Functionality: Medical nanites are microscopic machines, typically injected or infused into the bloodstream, that perform a wide range of diagnostic, maintenance, and healing functions. Their core uses include:
- Accelerated tissue repair
- Infection control
- Real-time diagnostics and biomonitoring
- Neural repair or modulation (implied in characters recovering from trauma)
- Detoxification and clearing of foreign agents or toxins
Deployment:
- Commonly used by military personnel, such as the Compact Marines and possibly the Colonial Guard, to prolong battlefield survivability.
- Civilian use is more selective, often dependent on economic status or planetary infrastructure.
- Some characters may carry a standard nanite infusion as part of basic medical readiness, while others receive specialized versions tailored to specific conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, or surgery recovery).
Limitations:
- Some injuries or illnesses overwhelm the nanites’ capacity, requiring conventional medical intervention.
- Nanites may be disabled or disrupted by EMP-like effects, certain exotic Gelt weapons, or deliberate sabotage.
- There may be ethical or legal limits on using nanites for augmentation beyond basic healing.
Notable Uses or Mentions:
- Suicide or other elite operatives may rely on nanites for enhanced recovery.
- Davra Andraste, in her medic role, may use them or monitor their function in others.
- In some battle or post-injury scenes, nanites are implied to be stabilizing characters while help arrives.
- Sometimes, specialized nanites, nano-biotics for example, might be needed to deal with unexpected pathogens. JT Austin develops sepsis at one point and is forced under battlefield conditions to take antibiotics meant for moosalo.