Safety

Are our Flex and x-Series implants MRI-compatible?

Yes. Our x-Series transponders – e.g. xEM (125 kHz), xM1 or xNT (13.56 MHz) – have already been successfully tested multiple times in MRI scanners with 1 T, 1.5 T and 3 T.

There may be minor image distortions around the implant, but:

❌ The implant does not get hot
❌ It is not pulled out
❌ And it does not explode

Why does the implant not react to MRI?

The key point is ferromagnetism. Materials that react strongly to magnetic fields can be problematic in MRI – for example certain iron-containing or ferromagnetic metals.

Our microchip implants do not contain a ferromagnetic core and also do not contain a ferro or ferrite core, as found in some technical components. They essentially consist of a small chip, an antenna and a biocompatible encapsulation.

That is why they are not attracted by the MRI magnetic field, do not move within the tissue and are also not destroyed by a standard MRI examination.

What applies to Flex implants like NxtPay-Infinity?

Our flat Flex implants, which include the NxtPay-Infinity, are particularly unproblematic. These implants also contain no ferromagnetic core and do not react to MRI magnetic fields.

Clinical MRI scanners usually operate at 1.5 or 3 Tesla. Within this range, there is no risk that a flat, non-ferromagnetic Flex implant will be attracted, damaged or dangerously heated.

In short: MRI is unproblematic with our microchip implants, especially with Flex implants such as the NxtPay-Infinity.

What actually happens during MRI?

Important to know: Strictly speaking, nothing happens during MRI. The metal content of our x-Series is so low and non-ferromagnetic that there is no relevant reaction with the magnetic field.

The only practical limitation concerns the imaging itself: if the scan is performed exactly on the body area where the implant is located, the image directly around the implant may appear blurred or distorted. If this exact image area is medically critical, it may make sense in rare special cases to remove the implant beforehand.

For all other MRI examinations, the implant is not a problem.

Tested and documented

If you are unsure because of a planned MRI: Our implants have been tested and certified up to 7 Tesla (tested up to 14 Tesla). You can download the corresponding safety document here or request it from us.

You can find a clear real-world test in MythBusters – Season 5, Episode 19 . In this episode, a 134 kHz VeriChip was implanted in pork and in Kari Byron and then scanned in an MRI machine. Result: no danger, only minor image distortion.

Also scientifically documented: This study on PubMed shows that RFID transponders continue to function without problems after 3 T MRI scans:
“Functionality of veterinary identification microchips following low-field (0.5 tesla) and high-field (3 tesla) magnetic resonance imaging”

🔎 You can find further information on MRIsafety.com regarding the VeriChip – technically very similar to our x-Series.

BREAKING TEST UP TO 500N (AT THE LIMIT OF THE TEST MACHINE)

One of the biggest concerns we hear about implants is "What if it breaks?". An understandable question. However, before an implant breaks, bones are more likely to break or tendons to tear. So if there is a lot of pressure on the hand in an accident, the least of your worries should be the clean, sterile implant.

Doctors sometimes even recommend that the implant simply remains under the skin, as it would be more damaging to the tissue if it were removed.

Nevertheless, we decided to push the boundaries to understand how much pressure an implant breaks when it is in the tissue. We decided to carry out three tests:

an implant that is currently on the metal test plate
an implant within two layers of silicone with a similar degree of hardness to human tissue
an implant in 15 different places in several pieces of raw chicken

The "naked" implant, which lay on the metal test plate, broke almost immediately (no wonder). The real surprise was the silicone and tissue tests. Even with a lab-quality crusher that reached 500 Newtons of force, we could not break a single implant that was in silicone or tissue. We even placed markers on chicken bones to see if proximity to bone would cause problems, and still we couldn't get any to break.

Why this stability? Well, the fact is that tissue (or silicone analogue to tissue) stretches, absorbs shocks and generally gives way before the pressure on the glass approaches the breaking point. So bones are more likely to break or tissue to rupture than an implant. And if that were the case, the implant should be the least of your worries.

COLD TEST

We wanted to find out whether the implants could survive the freezing process both structurally and functionally. To do this, we placed an implant in a canister of liquid nitrogen, left it for a few seconds, then removed it and tested it immediately.

Not only was the glass of the implant intact, but the xNT could be read with an NFC smartphone and the data on it was unchanged. So, no problems due to low temperatures.

VACUUM TEST UP TO 0.42 MBAR

In this test, we place an xNT implant in a special laboratory-grade multiphase vacuum freezer and lower the pressure to 0.42 mBar, which corresponds to an extremely high vacuum.

For reference, Mount Everest is 8,848 meters high, and the pressure at the summit is around 300 mBar. To get anywhere near the kind of pressure/vacuum we achieve in the vacuum test, you would have to go into Earth orbit without a space suit.
Even at an altitude of 48 kilometers, the pressure is still around 1.3 mBar. So we believe that our X-Series tags will survive the vacuum of space without breaking. For daily use on earth... more than sufficient.

HEAT TEST

With this test we are trying to find out what happens to an implant when you are in the sauna.

To do this, we tested an xIC implant with a GunBox. We placed an xIC in a piece of raw chicken. The chicken was then placed in the oven and baked at 190°C for 30 minutes. After the oven, the implant was removed and tested with the GunBox, and it still worked!

STERILIZATIONSTEST

We test both the inside and the outside of our implants for complete sterilization.

The outside is important, but the x-series tags also have a small air space inside the glass that is not filled with components or Biosafe epoxy. It is important to also test this air space to make sure it is also sterile, just in case a glass tag ever breaks in a body.

Even if an accidental scratch brings with it many more bacteria and viral infection risks (that's why we get tetanus vaccinations, for example), it's certainly worth the effort that our products are cleanroom-assembled and sterile.

In this test you can see that there is no growth on the dish and there is no mist (bacterial growth) in the test and control tubes, only the positive control tube shows growth (mist).

Safety of our microchip implants