Susceptibility of medically implanted chips to EMP

In summary, the medical industry is developing miniature implanted electronic devices for monitoring the body, delivering drugs, and tracking senile patients. However, there are concerns about the vulnerability of these devices to EMP, particularly in a nuclear attack. It is unclear if these devices can be disabled through EMP, and the size of the required capacitor and coil would depend on the size of the device. Other technologies may also cause EMP, and there is discussion about the potential use of these devices for tracking and administering medication. However, discussion of dangerous or illegal activities is not allowed.
  • #1
oz93666
174
29
The medical industry is starting to move towards miniature implanted electronic devices for monitoring the body, automatically delivering drugs to the body, and tracking senile patients.
rfid-chip-obamacare.png


My question is , aren't these vulnerable to EMP , In a nuclear attack patients would have their drug delivery system disabled.
Supposed you wanted to disable one of these in your body, could you generate a small EMP with a coil of wire next to the skin , and discharge a capacitor into it ? How big a capacitor and coil would you need?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
oz93666 said:
for monitoring the body, automatically delivering drugs to the body,
Do you have any references on plans for these specific applications? The RFID chip you show is used only for storing information.

oz93666 said:
In a nuclear attack patients would have their drug delivery system disabled.
In a nuclear attack a lot of stuff will be disabled.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
A.T. said:
In a nuclear attack a lot of stuff will be disabled.
That was my initial reaction as well, and I know that RFID's aren't currently used for anything of tremendous significance (ie: instantly fatal failure), but the thread does bring up an issue that I never even thought of before (to my chagrin). Whether caused by a nuclear blast or some other method, I suspect that a massive EMP could cause dismay to people with things like cardiac pacemakers, neural pacemakers (epilepsy control, etc.), insulin pumps... Are there any technologies other than nukes (like maybe Tokamak reactor containment systems or whatever) that might cause such a thing? It's far outside of my knowledge base, but now I'm curious.
 
  • #4
oz93666 said:
The medical industry is starting to move towards miniature implanted electronic devices for monitoring the body, automatically delivering drugs to the body, and tracking senile patients.
rfid-chip-obamacare.png


My question is , aren't these vulnerable to EMP , In a nuclear attack patients would have their drug delivery system disabled.
Supposed you wanted to disable one of these in your body, could you generate a small EMP with a coil of wire next to the skin , and discharge a capacitor into it ? How big a capacitor and coil would you need?

As already stated, that's the least of your worries in a nuclear attack.

Why would you want to "disable one of these in your body"?
 
  • #5
Sensitivity to EMP depends on size - small objects are much less vulnerable than larger objects. The human body provides some additional shielding.
I don't have numbers, but I would expect every nuclear explosion that can disable such a tiny device to be lethal to the body.

Disabling it through the skin might be possible, but without details of the object there is no way to get an estimate for the required device.
 
  • #6
Danger said:
Are there any technologies other than nukes (like maybe Tokamak reactor containment systems or whatever) that might cause such a thing? It's far outside of my knowledge base, but now I'm curious.

Yes... I'm not too sure how a A/H bomb generates an EMP . I think, in this case it's created by a massive release of charged particles , either +ve or -ve . I think high detonations can take out computers for hundreds of miles, with no damage to buildings. There are electronic weapons I think, using capacitors, that create small EMP that can reach out 100meters or so, It should be possible to construct a small device , is it just a case of discharging high voltage caps. into a coil? There's talk of putting these chips in senile people , to track where they go, stop them getting lost, deliver medication whether or not they want it, I wouldn't want that to happen to me. I wan't to know if it's possible to deactivate them.
 
  • #7
Discussion of dangerous or illegal activities is not allowed at the PF. Thread is closed for Moderation...
 

1. What is an EMP?

An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, is a burst of electromagnetic energy that can be emitted from natural sources, such as lightning, or man-made sources, such as nuclear explosions or electronic devices.

2. How do medically implanted chips work?

Medically implanted chips are small electronic devices that are placed under the skin and communicate with external devices, such as medical equipment or smartphones, to monitor and track various health information.

3. Are medically implanted chips susceptible to EMPs?

Yes, medically implanted chips can be susceptible to EMPs, as they are electronic devices that can be affected by strong electromagnetic fields.

4. What are the potential risks of EMPs on medically implanted chips?

The potential risks of EMPs on medically implanted chips include malfunction or damage to the chip, which can lead to inaccurate health readings or loss of communication with external devices. In extreme cases, an EMP may even cause the chip to stop working completely.

5. How can medically implanted chips be protected from EMPs?

There are a few measures that can be taken to protect medically implanted chips from EMPs, such as using shielding materials, limiting exposure to high electromagnetic fields, and implementing backup systems in case of chip failure. Further research is also being conducted to develop more resilient and EMP-resistant chips.

Similar threads

Replies
4
Views
8K
Back
Top