6 examples of how technology is changing our body

Today they have lost their original meaning and are used to decorate the body. At the same time, with the development of technology, new options for body modifications have appeared, which are often hidden from view, but have useful functions. We are talking about chips and devices implanted into the body.

Cochlear implant

A cochlear implant allows people with severe hearing impairments to distinguish between sounds, voices and speech. The device consists of several elements. A chain of electrodes is implanted into the ear cochlea, a receiver and a signal decoder are implanted subcutaneously, and a microphone, transmitter and microprocessor are attached to the surface of the head. This gives the patient, almost completely deaf, a chance to get it back.

Chip medical card

In 2004, the United States applied VeriChip microchips for medical purposes. A device the size of a grain of rice allows you to confirm the identity of the patient, as well as to find out his blood type, allergies or chronic diseases.

The chip is placed under the skin in the shoulder area. It contains a code that, when read, opens access to a person's medical history on a computer. This implant could save his life if doctors find him unconscious. The chip is also useful for older people with dementia.

Chip for the introduction of medications

This technology is Microchips in Medicine: Current and Future Applications of the present as well as the near future. It is based on the implantation of a microchip under the skin, which contains a reservoir with the drug and injects the drug into the patient's body according to the schedule established by the program.

The devices have been successfully tested on rats, and in 2012, satisfactory results were obtained from the first First-in-Human Testing of a Wirelessly Controlled Drug Delivery Microchip of such microchips in humans. Now scientists continue to research and improve devices. The technology could be widely adopted in patients with diabetes. In the meantime, there are only insulin pumps that inject the drug at the desired frequency. But these are not implantable devices: the needle is attached to the body, and the reservoir and transmitter must be carried with you.

Chip key

If previous devices are related to medicine and have indications for implantation, then people can implant chips for household use at will.

One of the first experimenters was the American Amal Graafstra. In 2005, with the help of doctors, he placed a small chip under the skin of his left hand. In parallel with this, the man changed the locks in the house and car to electronic ones. By programming the subcutaneous device, the guy was able to open the doors with a wave of his hand. In the same way, he gained access to his office.

Graafstra was satisfied with his own and already in 2013 founded the company for the production of technological implants Dangerous Things. Just a year later, the biohacker developed the world's first implantable NFC transmitter.

Modern chips use RFID and NFC wireless technologies. They do not require nutrition and are similar in other technical aspects, but there are differences. In a device with NFC, you can "sew" more functions: contactless payment, transfer of medical or personal data. And RFID chips are leading in terms of range, which is convenient when opening doors, controlling a smart home or other systems. Manufacturers, as a rule, offer both types, and the buyer already chooses the right one, focusing on their needs.

Chip pass

In 2015, a Russian guy got a chip from a Troika card in his hand, and in 2017 this example was followed by a resident of Australia and also a subcutaneous travel card. All this in order not to take the card with you once again. You can replenish the travel card using contactless payment terminals. It is only unclear what to do in case of a system update or chip malfunction.

This problem can be solved if the implantation of devices is supported by transport companies. For example, Sweden's largest rail carrier already has passengers using chips instead of train tickets.

Mind reading system

The technology of the future in 2019 Elon Musk. The system of the American company Neuralink consists of the finest "threads" with electrodes. Once implanted in the human brain, they must transmit thoughts to a miniature device located behind the ear, and from there to a computer or phone. So the developers hope to give the opportunity to paralyzed people to write text messages and flip through sites on the Internet.

So far, only carried out on rabbits, the test results have been satisfactory. For human studies, companies need FDA approval.