Nanomorphic cell
The nanomorphic cell
The nanomorphic cell concept is inspired by the trend, synergistic with semiconductor device scaling; to use these core technologies for diverse integrated system applications. This trend is called Functional Diversification and is characterized by the integration of non-
The nanomorphic cell model was applied to analyze the capabilities of an autonomous integrated microsystem on the order of the size of a living cell, i.e. a cube of 10 micrometer on a side [1, 2]. The function of this microsystem is, for example, upon injection into the body, to interact with living cells, e.g. determine the state of the cell and to support certain “therapeutic” action. It must have the capability to collect data on the living cell, analyze the data, and make a decision on the state of the living cell. It must also communicate with an external controlling agent, and possibly, take corrective action. Such a cell would need its own energy sources, sensors, computers, and communication devices, integrated into a complete system whose structure is dictated by the intended nanomorphic cell function. The Nanomorphic Cell can be considered as an extreme example of a class of systems known generically as Autonomous Microsystems, for example WIMS (Wireless Integrated Microsystems),[3] PicoNode,[4] Lab-on-a-Pill[5] and Smartdust.[6]