Implantable microchips are tiny electronic devices that are embedded in the human body for various purposes such as medical monitoring, identification, and tracking. These chips are made up of a few components, including a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, a power source, and an antenna. They can be inserted under the skin or implanted into the body, depending on the intended use. Implantable microchips have been the subject of controversy, with some people viewing them as a violation of privacy and others seeing them as a useful tool for medical purposes.
The use of implantable microchips in medical settings has gained significant attention in recent years. These chips can be used to monitor the health of patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease. For example, an implantable microchip could monitor a patient’s glucose levels and transmit that information to their doctor, allowing for more accurate and timely adjustments to their treatment plan. Similarly, a microchip could be used to monitor a patient’s heart rate or blood pressure, alerting doctors to potential issues before they become serious.
One of the benefits of implantable microchips is that they can help doctors and medical professionals track and manage patient care more efficiently. For example, if a patient is admitted to the hospital with an emergency, doctors can quickly access their medical records through the microchip, allowing them to make informed decisions about treatment. Additionally, the use of implantable microchips can help reduce errors and improve patient safety.
Another potential use for implantable microchips is for identification and tracking purposes. For example, some companies have started using these chips to track their employees’ movements and productivity. This has raised concerns about employee privacy, as well as potential misuse of the data collected by these chips. However, proponents argue that this technology could be used to improve workplace safety and efficiency.
There are also concerns about the security of implantable microchips. Because these chips can transmit information wirelessly, they are vulnerable to hacking and other cyber attacks. This could lead to sensitive medical information being leaked or used for malicious purposes. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential for government surveillance or misuse of data collected by these chips.
The use of implantable microchips is not without ethical and social implications. For example, some people argue that these chips are a violation of personal privacy and autonomy, as they allow for constant monitoring and tracking. Others argue that these chips could be used for nefarious purposes, such as government surveillance or corporate control. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential for discrimination based on the data collected by these chips, such as insurance companies using health data to deny coverage.
Despite these concerns, the use of implantable microchips is gaining popularity in certain industries. For example, some companies have started using these chips for employee identification and tracking purposes. Additionally, some medical professionals believe that implantable microchips could be a useful tool in improving patient care and safety.
There are also potential benefits to the wider use of implantable microchips. For example, these chips could be used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of disaster response efforts. In the aftermath of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, implantable microchips could be used to quickly identify and track victims, allowing for more efficient and effective rescue operations.
In conclusion, implantable microchips are a rapidly evolving technology with a wide range of potential uses. While there are concerns about the ethical and social implications of these chips, they also offer significant benefits in terms of improving medical care, workplace safety, and disaster response. As this technology continues to develop, it will be important to carefully consider these implications and work to ensure that the use of implantable microchips is responsible and ethical.
Types of Implantable Microchips
There are basically 3 types of implants
- Brain implant – Brain implants, also known as Neural implants, are modern gadgets that are directly connected to the brains of biological subjects; they are typically implanted on the cortex or on the brain’s surface. Establishing a biomedical prosthesis that avoids brain regions that have become dysfunctional due to a stroke or other head injuries is a common goal of contemporary brain implants and the subject of much recent study.
- Skin implant – A skin implant is a prosthesis that is placed under the skin. There are two types of skin implants available. Namely :
1. Dermal implant (on the skin): Invisible transdermal patch
2. Subdermal implants (under the skin): Bioglass-coated NFC chip injected under the skin.
- Dental implant – A dental implant is a prosthesis that interfaces with the jawbone or skull to support a dental prosthesis, such as a crown, bridge, denture, or facial prosthesis, or to serve as an orthodontic anchor.
Advantages of Implantable Microchips
The widespread use of microchip technology has the potential to fundamentally alter the way that modern healthcare is delivered. The quality of life for patient populations will improve, therapeutic procedures will change, and wasteful costs amounting to billions of dollars will be saved. The position of microchips in medicine nowadays can be learned via a review of noteworthy patents, recent microchip developments, and clinically applicable uses, as well as by inspiring new research fields.There are many advantages of Implantable microchips. Few of these are mentioned below:
- Implantable microchips can be used as a transdermal drug delivery system in which we can alter the rate at which the drug gets delivered to the patient. Drugs with dose administration methods that would normally be difficult or undesirable might be administered passively. Treatments for conditions requiring dose titrations, such as diabetes and hypertension, could be transformed to produce automated therapy regimens that are both safer and more effective. This controlled-release technique, when utilised with implants, will lessen the possibility of foreign body reactions and rejection, which will lessen the possibility of inflammation and pain and enable the body to recover from surgery more quickly.
- Artificial glands could be made using microchip technology. Regulation of hormones in the body linked to malfunctioning glands may help control existing illness conditions and delay the advent of additional hormone-induced ailments.
- Treatments for conditions that typically have a reduced rate of compliance (mental illnesses, some cancer therapies, long-term antibiotics, etc.) or misuse potential will benefit from the adoption of microchip delivery systems.
- Implantable microchips are also used for digital identity. Using RFID, implantable microchips provide the individuals with a unique identity. This can be used to access a lot of things ranging from medical records to bank accounts.
- Other uses are in the form of address book, key cards, travel cards, credit cards, as well as for crypto transactions
Disadvantages of Implantable Microchips
The small chips’ supporters say that they are secure and largely immune to hacking, but experts are highlighting privacy issues because of the potential storage of sensitive personal health information. Not just security, but implantable microchips also have serious health hazards associated with them. How would you react if you got to know the small chip that you got injected under your skin, not just poses a threat to your social identity but might also kill you? Won’t you be scared? Here are some disadvantages of implantable microchips.
- Implantable microchips may result in infections that are potentially fatal due to faulty implantation procedures, implant rejections, or implant element degradation.
- They also pose a serious threat to your safety and security as just by hacking a small chip someone can get his hands on data that can be crucial for you. This data can be anything ranging from medical records to bank details.
- Veterinary and toxicological studies conducted between 1996 and 2006 show that dogs implanted with identification microchips occasionally developed cancerous tumours at the injection site and lab rodents injected with microchips as an incidental part of unrelated experiments occasionally developed cancerous tumours, according to anti-RFID advocate Katherine Albrecht, who refers to RFID devices as “spy chips” in a self-published report
- Governments could deploy invasive technology to establish a “Orwellian” digital dystopia. Self-determination, freedom of thought, and all other forms of personal autonomy would be utterly lost in such a society; people would effectively be digital slaves to the governments, businesses, or networks that controlled the microchipping technology.
