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A
theoretical device that could be made with
molecular nanotechnology. It would be a artificial mechanical
erythrocyte - or
red blood cell.
It would be about 1 micron in diameter, spherical in shape, and float through the bloodstream like any cell. It would consist of roughly 18 billion atoms, mostly arranged as a porous diamondoid lattice. It could hold up to 9 billion oxygen and/or carbon dioxide molecules.
The surface would be 37% covered with small rotors for loading and unloading the contents.
Assuming it can reach full efficiency, it would be approximately 236 times more efficient than a biological red blood cell. So 5 CCs of 50% respirocyte solution would equal the oxygen carrying capacity of all the blood in the body.
Paraphrased from the Nanomedicine FAQ at http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/NanoMedFAQ.html.