Yahoo! News - FDA: Chip Implant Can Be Used to Get Health Records
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A computer chip that is implanted under the skin won U.S. approval on Wednesday for use in helping doctors quickly access a patient's medical history.

The VeriChip, sold by Applied Digital Solutions Inc., is placed in the upper arm in a painless procedure that takes minutes, the company said.

About the size of a grain of rice, the chip contains a patient's identification number that corresponds to health information in a computer database.

A handheld scanner can retrieve the patient's number from the chip, which emits radio waves when activated.

Proponents hope doctors will use the technology to find vital information about someone who is unconscious or having trouble communicating. The database could include details such as medication use, allergies and major health problems.

The database could include ALL kinds of details about you. Why do I get such a bad, creepy feeling when I read things like this?