Ethical Aspects of Creation and Application of Medical Devices Based on Nanorobotics: Legal and Deontological Issues

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the ethical aspects of the creation, use, and disposal of medical devices based on nanorobotic technologies. Serious legal and deontological issues arising due to the insuf ficiency of existing ethical and legal norms to deal with rapid technological progress in nanomedicine reveal a dangerous regulatory vacuum. Therefore, the development of fundamental ethical principles to govern the activities of all parties involved throughout the life cycle of nanorobotic systems becomes an urgent priority. For manufacturers, such principles include prioritizing the biocompatibility of materials at both molecular and system levels, ensuring control over targeting and device lifecycle predictability, prioritizing patient well-being over commercial interests, an absolute ban on autonomous decision-making by devices, and clear limits on permissible replication. For medical professionals, the key principles concern obtaining informed consent, ensuring continuous monitoring of the patient’s condition, voluntary use of technology, professional responsibility at all stages of application, empathy, and the mandatory possession of appropriate qualifications. Medical organizations should be guided by the principles of institutional responsibility, including maintenance and compliance with standards, quality assurance, data collection and storage, non-discrimination against patients who have opted out of nanorobotic treatments, as well as the protection of the interests of both patients and medical staff. Ethical principles applying to the recycling of medical devices include a prohibition of reuse and fulfilling environmental safety requirements. The development and implementation of a specialized code of ethics to cover the entire life cycle of medical nanorobotic systems will provide a necessary foundation for the subsequent development of adequate legislative regulations that release the enormous potential of nanorobotics to transform healthcare while ensuring the protection of patients and society.

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