Slashdot Mirror
Researchers Test Tooth-Mounted Sensor-Enabled Chips (go.com)
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.
"We're not saying you HAVE to have this implant so we can monitor all of your intake, we're just saying that your health insurance will double if you don't"
J
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.
It seems strangely appropriate that with this sensor in place you'd have to snort your sugar to get a fix without getting caught.