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Biocapsule Inserted into Humans to Protect against Diseases

This Biocapsule was originally created by NASA to be inserted into astronauts before going into space. The device is a tiny rod that is placed under the skin. According to The Atlantic, it is made out of “carbon nanotubes and is filled with cells that release a substance once a certain trigger activates them.”

These tiny little things are said to be real inexpensive to create. If they were put into production they could help to keep sickness and disease at bay without the intervention of people. The main idea was that they would help astronauts that are hit by radiation while in space, but they also have plenty of potential for everyone stuck on Earth.

Diabetes could be one disease that would be benefited tremendously by this type of technology. The Biocapsule could work as a functioning pancreas by being filled with “islet pancreatic cells.” Cancer patients could also be helped considering radiation is directed at the spot of tumors on their bodies to decrease them.

Dr. David Loftus is the man behind the NASA Biocapsule. He saw an urgent need for astronauts in space who cannot get to a doctor and may end up developing all sorts of problems considering the length of time they spend away from Earth.

According to Gizmodo these Biocapsules have the capability of treating people for up to several years. They have been designed to be resilient in the human body because the nanostructure is inert. Medications are capable of easily passing straight through them because of their “porous nature.”

It simply takes one outpatient procedure to have them implanted below the skin. At the moment it seems that once the cells are depleted the Biocapsule will stay inside the body until a doctor removes it; however, it could stay for a very long time before another surgery would be necessary.

Dr. Loftus said, “The energy needed to produce the therapeutic molecules come from the cells’ own metabolism. The cells have access to nutrients that enter the capsule by diffusion (across the pores of the capsule wall), and these nutrients (including dissolved oxygen) support the metabolism of the cells. The lifetime of the cells could be months to years.”