This is want the RFID microchip implant is for. To read the document online please see my scribd link here- http://www.scribd.com/doc/21222454/Larson-Report-Edit Dear Mr. Larson, I have asked some people at NIH for an informed opinion on your query and am pleased to transmit the following response. There are several parts to this inquiry, but basically the concern is the possibility that a clinical researcher could could implant a clinically undetectable (with standard imaging methods) probe without approval to do so. A second part is if NIH is considering this possibility. With regard to unapproved implantation, there is always the chance that a researcher could perform such an implant in conjunction with other clinical research activities without approval or without including this in the reviewed research protocols. Patient rights and informed consent are major concerns for clinical research, and the NIH requires stringent reviews of clinical procedures and on-site monitoring of clinical research for their funded grants. However, a knowledgeable researcher absolutely intent on implanting a sub-millimeter size probe may be able to find a way to do it during experimental activities. Information obtained in such a manner could not likely be published in a reputable journal, since the methodology would have to be part of the article, which makes it less tempting if the unethical clinician is seeking acclaim. Also, the fact that such work could not then be replicated by others would heighten the likelihood of scrutiny and ultimately, exposure as fraud. Is possible unethical research of concern to the NIH? Certainly. There is a Bioethics Office that explicitly deals with such issues, and the Office of Extramural Research coordinates clinical research requirements for NIH grantees for all the NIH research institutes and centers. On-site reviews of NIH-funded clinical research are conducted by NIH staff to evaluate compliance with patient rights issues and adherence to planned experimental protocols. The issue of unauthorized implants is one of many causes for concern in the general realm of unethical clinical research, and the NIH endeavors to deal with such issues before and during clinical investigations. By way of information, all micro devices that are capable of sending signals into or out of the body are readily detectable using relatively standard x-ray imaging methods. You are correct that we use extensive histological analysis to evaluate the tissue response to implanted micro devices. This is not because we cannot detect the devices using x-rays but because there is a need to do safety studies that involve detailed light and electron microscopic analysis of the tissue response at a cellular and subcellular level. The question of informed consent applies to all research involving human volunteers and is clearly one of increasing importance in light of recent shortcomings. Informed consent as outlined in the Belmont Report and subsequent guidelines as well as trust between the physician and human volunteers is essential for ethical research and should be a high priority at NIBIB as well as at the other institutes.