The first computer chip was invented in 1958.
The computer chip was invented in 1958 by Jack Kilby, a new hire at Texas Instruments. Kilby was given a project to complete on some of Texas Instruments new miniature-sized electrical circuits. He found the directions given to him by Texas Instruments to be insufficient to complete the project, so he used the materials provided and invented his own version, inventing the first computer chip. Since then, the computer chip has been used in a variety of products, serving many different purposes.
Medical Records for Humans
The VeriChip is implanted beneath the skin on a person's arm.
In 2004, the FDA approved the use of a tiny computer chip, the VeriChip, for the use of keeping medical history in a chip inserted underneath the skin of a person's arm. This chip, no bigger than the size of a grain of rice, would speed up medical personnel's ability to access medical history by running a scan over the area of the chip. According to David Ellis of the Michigan Electronic Medical Records Initiative, the future of medical technology lies in products like the VeriChip to make access to and transfer of medical records simpler and faster. The use of this chip ensures that patients that have to go to various medical facilities won't show up only to find out their medical records never made it to the facility in time for their appointment. As of late 2004, chip implantation was expected to cost $150 to 200 per person. Concerns have been raised about the potential violation of patients' privacy due to the use of the VeriChip.
Cell Phones
A new computer chip increases the energy of a cell phone.
Early 2009 welcomed the creation of a microchip that ran seven times faster than the fastest technology and saved 30 times the amount of electricity. A combined team of computer technologists from the United States and Singapore developed the cutting-edge technology, called PCMOS (pronounced pee-cee-moss). Many computer chips are general purpose micro-processors. These types of chips provide the power for personal computers and laptops. PCMOS is what's known as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). ASIC chips are used for a particular purpose, such as MRI scanners, automobiles, electronic toys and cell phones. According to "Science Blog," the implementation of PCMOS can mean the difference between charging your cell phone once every few weeks and once every few days.
Safety For Dogs
A microchip can assist with the safe return of your lost dog.
Microchips for dogs are used for pet safety and identification. Two companies make the microchip for pet use and have both created universal equipment so scanners from either company can identify a pet with the other company's chip. The microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice, contains an identification code assigned to the dog and inserted underneath the dog's skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip for pets is part of a three-part system: microchip, scanner and database. The scanner uses electromagnetic energy to receive messages from the microchip. The database holds all the pet's information that is entered when he has his microchip inserted and assigned his own identification number.
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