Nanorobotics in Medicine: A Systematic Review of Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Nanorobotics offers an emerging frontier in biomedicine, holding the potential to revolutionize diagnostic and therapeutic applications through its unique capabilities in manipulating biological systems at the nanoscale. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using IEEE Xplore and PubMed databases, resulting in the identification and analysis of a total of 414 papers. The studies were filtered to include only those that addressed both nanorobotics and direct medical applications. Our analysis traces the technology's evolution, highlighting its growing prominence in medicine as evidenced by the increasing number of publications over time. Applications ranged from targeted drug delivery and single-cell manipulation to minimally invasive surgery and biosensing. Despite the promise, limitations such as biocompatibility, precise control, and ethical concerns were also identified. This review aims to offer a thorough overview of the state of nanorobotics in medicine, drawing attention to current challenges and opportunities, and providing directions for future research in this rapidly advancing field.