BBC - Family get implants

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BBC NEWS
Saturday, 11 May, 2002, 01:02 GMT 02:02 UK

US family gets health implants



The procedure takes less than 10 seconds

US doctors have implanted chips into the arms of a Florida family containing their medical histories in a controversial new programme that doctors hope may one day become standard practice.

The Jacobs family - Jeffrey, 48-years-old, Leslie, 46-years-old, and Derek their 14-year-old son - had the devices, about the same size as a grain of rice, implanted in a procedure that took only 10 seconds in a clinic in Boca Raton, Florida.



The Jacobs' son - Derek - heard about the VeriChip from a television programme

It is hoped the procedure could eventually replace medical alert bracelets and give medical personnel invaluable details into their patients' medical problems.

However the chips could also be used to contain personal information and even a global positioning device which could track a person's whereabouts, leading to fears the chip could be used for more sinister purposes.

Potential lifesaver?

Called the VeriChip, the technology is the creation of a Florida-based company called Applied Digital Solutions (ADS).

Using a handheld device, medical personnel can then feed the number into a web-based database that is maintained by ABS and contains more detailed information about any possible problems the implanted patient may have.

In the case of the Jacobs', the information would include Jeffrey's various medical problems, including a fused spine, a history of cancer and other serious medical problems, Reuters news agency reported.

'Great technology'

The family volunteered for the implant after Derek Jacobs heard about the chips on a television programme, the Associated Press news agency reported.

"I thought it was great technology and something that had the potential to save my father's life," he said.

"We hope it will become an emergency room protocol," his mother said later.

If they don't know your medical history, your drug allergies, they can do a lot of damage."

However at present no hospitals or medical establishments in the region carry the equipment that enables personnel to scan such implants.

ADS said that 13 out of 14 local hospitals approached have offered verbal agreements, although there has not yet been a formal hospital approval.

Ethical questions

The scheme has also attracted controversy as the chips can also be used to track individuals.

MedicAlert, an emergency medical identification company based in California, described the procedure as raising "serious medical, ethical and infrastructure questions".

"It simply is unnecessary to implant a device into a person's body when non-invasive, less expensive methods of protection exist," the company said in a statement.

However the Jacobs said that the scheme had enabled them to obtain peace of mind.

"Once my dad went to the emergency room was in so much pain he couldn't talk. My mum and I didn't know his whole medical history or even what medicines he was taking," Derek Jacobs said.



Critics are concerned the chip may be used to track individuals and violate human rights

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1981026.stm)

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Teen With Medical Microchip Dies in Florida

Oct 1 2006

Associated Press



BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - A teen engineering prodigy who gained national attention in 2002 when he and his family received identification chip implants on live television was killed in a motorcycle accident, authorities said.

Derek Jacobs, 18, lost control of his motorcycle early Saturday and crashed into a guardrail and a pole, the Palm Beach County sheriff's office said. He was wearing a helmet.

"It was just a crazy accident of a bump or something, and he was catapulted," said his mother, Leslie Jacobs. "He had, of course, potential, because he was brilliant, and he was just a wonderful son. He wanted to make a difference in the world."

Derek was set to get his engineering degree this year after only two years at Florida International University. He wanted to be a neurosurgeon, his mother said.

At age 12, Derek became certified by Microsoft as a systems engineer. He was qualified to run corporate computer networks.

Two years later, he and his family had identity chips implanted on live television. They were the first family to get VeriChip IDs, made by Applied Digital Solutions.

Derek pushed his parents to look into the chips as a way to help store medical information for his father, who suffered a host of health problems, including cancer.[/i]