Cellphone powers back pain chip in TaiwanTaiwanese researchers have developed a chip to treat backpain that is powered by mobile phone, a member of the team said Friday. The chip is implanted directly into the sufferer's back but draws electricity from a power source in his or her cellphone (CELLular telePHONE) The first ubiquitous wireless telephone. Originally analog, all new cellular systems are digital, which has enabled the cellphone to turn into a smartphone that has access to the Internet. , said Lin Chi-wan, a biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. engineer at National Taiwan University. This marks a departure from existing spinal cord spinal cord, the part of the nervous system occupying the hollow interior (vertebral canal) of the series of vertebrae that form the spinal column, technically known as the vertebral column. stimulators, which are kept going by implanted batteries, making them more cumbersome for patients to use, according to the team. "We have finished an animal trial for the new device and got good results," said Lin. The coin-sized chip, the result of six years of research, is equipped with two electrodes which transmit electromagnetic waves to alleviate pain. "We are looking into human tests soon to confirm the effectiveness of the chip," Lin said. Lower-back treatment is the fourth biggest cost to the island's health insurance system, the state-owned Central News Agency said on its website. Taiwan had 25.3 million cellphones, or 1.1 cellphones per resident, at the end of October. 
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