In the interest of not reinventing the wheel, Elatec has a modular platform that does ISO14443, ISO15693 and much more (HF and LF). They sell boards without antenna, and you can contract them to do custom work. I know cuz I requested a quotation from them once, and they were perfectly happy to do any work I requested.
I have one of their ready-made USB desktop readers, built on the Multitech platform. The antennas are utter crap for implants (essentially unusable in HF, and sub-par in LF). But I keep it because it’s easily my most versatile non-Proxmark reader: it reads just about anything I throw at it. Also, the firmware is configurable up the wazoo: you can set it to scan only certain types of transponders, and it can behave as a CCID, serial or HID reader. They also offer Bluetooth versions of that reader.
If I was you, I’d consider either building implant-optimized antennas (possibly better frontends too) around their platform, or have them do it for you, to create your DT reader. I think when you might come out ahead when you factor in the lack of headache and much shorter product development time.
Maybe another round of crowdfunding? Me, I’d buy an Elatec-based DT reader in a heartbeat - and for top dollar too.
The skin on the back of my hand/wrist sticks a lot less today. It still stings a bit when I flex my wrist and fingers forcibly all the way, but nowhere near as it used to. I guess the exercises the good doctor prescribed are working.
As for the mini-oedema, it’s still there, but if I stay put long enough, it clears almost completely now - even sitting down. The entire weekend of lounging on the couch that I plan on doing should help even more
This whole mess seems to be moving in the right direction at last.
This sound really good - glad you maybe / hopefully got through it finally!
That’s a nice plan - I spent the last few days throwing old furniture into a big container, and my flexNExT commented on that by being quite a lot thicker than it was before. Sigh…
Anyway, keep us updated and keep on the good work on your implants, tendons, skin, whatever
All in all, fairly clean and not too zipper-looking. I think the compression bandage really helped. The sauna helps too.
Other interesting feature: that big-ass vein running 45 degree across my wrist in front of the implant used to run straight on top of my arm. It completely rerouted itself to get out of the way. Quite amazing!
Also, I have a small dark mark on my skin smack in the middle of the implant that wasn’t there before. Interestingly, it’s also exactly on top of the thickest part of fibrous funk that’s grown over the implant. Probably a coincidence, maybe not.
Oh ferchrissake… The fibrous tissue has resumed growing. Aaw fuck a duck
There was two small areas where it hadn’t really taken hold yet, on the edges.Those areas were kind of filled with most of the fluid that’s still left in the pocket. Until today: I decided to spend the weekend lying down on the couch, to clear the edema for good. So those two areas have been essentially dry for 24 hours. And now, the fibrous funk has started invading one of them. It started an hour ago - I know because I check regularly.
Dammit. That’s bad news. I thought this was done and over with…
EDIT: it’s growing by the minute - almost like something congealing or precipitating suddenly inside my arm. Really scary…
Yeah man. I been keeping my mouth shut as I am not a doctor.
Personally I think the skin color change is probably a bad sign in conjunction with the growth. If I had symptoms and problems like you have described up until this point, I would consider going in for removal if it continues to grow.
I almost wonder if having the hole is the problem? Maybe the body just doesn’t want to deal with it.
My skin hasn’t changed color. There’s just a small dark dot that appeared the day I got it implanted that’s ain’t going away. I’m not too worried about that. It looks exactly like other age-related such patches I have elsewhere. It’s just odd that it should appear that very day at that very location.
If it evens out and stops, and if my skin doesn’t start sticking again in front of the implant, I’ll call it okay. But I have my index on the removal trigger.
I’ve been wondering the same thing. I think maybe it promotes crazy skin reactions that a continuous surface does not.
Honestly I don’t know what to think at this point. I’ve been running my fingers over that thing every half hour for the past two weeks, and sometimes - like now - I feel like I have a parasite maturing in stages inside of me. It’s seriously creepy.
Having said that, there’s one upside: it’s seriously well anchored And the thickness of it means it doesn’t bite anymore if I grab ahold of my arm.
Aw the poor duck
Seriously, the thing is the size of a watch with none of the benefits
But seriously, I am getting kinda worried about you.
It sounds like pathological fibrosis (fibrous encapsulation) that has gotten out of hand. Mind you, I am no doctor.
I would seriously consider removal.
This can’t possibly be tissue growth if it’s growing that fast… it has to be fluid build up… Cellular division of that rate would beat all known cancers… and they can grow fast… and the laying down of collagen and fibrin that quickly… I mean I guess it could happen… though not likely either…
In any case, it might be time to have a doc poke at it?
It seems to stop growing when it reaches a certain thickness though. It’s not really getting out of hand. It’s just that it’s starts invading unaffected areas all of the sudden, and then it stops when that bit is “full”. Here for example, the bit in question is almost 3/4th covered now and it seems to be stopping, or at least slowing down.
I dunno man. It’s very hard and once it’s there, it’s there for good. Don’t feel like fluid buildup to me. But I agree, it’s really too fast for cellular division.
A doc did poke at it on Monday at it and didn’t know what to make of it, but didn’t seemed particularly worried. I’m scheduled for a biopsy in a week and a half, unless something more worrying happens in the meantime - or unless I cancel it, because I don’t know how they’re going to sample a bit of that hard tissue without damaging the implant underneath.
I have to say, I really want to keep the doNExT. But if it has to go, I’m dying to know what the hell it is covered with.
Whatever it is, it happens in quick bursts then stops. And - apparently - when it stops, it stops for good where it’s “done”.
Actually, if it keeps on doing that - i.e. it doesn’t spread wildly outside of the implant or start thickening where it has stopped - it might work to my advantage: I’ve always been worried about the long-term shock-resistance of the implant. Here it’s really nicely shielded against shocks.
How does one learn about the known side effects of larger implants? Just hang around in the community long enough to hear about stuff? Or is there literature on the subject?
Your case reminded me of how the immune system usually responds to large foreign objects - i.e. encapsulation in collagen etc.
Of course, I could just be confusing this for somethings else. Not a doctor™
What I find curious is that this would happen even though the implant itself is biocompatible (on the other hand, so are breast implants - and it still happens).
Also a mastectomy due to breast cancer can lead to capsular contraction after reconstructive surgery.
Interesting. You may not be a doctor, but you sure are in a better position than I am to understand what’s happening in my arm.
I have a non-biocompatible “implant” in my back (a lead pellet from a shotgun shell, that I probably got during a hunt - can’t ever remember being shot at though) and my body didn’t react much to it. It’s so unintrusive that I only learned about it when I passed an x-ray. So it can go both ways.
Anyhow, re the doNExT in my arm, the flare-up seems to be over, and there’s about one square centimeter of me that’s a millimeter or two thicker and a lot harder
