Implantable Chip Holds Link to Patient Data

An implantable microchip with an identifying number is designed to ensure easy access to secure patient health information by enabling healthcare providers to retrieve patient information, such as blood type, stored in computers. The chip has been cleared for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Called VeriChip, the chip is an implantable radiofrequency identification (RFID) microchip with a microtransponder, an inserter, a proprietary handheld scanner, and a secure database containing the patient-approved health information. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted under the skin in a brief outpatient procedure, and cannot be seen with the human eye.

Each chip contains a unique 16-digit verification number that is captured by passing the scanner over the insertion site. This number links to the database via encrypted Internet access. The stored information is then conveyed via the Internet to the registered requesting healthcare provider. The technology has been licensed to VeriChip Corp., a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions (Delray Beach, FL, USA).


Related Links:
VeriChip