What is a Respirocyte?
A respirocyte is an engineering design for a machine that cannot be built with current technology: an artificial red blood cell a micron in diameter. If progress in nanotechnology continues as rapidly as it has for the first decade of the 21st century, we may see respirocytes used in medicine or even recreationally by 2020 or 2030. The most interesting thing about a respirocyte is its internal pressure: about 1000 atmospheres. The respirocyte would be spherical, the optimal shape for high-pressure vessels, and made out of pure diamond or sapphire, ideal engineering materials for durable nanosystems. The high pressure is permitted by the strength of these materials. At 1000 atmospheres of pressure, respirocytes could hold 200 times more oxygen and carbon dioxide than our natural red blood cells. This could allow a person to hold their breath at the bottom of a swimming pool for four hours, or let someone sprint at top speed for at least 15 minutes without stopping to breathe. Such feats
