Microchips implanted in humans serve several purposes today, from tracking blood sugar levels in real time to unlocking doors with a wave of your hand. Some are already FDA-regulated medical devices, while others sit in the hobbyist “biohacking” space. The technology is still relatively niche, but the range of applications is broader than most people expect.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring
The most mainstream medical use of an implantable microchip right now is continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes. The Eversense system, cleared by the FDA, places a small sensor under the skin of your upper arm. It measures glucose levels continuously and sends readings to your phone. The latest version, the Eversense E3, can stay in place for up to 180 days before needing replacement. Earlier versions lasted only 90 days. For people who previously relied on finger pricks multiple times a day, this kind of implant removes a significant daily burden.
Automated Drug Delivery
One of the more striking applications is using a microchip to release precise doses of medication inside your body on a programmed schedule. In 2012, researchers completed the first human trial of a wirelessly controlled drug delivery microchip. Eight postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had small devices implanted that released daily doses of a bone-building hormone over 20 days. The drug normally requires a daily injection, and many patients struggle to keep up with that routine. The implanted chip delivered doses with consistency comparable to injections, and with less variation between doses.
A wireless programmer communicated with the implant to set the dosing schedule and confirm the device was working correctly. The vision behind this technology extends well beyond osteoporosis. Conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, where medication doses need frequent adjustment, could eventually benefit from implants that fine-tune delivery automatically based on real-time sensor data.
Brain-Computer Interfaces
Microchips placed on or in the brain represent the most ambitious category. These brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) read electrical signals from neurons and translate them into commands that can control a computer cursor, a robotic arm, or other devices. The primary goal is restoring lost function: helping people with paralysis, spinal cord injuries, ALS, or stroke regain the ability to move, communicate, or even see.
Newer generations of these implants are pushing toward higher resolution, meaning they can read signals from more neurons simultaneously and with greater precision. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a chip designed to work in both the motor cortex (which controls movement) and the visual cortex (which processes sight), expanding potential applications to include restoring vision in people with certain types of blindness. These devices also show promise for monitoring and managing epilepsy by detecting seizure activity directly at its source.
Identity, Access, and Payments
Outside the medical world, thousands of people have had small RFID or NFC chips injected under the skin of their hand, typically in the webbing between the thumb and index finger. These are the same types of chips found in contactless payment cards and key fobs, just miniaturized into a glass capsule about the size of a grain of rice.
What they do is straightforward: unlock doors, start cars, log into computers, and make contactless payments. Some people store medical information or vaccination records on them, essentially carrying a digital ID that can’t be lost or forgotten. The FDA classified implantable RFID transponders for patient identification as Class II medical devices back in 2004, meaning manufacturers can bring them to market by following specific safety guidelines without going through the full premarket approval process.
Internal Biosensors
A growing category of implantable chips focuses on tracking what’s happening inside your body over long periods. Injectable biometric sensors can measure heart-related signals, body temperature, and blood flow patterns from within. Some experimental devices use tiny accelerometers to detect the mechanical motion of each heartbeat, which reveals information about heart rate, blood pressure, and how forcefully the heart is contracting. Others use ultrasonic technology to monitor specific structures, like detecting leaks in replacement aortic valves, without requiring repeated imaging appointments.
The advantage over wearable devices like smartwatches is access. A sensor under the skin or near an organ picks up signals that external devices simply can’t reach with the same accuracy. For people with chronic heart conditions or those recovering from cardiac procedures, implantable sensors could replace frequent clinic visits with continuous remote monitoring.
Safety and Physical Risks
The most common concerns about implanted microchips are MRI safety, migration (the chip moving from where it was placed), and infection. Testing on the VeriChip, the first FDA-cleared implantable RFID tag, showed it was safe in MRI machines up to 7 Tesla, which is more powerful than the 1.5T or 3T scanners used in most hospitals. No adverse effects were found in testing, though the manufacturer recommended continuous monitoring during scans and advised against scanning sedated patients with the implant.
Physical forces from MRI magnets acting on the chips measured well below safety thresholds, at less than 1 Newton per kilogram, far under the 9.8 N/kg limit set by testing standards. At that level, you wouldn’t feel the chip move. The main imaging issue is minor: the chip can create a small blank spot or distortion on MRI images right next to where it sits, which could obscure nearby tissue in that specific area.
Infection risk is similar to any minor procedure involving a needle or small incision. For medical-grade implants placed by clinicians, infection rates are low. The biohacking community, where chips are sometimes implanted by piercing professionals rather than doctors, carries somewhat higher risk depending on the sterility of the environment and aftercare.
Who Actually Gets Them
Medical implants like glucose monitors and brain-computer interfaces are placed by surgeons or specialists, and you’d typically be referred to one through your existing care team. These serve a clear clinical need and are covered, at least partially, by insurance in many cases.
RFID and NFC chips for personal use are a different story. Most people who get them are technology enthusiasts or “biohackers” who purchase kits from specialty companies. The chips are injected using a large-gauge needle, similar to the process for microchipping a pet. The procedure takes seconds, and the chips are designed to be inert, meaning they don’t have batteries, don’t emit signals on their own, and only activate when scanned by a reader held close to the skin.
Adoption remains small. Estimates vary, but tens of thousands of people worldwide have voluntary RFID implants, with Sweden and the broader tech community being early adopters. The technology is functional but still far from mainstream, limited partly by the lack of universal standards and partly by the simple fact that most people aren’t yet willing to put a chip under their skin for convenience alone.