 Collection of miniaturized test sites of living entities (microarrays) arranged on a solid substrate that permits many tests to be performed at the same time in order to achieve higher throughput, speed, accuracy and smaller size.  A biochip can perform thousands of biological reactions, such as decoding genes, in a few seconds.  A unity between electronics and biology/medicine

 Bio + Chip = Biochip Bio: stands for any biological entity eg: protein, DNA Chip: a computer chip Biochip: a combination of biological entity and a computer.  Genome chips, Microarrays.

 Merge Biology and Electronics to overcome the brick wall  Learn from natural phenomena and improve the current medical technology  1980s was the first time Biological entities were put on nonliving substrate.

Consists of two components :  Transponder  Reader

 Passive Biochip: No Batteries and energy of its own.  The implantable biochip  It has a very long life, up to 99 years, and no maintenance.  Composed of Microchip Antenna coil Tuning capacitor Glass Capsule

 Computer Microchip: Stores the unique ID number.  Using a nnn-nnn-nnn format, the chip has the capability of storing of over 70 trillion unique numbers.

 Antenna Coil: Primitive Radio antenna to receive and send signals from the reader.  Made up of coil of copper wire around a ferrite or iron core.

 Tuning Capacitor: Capacitor stores small charge (1/1000 of Watt) sent by the reader.  “Radio waves" are utilized to communicate between the transponder and reader, the capacitor is "tuned" to the same frequency as the reader.

 Glass Capsule: Made of biocompatible material such as soda lime glass, hermetically (air-tight) sealed, covered with Polypropylene polymer.  The small capsule measuring 11 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter, about the size of an uncooked grain of rice.

 Transmits a small signal  Charges the tuning capacitor  Receives ID number transmitted by the transponder.  Takes place very fast, in milliseconds.  Displays the result in an  LCD display. The reader can include a RS-232 port to attach a computer.

 Injected by a Hypodermic syringe beneath the skin.  Injection is safe and simple, comparable to common vaccines. Anesthesia is not required nor recommended.  Usually behind the neck in cats and dogs.  The right hand and forehead in humans.

 DNA (Gene expression): Human Genome Project started in 1990 to study genomes  Study of interactions of individual genes in an organism  Biochips helped to dramatically accelerate the identification of the estimated 80,000 genes in human DNA.

 Faster diagnosis of diseases  Medicine will improve  People will live longer healthier lives.  Biological warfare diagnoses (eg: Anthrax)  Creates more jobs and improves the economy.

 Nanotechnology has made it possible for a single chip to possess more than million features with its detection abilities than that of conventional methods.  Nanotechnology has made biochips more applicable for commercialization purpose where biochips could be implanted inside body to dynamically transmit the information and monitor any biological changes in vivo.  There has been significant progress on applications of biochips such as DNA chips, protein chips, and carbohydrate chips, and MEMS/NEMS in the field of medical nanotechnology.  One could believe that when fused together, biochips and nanotechnology will endlessly bring scientists to newer and promising researching aspects.

 Biochips is a very broad field Many different types of biochips  Biochips is going to set the new trend in Medicine  Still in research phase, but soon will be commercially used