MicroCHIPS, a company that is based in Lexington, Massachusetts, has recently worked with Bill Gates to design a new type of contraceptive. The result? A remote controlled contraceptive that can stay in the body for 16 years is activated by the simple touch of a remote control.
According to MIT Technology Review, the remote control implant is 20x20x7 millimeters in size and can be placed in the skin of the butt, the upper part of the arm, or the abdomen. When the switch is turned on the implant releases 30 micro-grams of Levonorgestrel, which is a hormone that many birth control methods use. The implant comes with 16 years’ worth of the hormone on inside of the implant. There is also a titanium and platinum seal that protects the hormone from escaping when not activated. When the hormone is activated, electricity is sent to the seal to melt it and release a small amount of the hormone until the remote switches it off.
This new method of birth control could be what many have been looking for. The current longest amount of time a birth control implant can remain effective is five years and the device must be removed in order to conceive. The remote controlled implant lasts more than 3 times that amount of time and doesn't need to be removed, should the woman decide she is ready to give birth.
The technology of the implant is still being tested; scientists are also exploring ways to safely encrypt the implant so that no one can hack it, which means that there is still a ways to go before the implant can be tested on humans. It is anticipated that this implant will hit markets in 2018, to Gizmodo reported.