Remote-Controlled Medication Delivery Via Chip Implant

The field of medical implants hit a new milestone today with the successful implementation of remote-controlled chips that can be implanted and programmed to release medication. With this type of implementation, the idea is that doctors will be able to monitor and moderate dosage remotely with a push of a button.

The study was done on women with severe bone-thinning osteoporosis, a condition that required patients to frequently administer shots of medication. Due to the daily injections, many patients had a tendency to quit the regimen due to the hassle of daily shots. With the implanted chip, this issue can be alleviated.

Eight women with the condition in Denmark were implanted with the chip just below their waistlines. Only one implant was found unresponsive to signals, while the other seven were ready to automatically emit a once-a-day dose of medication.

The medication did not begin until eight weeks later after the scar tissue that typically envelops implants formed. Once the scar tissue formed, the 20 once-a-day doses began and results so far have shown that the implants delivered the medication as successfully has traditional daily injections. A larger scale testing is planned for 2014.

[via USAToday]