Darby Brignac Tech Briefing: RFID and Human Use

RFID: Radio-Frequency Identification
Uses Within the Human Body

Serves same purpose as a bar code or a magnetic strip on the back of a credit card
Must be scanned to retrieve the information
Consists of 3 parts:
1. Scanning antenna
2. Transceiver with a decoder to interpret the data
3. Transponder (RFID tag) that has been programmed with information

Can work up to 20 feet of the scanner
Used in cows, dogs, and humans
VeriChip: RFID tag implemented in humans
Intended for hospital and forensic use
Hospital Uses
Provides vital information in patients who can’t speak, remember, or lack consciousness
Cannot be lost, stolen, misplaced, or counterfeited, unlike traditional forms of identification
Forensic Uses
Tracks evidentiary items associated with crime scenes
Manages remains and evidentiary items without opening body bags
Prevents identification switching or detachment, unlike “toe tags”
Other Uses
Helps identify people in mass disasters

Common problems with RFID use:
Reader collision: Occurs when the signals from two or more readers overlap
Tag collision: Occurs when many tags are present in a small area
Other problems with RFIDs:
· RFID tags are difficult to remove since they are very small and well hidden.
· RFID devices are never meant to leave their network. Therefore, there are no global standards for implementation between RFID manufacturers.
Privacy issues:
The contents of an RFID tag can be read by any and all scanners, even when the item leaves the supply chain. These tags can be read from socially long distances. Even more, tags can be read without the carrier’s knowledge.

RFID, Radio-Frequency Identification, is a technology that has been around for nearly fifty years but has recently increased in popularity for a multitude of resources. RFID devices consist of the “tag” and the “scanner.” The tag consists of an antenna attached to a small chip that is capable of carrying up to 2,000 bytes of data. Like at the grocery store, the RFID scanner is able to “scan” the tag in order to retrieve the data. Because RFID technology can store more data than the bar code, many companies, like Gillette, provide RFID tags with their product.

Besides consumer products, RFID technology has been increasingly popular with identifying living bodies. For example, people can opt to place a tag within their pets. If they get lost, veterinarians are able to scan the pet for an address and return them to their rightful owners. However, recently, RFID technology has been approved to be used within humans. Though there are other uses, RFID devices are mostly intended for medical reasons. RFID tags quickly show healthcare professionals necessary and vital information about their patient, preventing unforeseen medical error. This is ideal for patients who have chronic illnesses, cannot speak, cannot remember, or lose consciousness. Since the tag is invisible to the naked eye, data cannot be stolen, misplaced, or counterfeited.

Like most emerging technologies, RFID devices for human identification still show a multitude of problems. Two common issues include reader collision, occurrence when signals from two or more readers overlap, and tag collision, occurrence when many tags are present within a small area. There are several potential issues. Because RFID tags are very small and unnoticeable, they are hard to remove. Since tags can be read at a distance, tags can be read without the person’s knowledge. On that note, tags can be read by any scanner that reads RFID tags because the tag itself cannot specialize or distinguish between readers.

In conclusion, RFID technology within the human body has many uses that are more ideal in certain cases more than others. As a plus, RFID tags provide fast, detailed data in emergency situations. However, there still is much concern over the regulation of these devices.