ATTENTION!
READ FIRST - THEN INSTALL!
Congratulations on your new implant.
Please read the following information carefully to ensure that everything is ok right from the start.
Contents
1. Sterility
2. Read out before insertion
3. Insert
- x-Series implants
- Flex implants
4. healing process
5. reading and writing
6. safety
- Compatibility/ Allergies
- MRI/ CT/ X-ray
7. Remove
8. Other notes
1. STERILITY
The contents of the pack are completely sterile!
No matter which of our implants you have in front of you, the contents of the pack are completely sterile!
Please check that the packaging is undamaged. Opening the packaging (without the direct intention of insertion) or ‘checking’ whether there really is an implant in the syringe leads to contamination! The implant may then no longer be inserted without further ado! It must then be re-sterilised in advance, just like the syringe.
Only sterile syringes and implants guarantee that the injection site will not become infected and that there will be no complications later on.
A date may be printed on the injection bag of the X-series implants. This is the date of sterilisation processing. This can be used to track batches. It is not a best before date. The most important thing is the integrity of the pack.
So only open the packaging when you are really ready to insert it!
Several items in the kit are sterile but packaged in permeable pouches or material designed to allow the sterilisation process to penetrate the packaging and sterilise the items inside. This makes the packaging extremely fragile and susceptible to contamination. Due to the ease of handling the packaging, oils and contaminants can be introduced by hand, damaging the sterilisation pouch and contaminating the contents inside. It is therefore best to keep the kit tightly closed until ready for immediate use.
2. READ OUT BEFORE INSERTION
An x-Series implant cannot be read while it is still in the pack/syringe! The metal of the syringe prevents any communication with a reader.
So not getting anything read out is not a sign that there is no microchip implant in the syringe or that the implant is defective. So don't panic. That's the way it has to be.
Flex implants, on the other hand, can be read through the packaging.
3. IMPLANTATION
For x-Series implants: Insertion is very comfortable thanks to the injector system
Nevertheless, implantation should only be performed by an experienced piercer or someone with medical training or hands-on experience (e.g., a veterinarian or similar; in Austria it must be a certified piercer or someone with appropriate certification). If needed, we’re happy to implant it for you:
Ideally, x-Series microchip implants are placed between the thumb and index finger (back of the hand).
Whether you choose the left or right hand is irrelevant for everyday use. Anatomical factors are more important. Please note that all implants should be placed at least 1–2 cm apart, and implants operating on the same frequency should not be placed next to each other, as overlapping frequencies can interfere with readability.
If you ordered a Flex implant, insertion must be done by an experienced piercer or bodymodder!
Flex implants are delicate! You’ve received a 100% intact and functional Flex implant. Be aware that incorrect handling during implantation can cause long-term damage. An experienced piercer or doctor must understand:
- how different anesthetics may affect the silicone material.
- how large the subdermal pocket needs to be.
- bending, folding, or creasing a Flex implant is not advisable! Do not use pliers or forceps.
- a Flex implant must not be placed at the edge of the hand or in areas with intense (muscular) movement—this should be self-evident.
- under no circumstances should a Flex implant be sterilized again before insertion! No autoclaving!
- the pocket must be flushed several times after insertion. Also consider drainage if needed.
- the piercing studio should have insurance that covers microchip implantation. Many studios are unaware that this exists. Be sure to ask! If problems occur later due to errors made during implantation, the piercer may be held liable.
- Newer Flex implants should be inserted using a needle technique. You’ll find the instructions here Flex Implant Installation Guide
4. HEALING PROCESS
Phase 1: Immediately after insertion - The puncture site is still open and may bleed a little
Please do not apply a lot of pressure to the implant or the insertion site after insertion. However, very light pressure for approx. 5-10 minutes directly after insertion is ok, as it helps to close the puncture site.
Please do not attempt to read the fresh implant yet. The plaster and the compress underneath make it virtually impossible to read.
Phase 2: The first days after insertion - Slight swelling
The puncture site should be kept dry, i.e. be careful when showering or washing dishes etc. (use waterproof plasters if necessary).
The compress under the first plaster can be removed after 24 hours at the earliest when changing the plaster. Do not move the implant under the skin or apply pressure to it.
Any swelling should subside after 3-5 days. The hand should be rested for a few days. Don't lift weights, play volleyball or kickboxing etc., don't carry heavy suitcases or open a bottle. Give your hand a rest. As a rule, you will realise for yourself what is reasonable for your hand and what is not. If in doubt... Take it easy!
Phase 3: 6-8 weeks later - encapsulation
The wound should now be completely healed. The small scar will disappear almost completely over the next few months. The readability of the implant is now improving. The encapsulation process begins.
5. READ AND WRITE
An NFC implant can be read and written to using an NFC-enabled smartphone
On Android phones, the NFC antenna is normally located on the battery (in the centre), on iPhones it is on the top edge. You have to test and try where exactly. Every smartphone is different. Our xLEDs are very helpful. If you have ordered a comfort kit, this contains an xLED. The stronger the light, the better the connection to the reader.
