Identification by Microchip

The unique identification process for animals is an advancement welcomed by both livestock farmers and pet owners alike. Injected transponders made out of biocompatible glass from SCHOTT are known for being both tolerable and reliable.

Dr. Haike Frank

Anyone who has ever gone through the ordeal of losing a beloved pet that has run away only to see it returned safely after searching for hours will gladly tell you how happy they were that the process for chipping animals has done its job and brought their pet back home. Now, an increasing number of the approximately 250 million domestic animals in Europe are getting an identification number, either through tattooing or microchipping, with their owner information registered in a central animal database. Tasso e.V., Europe’s largest organization for registering domestic animals, has listed over 7.7 million pets and claims to have assisted in the return of about 60,000 missing pets in 2014. What was once accomplished through the common practice of tattooing the animal with a letter or number combination on its ear is slowly being replaced with an RFID microchip (radio-frequency identification that uses electromagnetic waves). A transponder no larger than a grain of rice is injected into the tissue of an animal on the left side of the neck, which has become the international standard location for placing the chip.

At its facility in Mitterteich, Germany, SCHOTT manufactures high-purity glass tubes for pharmaceutical applications. This specialty glass is melted and then drawn into tubes in diameters ranging from 1.2 mm to 4 mm. In Landshut, these tubes then undergo further processing before they are delivered to the transponder manufacturer, who finally inserts the antenna and ferrite bead into the chip. The specialty glass properties allow the manufacturer to seal the open end of the transponder with an infrared laser. ”We work very closely with our customers so that they can efficiently carry out this step in the process to ensure that the transponder can be hermetically sealed,” explains Rusche. “Other sealing techniques that use a flame to create the seal could damage the sensitive components and are thus out of the question when it comes to utilization,” adds the expert. Microchips for identifying animals are also used with livestock as an alternative to earmarking since sheep and goats sometimes get caught in the shrubs and often rip them out. The transponders for livestock are generally larger than those used for pets since the animal identification scanning devices, which are permanently installed in the gates or fencing, have a greater functionality range. In turn, stock farmers can better monitor their herds and identify a sick animal more quickly. RFID chips also make it easier to trace meat.

At SCHOTT, the product developers are already looking into new applications for this technology. One idea being investigated includes the measurement of certain health values with an implanted chip. ”For these applications, SCHOTT offers its miniaturized glass tubing made from biocompatible 8625 glass, in which the sensors can be integrated with a feedthrough made of metal or with an optical interface,” explains Rusche.