Using Nanites/Nanobots to repair Brain Damate

[Mithnen]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry not to be around for a long while, I was writing something that didn't go as planned and then I became really ill and writing became unfeasibly hard.

Finally got myself back on track and then I was working on the computer when our cat leapt on me, I was holding a large glass of coke and it spilled across my laptop which turned my lovely computer into a stone.

However, as an early Christmas present, my husband bought me a brand new laptop and I've been able to restore most of the programs.

But to get onto my question, I am writing a story where one of the main characters has been shot in the head and placed in a medically induced coma, using a specialised system my heroine can restore brain function and viability using Nanobots/Nanites. Does anyone have any idea how long this might take?: Days,weeks, months?

I have looked up nanites onine but they don't seem to give healing rates just being of the 'We're all going to have nanites by the year 2030. Aaah!' Which as you might imagine is not particularly helpful.

Anyway, any answers would be helpful, and feel free to move this question to the right group.


Mithnen

 

[Finchbearer]

I’m not an expert, not by a long shot, but with anything medical the effectiveness of any treatment usually has a sort of risk rate based on probability and a bunch of research into the effectiveness of the treatment, and then there is the other variable, which is what is being treated - so with that said it’s kind of how long is a piece of string.

You could make up a fictional success rate of that particular treatment, unless it’s novel, and then you’d need to look at the severity of the injury and what your character thinks is the likelihood of the treatment working.

 

[Mithnen]

Thanks for that. The hero is a young 20-somethng (haven't quite decided on exact age yet) male, very fit, goes on runs, walks a great deal, isn't the best at healthy eating - tends to snack on say a chocolate bar rather than a piece of fruit, but generally eats fairly well..

Works as a teacher for elementary school children and sometimes gets a bit depressed with the way of the world but in general is in good health. I am assuming that healthwise he is a viable candidate for the procedure working. Because of his health the risk is less than 10% which is considered reasonably good in the medical world.

I think typing out the notes helps clarify a few things for me, looking at the severity of the injury, and my fictional treatment, and the side-effects - although side effects tend to be more of the 'fever-dream' variety, ie what you think you hear/see is a side effect of the treatment and not real. Still something that needs addressing and re-affirming once the treatment is over.

Thanks for the reply, it has helped in the sense that it's focused me on a few things I hadn't considered.

Mithnen

 

[pmmg]

I think you are free to make up the rate of recovery.

If the nanos are able to link together and form a chain the does not leak, it could almost instant.

Actual brain damage though…. How could they know what was lost? Think you are free to make that up too. Maybe he gets a bionic brain…

 

[Prince of Spires]

Since we don't have nanobots, not even a concept of one, it's pretty much what you need it to be. As long as they take just as long on page one as they do on page 400 you're good to go (unless there is a very specific reason, clear to the reader, the time is different of course). So pick a number that works for your story and stick to that.

As for repairing the damage, it's again up to you and what the story needs. No one will blink an eye if futuristic technology fixes this kind of stuff with no after-effects in a day. Just be prepared to have people ask why they don't use those nanobots for everything. So account for having rapid healing (and don't have people slowly bleed out or die from poison over a span of 3 days). However, maybe it takes a week, and the brain function is restored but the memories are not. Or maybe memories are also restored, but skills are not. All lead to wonderful story opportunities. But they all depend on what the story requires.