Implantable Biochip Becoming a Reality

Filed in archive Diagnostics , Studies on August 3, 2007

And you thought such kinds of stuff are only happening in the movies?

Not anymore.

Actually, an implantable biochip that could relay vital health information if a soldier is wounded in battle or a civilian is hurt in an accident is already under development in the Center for Bioelectronics, Biosensors and Biochips (C3B) at Clemson University.

The undertaking was made possible by a $1.6 million grant for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

[The biochip, about the size of a grain of rice, could measure and relay such information as lactate and glucose levels in the event of a major hemorrhage, whether on the battlefield, at home or on the highway.]

According to Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, C3B director and Dow Chemical Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and professor of bioengineering:

"...first responders to the trauma scene could inject the biochip into the wounded victim and gather data almost immediately.

The device has other long-term potential applications, such as monitoring astronauts' vital signs during long-duration space flights and reading blood-sugar levels for diabetics."

Yes, it is starting to become a reality. Well, if put to really good use, why not? But admittedly, this is kind of scary, don't you think?

Find more details from the full report.

[In photo: Implantable biochip, about the size of a grain of rice. (Credit: Image courtesy of Clemson University)]