Scientists say they've developed a chip to treat backpain that is powered by mobile phone.

Lin Chi-wan, a biomedical engineer at National Taiwan University said that the chip is implanted directly into the sufferer's back but draws electricity from a power source in his or her mobile phone. Although scientists knew that spinal cord stimulators which are powered by more cumbersome implanted batteries, work they were not exactly practical.

Apparently tests on animals of the new chip proved very successful. How they got animals to use mobile phones, Chi-wan did not say. The coin-sized chip is the result of six years of research.  It is equipped with two electrodes which transmit electromagnetic waves to alleviate pain.

Soon it is going to be installed in its first human patent. It will be interesting to see people with back pain suddenly relax when someone calls them. Or they get a spam SMS message.