Ex-N.J. surgeon offers himself for experiment

Friday, December 21, 2001

The Associated Press
from The Record

NEWARK -- The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center have spurred a former surgeon from New Jersey to turn himself into a human guinea pig.

Five days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Richard Seelig spent about five minutes implanting two "Verichips" -- each no larger than a small breath mint -- below the skin of his right forearm and right hip.

Seelig, who works for the Florida company that developed the chips, said he was moved to action after hearing tales of rescue workers scrawling their names and Social Security numbers onto themselves. The Montville resident had a medical practice in Denville for many years before his medical license lapsed in June 1999.

Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, Fla., touts its chips as a "tamper-proof" identification system. They contain radio transmitters and about two paragraphs of information, and the data can be scanned from up to 4 feet away with a proprietary wand that activates the transmitter.

Company officials said the chips are under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They are intended to give doctors details about manufacturers, settings, and implant dates of medical devices, such as pacemakers.

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