What inspired me to actually write about this is an article that I read in H+ Magazine called, "Scrapheap Transhumanism," Where the writer of the article encouraged the reader to "be stupid like him" and jump into body modification. While I can't endorse his haphazard approach, or obviously attention-seeking choice of terminology (He describes "Carving Cavities" in his fingers, in reality I think most people understand that implantation is usually accomplished not by "carving" but by careful "punch and pocket" operations just under the skin.) At any rate, I wondered if there was a place in this DIY body modification scene for someone a little more cautious, like me.
What I found was an incredible array of industries that, while they don't market to the DIY-er, they are most certainly available, and in combination, could allow for the development of some very advanced implantable applications. Let me explain.
First off, there is a surge of DIY circuit building and programming information on the internet. Websites such as SparkFunElectronics (A personal favorite of mine) are offering small orders (as few as 1 piece) of surface mount ICs for what may be the first time in history (I was certainly never able to find them before) They also have an incredible library of free coding and circuit diagrams as well as a fantastic community. As far as actually developing the computer itself, on a scale that is actually implantable, this is the ticket. There are also a variety of prototyping services that are happy to build your custom circuit design and ship it to you at a relatively affordable cost.
Once you have a computer or a peripheral of some type that you'd like to implant, the problem is making in bio-compatible and safe to implant. Luckily, there are companies on the internet whose sole purpose is to coat whatever you send them in materials such as Parylene. A Bio-compatible, Bio-Stable material which is FDA approved in most medical applications, including mid to long term implantation, Parylene is applied as a gas in a process that does not require a solvent or plasticizer and results in a chemical film that is free form pinholes. Best of all, companies such as SCS Coating Services Will spray just about anything in the stuff for the right price.
Okay now it's bio-compatible, all we need to do is clean it and install it. Anyone who has been to a piercing shop knows that anything that goes through the skin needs to be seriously sterilized. For years, the ultimate form of sterilization was Autoclave. An Autoclave sterilizes items by subjecting them to a high-pressure, saturated steam at temperatures upwards of 120degrees. This is obviously not the appropriate approach for the sterilization of delicate electrical equipment. Luckily, there is a solution! In the form of a poisonous and explosive gas, the best kind of solution, let me explain. (EO) or Ethylene Oxide gas is the simplest epoxide, it's a strong poison to humans and the main component of thermobaric weapons, but more importantly for us "It is also a common gas-phase disinfectant which is widely used in hospitals to sterilize heat-sensitive tools and equipment." Aside from that, it's also widely used to disinfect brand new body-jewelry and almost all disposable piercing needles and surgical blades. There are a variety of companies of the internet who will EO-Gas Sterilize any item you send them for the right price, with a little communication, these services are open to anybody.
Now your instrument has been built, bio-coated and sterilized... the next thing you need to do is have it installed. Now, this can be a little difficult, for the most part you wont ever find a surgeon willing to implant an untested, non-approved "medical device." But luckily for you, there are plenty of people who are trained to insert foreign bodies under the skin who aren't restricted by medical practices: Piercing techs! That's right, the same people responsible for the gauged-ear freak generation often have experience implanting small devices. As long as it will rest just under the skin, it's well within their range of expertise. In fact, the "Transdermal Implant" has become a popular piercing to give the effect that a piece of jewelry is floating on the body with no support. You may have to take your work to quite a few piercing shops before you find one that's willing to do it, but be polite and patient, explain what it is you're trying to accomplish, and (perhaps most importantly) show up with your device still sealed with it's certificate of EO-Sterilization. Most piercers won't guarantee their work implanting devices that they have no experience with, but if you're willing to pay them what they think is fair, and if you're willing to accept responsibility and liability for the possible migration/rejection of the device, they'll usually pop it right in for you.
There you go! Now it's time to show off!
Food for thought anyway.
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