All batteries have different shapes, so it may take some time at the beginning to find the right point at the right angle. And don't forget, NFC must be switched on.
We recommend the ‘NFC Tools’ app to get started (Android, iPhone, Mac). It is easy to understand, easy to use and actually supports everything you need to get started. Even desktop.
Feel free to try other apps as well. "NFC21 Tools", for example, is a great alternative.
For process automation, there are hundreds of YouTube videos showing what’s possible with NFC. We've compiled a few practical examples here:
To the “But how do I...?” video collection
If you own an implant with 125 kHz (non-NFC) technology, there are other exciting applications. However, you’ll need some additional hardware:
- Digital locking cylinders for front doors, lockers, mailboxes, etc.
- Kits for triggering electronic actions (power on/off)
- RFID analysis cards in convenient credit card format
- Various RFID readers/writers
- RFID card cloners
- RFID-based access systems
Need help deciding?
Hint
Our xNTs, FlexNTs and the NeXT use the NTAG216 chip from NXP, which was developed for use in typical NFC applications such as smart posters, labels and other one-off applications.
The memory content is normally written and then locked so that it cannot be changed. This is done via integrated ‘lock bytes’, which are OTP (one time programming). This means that as soon as the lock bytes are switched on to protect memory blocks, they can never be unlocked again. Once a memory block is locked, it becomes read-only forever, which is not ideal for an implant. Many NFC apps offer options to ‘lock’ or ‘protect’ your tag, which makes the tag read-only forever - so you should avoid this at all costs. So never LOCK your implant!
6. SAFETY
6.1 Compatibility
x-Series implants are coated with a lead- and nickel-free biocompatible glass matrix and are completely tissue- and allergy-compatible. Biocompatibility has been proven in the laboratory in animal tissue.
Our Flex implants are made of a laboratory-tested and ISO-certified biopolymer (ISO 10993-10:2010(E) and are absolutely tissue-compatible and biocompatible.
6.2 MRI / CT
If you have an upcoming MRI or CT appointment, here’s what you need to know: In short – there are generally no problems.
We often get asked whether implants are safe during an MRI scan. The answer depends on two factors: how strong the magnetic field is (i.e. the Tesla rating of the MRI scanner) and which part of the body is being scanned.
DangerousThings has tested and certified their implants for magnetic fields up to 7 Tesla. You can download the test document here. However, since the implant is not a registered medical device, it is up to the radiologist whether they accept this document.
Technically speaking, nothing happens during an MRI. There is no heating, and certainly no explosion. The metal content in the implant is so low that it has no impact—unless the implant is located exactly at the area being scanned. In that case, there may be slight image distortion (so-called “artifacts”) of about 1–2 cm around the implant. If this affects a critical scan area, removal of the implant might be necessary beforehand.
In addition to DangerousThings’ own safety tests, the U.S. TV show MythBusters confirmed in Season 5, Episode 19 that microchip implants are safe in MRI scanners. They implanted a 134 kHz VeriChip transponder into a piece of pork—and into Kari Byron—and scanned it in an MRI machine with a 14 Tesla field. Minor visual distortion was visible, but no danger was present.
There’s also a relevant PubMed article on the compatibility of RFID transponders with MRI devices up to 3T, as well as a detailed listing on the MRI Safety website for the now-retired VeriChip, which is structurally similar to our transponders.
Many of our customers simply answer “no” when asked about implants—avoiding unnecessary discussions or complications.
7. REMOVE
As you can neither see nor feel our microchip implants, there is really no reason to take them out again. Theoretically, an implant could therefore remain in the body for life.
However, if the implant needs to be removed for whatever reason, this is usually possible without any problems - but should only be carried out by a doctor or experienced piercer.
Our tip: Take an EMLA plaster in advance (available at any pharmacy at a reasonable price) and stick it to the skin over the implant 2 hours before removal. This anaesthetises the skin. Alternatively, use EMLA ointment. Then push the implant up from below so that only a small 1 mm incision needs to be made and the implant can then be pulled out.
Avoid injecting lidocaine or other anaesthetising liquids. They cause the area to swell and make it more difficult to ‘find’ the implant.
8. OTHER NOTES
Insertion and use of the implant is at your own risk!
- All implants are tested during production or before delivery - i.e. they are technically in perfect order.
- The use of Flex implants, in particular their programming, leads to the cancellation of the right of withdrawal.
- If you have an implant fitted, you do so in the knowledge that it may stop working due to negligence, external influences (knocks, blows, magnetism, etc.) or other sources. Not knowing why it ‘suddenly’ stopped working (‘I didn't do anything’) does not constitute grounds for compensation.
- You realise that RFID systems are complex (especially payment) and that reader and checkout systems are equipped with different readers. Not all of them work the same way. There may even be systems that cannot cope with the implant because, for example, the plastic cap is too thick and the distance between the antenna of the implant and the antenna of the reader is too great.
- We are expressly not liable for any costs associated with the insertion, use or removal of an implant or any consequential costs. The insertion, wearing, use and removal of a microchip implant is entirely at your own risk.