Researchers Test Tooth-Mounted Sensor-Enabled Chips (go.com) 28
Researchers at Tufts University are testing tooth-mounted RFID chips which sense and transmit data on what goes in your mouth. ABC News reports:
The sensors looks like custom microchips stuck to the tooth. They are flexible, tiny squares -- ranging from 4 mm by 4 mm to an even smaller size of about 2 mm by 2 mm -- that are applied directly to human teeth. Each one has three active layers made of titanium and gold, with a middle layer of either silk fibers or water-based gels. In small-scale studies, four human volunteers wore sensors, which had silk as the middle "detector" layer, on their teeth and swished liquids around in their mouths to see if the sensors would function. The researchers were testing for sugar and for alcohol.
The tiny squares successfully sent wireless signals to tablets and cell phone devices. In one of their first experiments, the chip could tell the difference between solutions of purified water, artificial saliva, 50 percent alcohol and wood alcohol. It would then wirelessly signal to a nearby receiver via radiofrequency, similar to how EZ Passes work. They demonstrated that different concentrations of glucose, a type of sugar, could be distinguished, even in liquids that had sugar concentrations like those found in fruit drinks.
The tiny squares successfully sent wireless signals to tablets and cell phone devices. In one of their first experiments, the chip could tell the difference between solutions of purified water, artificial saliva, 50 percent alcohol and wood alcohol. It would then wirelessly signal to a nearby receiver via radiofrequency, similar to how EZ Passes work. They demonstrated that different concentrations of glucose, a type of sugar, could be distinguished, even in liquids that had sugar concentrations like those found in fruit drinks.
Future insurance requirement. (Score:2)
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And if you choose to get the implant, we reserve the right to double your health insurance premium once we discover all the crap you're eating.
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I think you've got it wrong...
"You can get this great discount on your health insurance if you get this implant!"
(Meanwhile, we're doubling the base rate.)
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That's just the usual insurance gambit when you create laws that are supposed to keep them from putting people at a disadvantage. We're not disadvantaging anyone. But we do give discounts to certain people who do what we want. And yes, we had to triple our base premium, inflation, ya know...
Reminds me of an old joke (Score:3)
Dunno if I recall it properly, and it is a bit dated: Three businessmen are eating lunch. One starts talking to someone who doesn't appear to be there. He explains to his lunch partners that his company put a telephone in his teeth, it merely taps them in the right sequence to make a call and then an ear implant allows him to hear the other end. Another of the businessman shakes his head and then starts talking. Explains to his lunch partners that his company had a telephone installed in his head, he mere needs to nod and bob to dial and answer calls. The last businessman, feeling somewhat behind the technology curve, lets out a rip roaring fart. He then explains to his lunch partners that he must visit the men's room because a FAX has just come in.
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Nice
Instead of sugars or alcohol, test for roughies. (Score:2)
Instead of sugars or alcohol, test for roughies.
Test for what *I* care about, not what insurance companies care about.
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I thought "roughies" must be the opposite of "smoothies".
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It's been done -- nail polish that changes color in the form of Rohypnol...
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/s... [cosmopolitan.com]
sugar fix (Score:4, Funny)
But does it report back to the CIA? (Score:2)
Too fragile (Score:2)
They break too easily.
At least when I get forced to have one, I can be pretty creative.