hectomaner
10-13-2004, 05:35 PM
so i just saw this, and i must say, i am a little disturbed by it. its just for medical information purposes, but i think its just the beginning
FDA approves use of implantable data chip
By Diedtra Henderson, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved an implantable computer chip that can pass a patient's medical details to doctors.
The VeriChip was approved by the FDA to provide medical information.
Jose Luis Magana, AP
VeriChips, radio frequency microchips the size of a grain of rice, have already been used to identify wayward pets and livestock. And nearly 200 people working in Mexico's attorney general's office have been implanted with chips to control access to secure areas containing sensitive documents.
Applied Digital Solutions (ADSX) of Delray Beach, Fla., in July asked the FDA for approval to use the implantable chip for medical uses in the United States. The agency had 60 days to reply.
In morning trading Wednesday, Applied Digital shares were up 92 cents at $3.04 on the Nasdaq Stock Market — near the middle of their 52-week range of $1.94 to $5.
It's the first time the FDA has approved the use of the device, though in Mexico, more than 1,000 scannable chips have been implanted. The chip's serial number pulls up the patients' blood type and other medical information.
With the pinch of a syringe, the microchip is inserted under the skin in a procedure that takes less than 20 minutes and leaves no stitches.
Silently and invisibly, the dormant chip stores a code — similar to the identifying UPC code on products sold in retail stores — that releases patient-specific information when a scanner passes over the chip.
At the doctor's office those codes stamped onto chips, once scanned, would reveal such information as a patient's allergies and prior treatments.
The FDA in October 2002 said that the agency would regulate health care applications possible through VeriChip. Meanwhile, the chip has been used for a number of security-related tasks as well as for pure whimsy: Club hoppers in Barcelona, Spain, now use the microchip much like a smartcard to speed drink orders and payment.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-10-13-human-microchips_x.htm
FDA approves use of implantable data chip
By Diedtra Henderson, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved an implantable computer chip that can pass a patient's medical details to doctors.
The VeriChip was approved by the FDA to provide medical information.
Jose Luis Magana, AP
VeriChips, radio frequency microchips the size of a grain of rice, have already been used to identify wayward pets and livestock. And nearly 200 people working in Mexico's attorney general's office have been implanted with chips to control access to secure areas containing sensitive documents.
Applied Digital Solutions (ADSX) of Delray Beach, Fla., in July asked the FDA for approval to use the implantable chip for medical uses in the United States. The agency had 60 days to reply.
In morning trading Wednesday, Applied Digital shares were up 92 cents at $3.04 on the Nasdaq Stock Market — near the middle of their 52-week range of $1.94 to $5.
It's the first time the FDA has approved the use of the device, though in Mexico, more than 1,000 scannable chips have been implanted. The chip's serial number pulls up the patients' blood type and other medical information.
With the pinch of a syringe, the microchip is inserted under the skin in a procedure that takes less than 20 minutes and leaves no stitches.
Silently and invisibly, the dormant chip stores a code — similar to the identifying UPC code on products sold in retail stores — that releases patient-specific information when a scanner passes over the chip.
At the doctor's office those codes stamped onto chips, once scanned, would reveal such information as a patient's allergies and prior treatments.
The FDA in October 2002 said that the agency would regulate health care applications possible through VeriChip. Meanwhile, the chip has been used for a number of security-related tasks as well as for pure whimsy: Club hoppers in Barcelona, Spain, now use the microchip much like a smartcard to speed drink orders and payment.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-10-13-human-microchips_x.htm