US doctors have implanted chips into the arms of a Florida family containing their medical histories in a controversial new programme that doctors hope may one day become standard practice.

The Jacobs family - Jeffrey, 48-years-old, Leslie, 46-years-old, and Derek their 14-year-old son - had the devices, about the same size as a grain of rice, implanted in a procedure that took only 10 seconds in a clinic in Boca Raton, Florida.

It is hoped the procedure could eventually replace medical alert bracelets and give medical personnel invaluable details into their patients' medical problems.

However the chips could also be used to contain personal information and even a global positioning device which could track a person's whereabouts, leading to fears the chip could be used for more sinister purposes.

Potential lifesaver?

Each chip contains a unique number and emits a radio frequency that transmits a brief medical message - for example a possible allergy or medical problem - and the unique number.