VeriChip is working with Digital Angel to develop an, "implantable glucose microchip to determine glucose levels in the
bodies of animals and humans, removing the need for diabetics to draw
blood regularly to monitor their blood glucose level." (Press release) The goal is to develop a chip that can be implanted for up to 6 months. The project will be run by a committee made up of 6 folks from both companies - many from senior management.
patent award in October 2006, we are positioned to begin development of
a glucose microchip, which has the potential to revolutionize the way
people with diabetes live and the medical care they receive. There
are estimated to be hundreds of millions of people around the world
living with diabetes, many of whom are not compliant with their care
regimens due in large part to the discomfort and inconvenience of
pricking their fingers numerous times per day. This chip could provide a painless way to quickly and accurately scan blood glucose levels to an external reader.
...
Theimplantable bio-sensor chip will have a passive transponder, a sensor
and integrated circuitry that could allow anyone implanted with the
microchip to painlessly scan it to determine their blood glucose
concentration. The RFID microchip would then quickly and accurately
transmit the glucose data back to a wireless scanner that displays the
glucose level. The RFID microchip will be powered by the scanner
signal, avoiding the need for a battery in the microchip.
The patent, No. 7,125,382 was granted on October 24, 2006 and is titled "Embedded Bio-Sensor System."
So they've got a patent, but the press release gives the impression they're shopping for technology to have, you know, a product they can sell. Of course such an implantable sensor could be revolutionary, provided it costs the same or less than current methods and only needs to be replaced twice a year - that would be truly disruptive.
In other news, VeriChip reports that they've sold their 1,300th infant abduction system.
This is led by systems sold under the HUGS brand. In the first quarter
of 2007, the number of infant protection systems sold by VeriChip
increased 14%, while the number of infant protection systems sold to
new customers increased 28% (compared to the first quarter of 2006).
VeriChip's infant protection systems are designed prevent infant
abductions and inadvertent child mismatchings.
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