic Inmessaging -- broadcasts from external rf and microwave sources including epidermally-placed electrodes (Section 4.7.1); optical laser arrays pressed against the skin; ingestible radiosondes⁶³⁸ and radio telemetry pills;³³³³ whole-body electrical current flows including transosteal intercellular transmissions; transdermal multi-tesla oscillating magnetic fields; electromagnetic emanations from implanted rf or microwave emitter organs under external control; or direct linkages to internal networks via permanent transdermal access ports.

D. Cable Inmessaging and Message Depots -- information may be transported directly into the body through chemical, acoustic, electrical, optical, or mechanical cables or tethers feeding implanted communications organs, message depots, data distribution centers or bulletin boards; such depots may have biocompatible termini in the bloodstream, brain, or intercellular regions to facilitate message exchanges with mobile nanorobots.

E. Eavesdropping -- continuous nanorobot monitoring of normal physiological sensory traffic (imported by human sensory organs) with specific sensitivity to defined control or keyed patterns that might have been inserted into the natural data stream, such as modulated visual, auditory, or tactile cues, periodic dermal pain or temperature sensations, or oscillating taste and scent signals.

F. Macrosensing -- external modulation of physiological or environmental parameters which can be directly sensed by in vivo nanorobots but controlled by external agencies, including pharmacologically-modulated heartbeat or respiration rate, mental alertness or stage of sleep, atmospheric humidity or pressure, chemical composition of the air, gravity or centrifugal acceleration, particulate radiation flux, or geographical position and altitude (see Section 4.9).

Last updated on 19 February 2003