MARK OF THE BEAST ALERT
Medical milestone or privacy invasion? A tiny computer chip approved Wednesday for implantation in a patient's arm can speed vital information about a patient's medical history to doctors and hospitals. But critics warn that it could open new ways to imperil the confidentiality of medical records.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that Applied Digital Solutions of Delray Beach, Fla., could market the VeriChip, an implantable computer chip about the size of a grain of rice, for medical purposes.
The news pleased investors. On Wednesday, Applied Digital shares were up $1.45, or 68.4 percent, at $3.57 on the Nasdaq Stock Market - near the middle of their 52-week range of $1.94 to $5.
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 that releases patient-specific information when a scanner passes over it. MORE...
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that Applied Digital Solutions of Delray Beach, Fla., could market the VeriChip, an implantable computer chip about the size of a grain of rice, for medical purposes.
The news pleased investors. On Wednesday, Applied Digital shares were up $1.45, or 68.4 percent, at $3.57 on the Nasdaq Stock Market - near the middle of their 52-week range of $1.94 to $5.
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 that releases patient-specific information when a scanner passes over it. MORE...
<< Home