FDA Approves Implantable RFID for Patients

anzha writes "It seems that the FDA has approved an RFID tag for use in patients. The idea being that the rice grain sized chip would be implanted and scanned for patient history and updates. It seems that a similar chip was used by the Mexican government for employees that work with sensitive documents. IDK about you, but this seems a to me little...creepy."

Re:Cashless society.. coming right up.

[nz_mincemeat]

First it was UPC barcodes. Now RFID...

Not that I don't believe something like this will eventually happen, but I think whatever "mark" it is, will come in a much more pervasive and subtle form - definitely embedded into your body though. Perhaps your own DNA is already enough information for this sort of thing...

Re:What The Hell?

[IchBinEinPenguin]

I know what's on the bracelet 'cos I can read it.
I know who else is reading my bracelet 'cos they're standing right next to me.
I can remove the bracelet when I go home.

Re:Patents and security?

[erick99]

The implant only has a key that can unlock your records within the doctor's office database or the hospital. The RFID tag itself does not contain any medical records. The tag also acts as the equivalent of a UPC code. This might reduce or eliminate the kind of errors where you are thought to be patient B who is getting a leg amputated where you are really patient Z getting your tonsils out. So, there are some fantastically good things that this technology achieves. The privacy concerns are valid but this kind of technology is going to come into use sooner or later so we might as well prepare for it in such a way that privacy issues are addressed up front and appropriately.

Re:Help!

[56ker]

IDK = I don't know. In fact you could have said "IDK what IDK means." ;)

Re:Cashless society.. coming right up.

[magarity]

He causes all ... to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads

RTFA:
A tiny computer chip approved Wednesday for implantation in a patient's arm

:/

Oh good god

[unicorn]

News flash.

Any hospital you've ever visited already has a unique ID (your SSN) linked to you.

Re:Death?

[Zonnald]

RFID is not the database. It is the userID for the data.

Re:Help!

[XaXXon]

By the way, I am not a lawyer, however, in my humble opntion, if I recall correctly, "I don't know" is bullshit. As far as I know.

In any event, hope this helps. Have a nice day. Be seein' you.

Re:Wallets and purses get lost in accidents

[EngMedic]

Speaking from experience, about the last thing i would care about on scene at a wreck bad enough to eject stuff from the vehicle is whether you're allergic to pennicillin or not. What i care about is making sure your neck doesn't move, you can actually breathe, and that you're not bleeding to death or going into shock. We can find out pertinent medical data later, once you're stable.

In the field, about the only thing we can do to you, as an EMT, anyway -- medics can push some drugs, but not ones that would cause an allergic reaction, especially on a MVA -- we'd probably just push saline to get some fluids back into you; but about the only thing an EMT can do to trigger an allergic reaction is use latex gloves. that's it. nobody's allergic to O2 or a leg splint or a cerebral-spine stabilization device.

And it's not like i want to be standing in the middle of the road with a reciever, poking at you and trying to recieve... what, your own personal bar code so i can radio that to the hospital? that's going to take far longer than is safe, for you bleeding to death on the pavement, and for me about to get hit by a damn rubbernecker.

Re:Cashless society.. coming right up.

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's not. The number 6 is
Line, space, line, space, space, space, space

The 'guide bars' are

Line, space, line.

Check out
http://www.av1611.org/666/barcode.html

Which says:
Is the number 666 "hidden" in the UPC barcode?

One of the most popular and shocking accusations concerning the number "666" is that the number "666" is quietly "hidden" in every UPC barcode. ...
Is the number 666 TRUTHFULLY "hidden" in the UPC barcode?

Technically, no it is not.

Here's the "technical" truth. . .

The number 6 and the three guard bars are NOT the same. They do "appear" to be identical, but they are different.

[snip the graphic]

Notice. The beginning and ending guard bars are "bar-space-bar" or "101" (the B in the above table). The middle guard bar is "space-bar-space-bar-space" or "01010" (the M in the above table). The number six is "1010000" (the 6 in the above table). Remember, technically a barcode number consists of seven units. The beginning and ending guard bars are only three units, and middle guard bar is only five units.

So, technically, from a computer's perspective the number "666" is NOT in the UPC barcode.

Welll, whoopdeedoo...

[Mac Degger]

Quite a number of bars in Europe already do this as a so-called 'VIP-treatment'; get an RFID implanted to pay for your drinks/entry (as in you get debited later on your bank account).

Re:Help!

[Loligo]

And in one swift movement, dry humor eludes both the responder AND a moderator...

-l