| From: | shadowrn@*********.com (Richard Tomasso) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Getting Chipped |
| Date: | Fri Apr 26 09:00:01 2002 |
Digital Angel is making its debut this week. I can definitely see something
like this being very popular in a cyberpunk world.
Monday April 22, 827 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE Applied Digital Solutions
VeriChip's National Rollout Begins in Palm Beach County, Florida
Jacobs Family to ``Get Chipped'' May 10, 2002
Local hospitals and physicians to participate in initial rollout of
VeriChip(TM) and the GVS Registry
PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2002-- Sales and
registration of VeriChip to begin May 13, 2002
Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq ADSX - news), an advanced
technology development company, announced today that the Jacobs
family will be the first in the world to ``get chipped''(TM) with VeriChip's
personal verification microchip.
The historic ``chipping'' procedure will take place in the first
Authorized VeriChip Center in Palm Beach County, Florida, on May 10, 2002.
VeriChip is a miniaturized, implantable, radio frequency
identification device (RFID) that can be used in a variety of security,
emergency and healthcare applications. On April 4, 2002, the company
announced that it had received written guidance that the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) does not consider VeriChip's personal verification
device to be a regulated medical device, enabling the company to begin
sales, marketing and distribution of VeriChip in the United States. The
company believes its first-mover advantage will enable it to gain
significant market share in the emergency information and verification
market that is estimated to exceed $15 billion.
Each VeriChip is composed of FDA-accepted materials and contains a
unique verification number that can seamlessly integrate to the Global
VeriChip Subscriber (GVS) Registry. This Registry program will enable
VeriChip subscribers to store pertinent personal verification and healthcare
information in the company's secure database. The GVS Registry is hosted
and maintained by Digital Angel Corporation's (Amex DOC - news)
state-of-the-art, FDA-compliant operations center in Owings, Maryland.
Information provided by the subscriber will be stored in the GVS
Registry database. Only information authorized by the subscriber will be
available for access via VeriChip's proprietary scanner. Instant access to
such vital information as allergies to medications, medical device implants,
pre-existing medical conditions and emergency contact numbers could save
lives in an emergency and enhance the peace of mind of subscribers and their
loved ones.
VeriChip System Affiliates such as hospitals, healthcare clinics,
search and rescue units, and EMTs will be able to use proprietary VeriChip
scanners to read a subscriber's VeriChip and gain access to the
subscriber's Registry information if authorized to do so by the
subscriber.
Scott R. Silverman, President of Applied Digital Solutions, first
announced the May 10, 2002, event during a recent interview on MSNBC
and said ``On May 10th we'll make history with the first-ever `chipping'
procedure and the launch of VeriChip and the GVS Registry into the
U.S. market. We're delighted that we've been able to bring
VeriChip's life-enhancing technology to market in record time. We announced
VeriChip less than six months ago and now we're about to launch the product
into the U.S. market.''
Silverman continued ``We're very pleased with the excellent
cooperation and excitement we've received from the healthcare community in
Palm Beach County. The active involvement of VeriChip System Affiliates
like hospitals and EMS units who will use VeriChip proprietary scanners and
link into the GVS Registry is critical. In addition, we've identified a
well-respected medical practice in Palm Beach County to become the first
Authorized VeriChip Center. In conjunction with this Center, we're
launching the first ChipMobile(TM) - a state of the art, medically equipped
mobile unit that will deliver VeriChip to initial target markets such as
elder care centers, critical care facilities and Generation Y events. This
initial rollout in Palm Beach County will last until June 30, 2002, at which
time we will explore other geographic market opportunities and nationwide
distributor alliance programs.''
The historic chipping procedure on May 10th will be followed by a
press conference and an invitation-only brunch for business partners and
community leaders. During the press conference and the business
brunch, Applied Digital executives will unveil more details about VeriChip's
rollout plans.
About VeriChip(TM)
VeriChip, first announced on December 19, 2001, is a miniaturized,
implantable, radio frequency identification device (RFID) that can be
used in a variety of security, emergency and healthcare applications. On
April 4, 2002, the company announced that it had received written guidance
that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider
VeriChip's personal verification device to be a regulated medical device,
enabling the company to begin sales, marketing and distribution of VeriChip
in the United States.
About the size of a grain of rice, each VeriChip is composed of
FDA-accepted materials and contains a unique verification number.
That number is captured by briefly passing a proprietary, external scanner
over the VeriChip. A small amount of radio frequency energy passes through
the skin energizing the dormant VeriChip, which then emits a radio frequency
signal transmitting the verification number. VeriChip Corpor ation is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions.
About Digital Angel Corporation Digital Angel Corporation (Amex DOC -
news) was formed on March 27, 2002, in a merger between Digital Angel
Corporation and Medical Advisory Systems, a global leader in
telemedicine that has operated a 24/7, physician-staffed call center in
Owings, Maryland, for two decades. Prior to the merger, Digital Angel
Corporation was a wholly owned subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions.
Digital Angel(TM) technology represents the first-ever combination of
advanced biosensors and Web-enabled wireless telecommunications linked to
the Global Positioning System (GPS).
By utilizing advanced biosensor capabilities, Digital Angel will be
able to monitor key body functions - such as temperature and pulse - and
transmit that data, along with accurate emergency location information , to
a ground station or monitoring facility. For more information about Digital
Angel, visit www.digitalangel.net.
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