Microchip implant (human)

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This article deals with human microchip implants. For use in animals, see Microchip implant (animal).

A human microchip implant is an integrated circuit device or RFID tag encased in silicate glass and implanted into a human's body. Such implants can be used for information storage, including personal identification, medical history, medications, allergies, and contact information.

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[edit] Current uses

In 2004, VeriChip received preliminary approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its device in the United States within specific guidelines.[1] Since its approval, about 80 hospitals and 232 doctors have elected to use the system.[2]

By implanting such a chip with a patient's medical record, hospitals and emergency workers can immediately gain access to an ill or injured person's medical history regardless of location. Implanted chips are impossible to lose, which could reduce the chances of information theft. Homes and automobiles could be equipped with scanners for microchips, making house and car keys obsolete. Locks and ignition switches would only work for persons with an appropriately programmed chip.

Mondex, being developed by MasterCard, uses a microchip for smart card products.[3] In the future, credit card information could be stored on an implantable chip, meaning credit cards, PINs, and passwords could be made obsolete.

[edit] Possible problems

If the microchips are completely unencrypted, they would be extremely vulnerable to hacker attacks and interception by third-party scanners. By scanning secretly, someone could steal all of the information on a chip and could clone the signal, possibly leading to criminal misuse of medical files and insurance information. For example, a patient's list of known allergies could be altered maliciously, causing injury or death, or his/her insurance could be copied for another unrelated person to use.[2]

According to the FDA, implantation of the chip itself poses some health concerns. A patient could react adversely to the chip itself by infection or allergy, or it could be implanted improperly. It could dislodge itself and move to a different part of the body than where it was first implanted. The implant could also fail on its own at any time, and the information contained in it could be lost.

More serious trauma could occur if the chip reacts to outside source, such as a strong electrical field or a magnetic resonance imager (MRI) machine. The strong magnets used in an MRI scanner could destroy the implant and cause serious burns, internally and externally.[4]

[edit] Future applications

Contrary to popular belief, a GPS-enabled chip, for GPS tracking of individuals, does not yet exist — mainly due to problems with power consumption and antenna performance. Many news sources and websites have confused implantable chips with wearable or portable tracking devices.

Theoretically, a GPS-enabled chip could make it possible for individuals to be physically located by latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, and direction of movement. This could aid authorities in locating missing persons and/or fugitives and those who fled from a crime scene. VeriChip is one of the companies working on a GPS-capable chip.[5]

Some Christians cite Revelations 13:16–18, which prophesizes that the "Number of the Beast" will be placed in one's forehead or right hand, without which one cannot buy or sell. Some people claim that implanted microchips, to be used in a cashless society, are the fulfillment of this prophecy.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tillman, Donna-Bea (2004-10-12).Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation, VeriChip Health Information Microtransponder System. United States Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
  2. ^ a b Byles, Ileiren (2006). Health-care chips could get under your skin. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
  3. ^ MasterCard International. Mondex home page. Accessed 2006-10-28.
  4. ^ DrugResearcher.com 2004-10-20. Implantable RFID chip decision draws criticism. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
  5. ^ DrugResearcher.com 2004-10-18. FDA clears RFID chip for humans. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
  6. ^ Haines, Lester (2005-08-05). RFID chips are the mark of the beast: official. The Register. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.

[edit] Further reading

  • Haag, Stephen, Cummings, Maeve, and McCubbrey, Donald (2004). Management Information Systems for the Information Age, 4th, New York City, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-281947-2.

[edit] External links

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