US20200143926A1 - Electronic compliance system and associated methods - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic drug compliance monitoring system and associated methods utilize a pill having an electronic transmission capability and external means for receiving that transmission to sense the presence of the pill in the patient's body or digestive tract.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/917,037, filed on Dec. 17, 2013, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to electronic systems and methods for monitoring medication compliance.
BACKGROUND
• Non-compliance of patients with drug regimens prescribed by physicians can cause a multiplicity of problems, including negative patient outcomes, higher healthcare costs and an increased risk of the spread of communicable diseases. Compliance monitoring is also critical in, for example, pharmaceutical clinical trials, geriatrics and mental health/addiction medicine. Poor medication compliance has a significant negative impact on patients, pharmaceutical manufacturers and the healthcare system in general. Non-compliant patients suffer from increased mortality, increased recurrence of chronic conditions and increased hospital and nursing home admissions. By some estimates, as much as 25% of all healthcare costs could be avoided if patients reliably took their prescribed medications.
• Annual drug development spending has increased more than twelve times in inflation-adjusted dollars over the past three decades. Clinical trials consume a major portion of the development time and costs of introducing a new drug into the market. Knowing with certainty a patient's adherence significantly improves the understanding of the results from a clinical trial in terms of safety, efficacy, dose response relationship, pharmacodynamics, side effects and other results. For instance, in a beta-blocker heart attack trial the death rate was reported at 13.6% in subjects whose compliance was less than 75% compared to 5.6% in subjects whose compliance was over 75%. None of the existing methods of measuring adherence offer both a qualitative and a quantitative measure with proof-positive detection of ingestion of the medication. Accordingly, measuring medication regimen compliance continues to be a major problem. The only statistical recourse is to enroll large numbers of patients, which dramatically increases the cost of clinical drug trials that in turn increases the cost of the final marketed medication.
• Compliance monitoring also provides significant benefits in market areas where patient adherence to a drug therapy protocol is vital to preventing or avoiding high-cost consequences for the patient or community. Strict regimen adherence is important for preventing emergence of drug-resistant strains of infectious diseases that can occur when proper dosing schedules are not followed. Such resistant strains result in increased transmission, morbidity and mortality and are more expensive to treat or cure, often by one or two orders of magnitude.
• A traditional method of increasing compliance is direct observance, but this is obviously difficult to administer and impractical on a large scale. Other techniques include blood sampling, urine sampling, biological marker detection, self-reporting, pill counting, electronic monitoring and prescription record review. These techniques are either invasive or prone to tampering.
• In vivo biotelemetry and monitoring have been used for monitoring embedded oxygen, sensing glucose levels, fetal monitoring and hormone measuring. Passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) techniques have been suggested to provide biotelemetry by including external sensors into existing commercial systems. However, RFID was not designed to operate in vivo, and the transmission of electromagnetic signals from embedded or internal sensors is hampered by attenuation and reflections from the body.
• Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide an active electronic device, system and method for non-invasively monitoring drug compliance in a facile manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention is directed to an electronic drug compliance monitoring system and associated methods that utilize a pill having an electronic transmission capability and external means for receiving that transmission to sense the presence of the pill in the patient's body or digestive tract.
• It is believed that the present invention has several advantages over currently known methodologies. For example, the monitor documents that the prescribed medication was actually present in the digestive system, whereas not even directly observed therapy can conclusively determine that the patient swallowed the pill. The system can be used with medication dispensers, timers, reminders, external communications, and database systems to create a complete medication compliance monitoring system. Information from the system can be used to enable rewards for compliance or punishments for lack of compliance. The system provides factual evidence of patient's compliance to the medication regimen, knowledge that is critical, for example, to assessing the outcome of a clinical trial including the systematic removal of non-compliant subject data. Trials that pay subjects to participate in clinical studies can corroborate compliance. Further, the system permits remote patient monitoring whereby the monitor can be integrated into a wireless system communicating directly with a central database, reducing costs by minimizing required patient monitoring/interaction by support staff. Finally, the system is noninvasive and does not require the collection of a bodily fluid to determine that the patient is complying with the medication regimen.
• The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawing are for the purpose of illustration and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the medication compliance system of the present invention.
• FIG. 2A is one embodiment of a capsule having a planar substrate with an antenna and electronics wrapped about a portion of the capsule.
• FIG. 2B illustrates a capsule having a single-coil antenna wrapped about a portion of its periphery.
• FIG. 2C illustrates a capsule having a digestible coating on its outer surface.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic chart that illustrates the use of an electronic capsule with a wristband reader that is in communication with a cell phone, and which in turn can be used to forward information to a data collection center.
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the tag electronics and antenna fitted with an electronic pill or capsule like that shown inFIGS. 1, 2A-2C and 3.
• FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate techniques used to mate an electronic tag shown inFIGS. 1 and 3 with the inside surface of a capsule (FIG. 5A) or the outer surface (FIG. 5B).
• FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are schematic side views illustrating the layers used to fabricate an electronic tag in accordance with different embodiments of this invention.
• FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram for an exemplary activation switch circuit using a conductive sensor with a NMOSFET transistor.
• FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram for an exemplary deactivation switch circuit using a MOSFET transistor.
• FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram for an exemplary MOSFET sensor-based bio-switch.
• FIG. 10A is a top perspective view of an ingestible switch in accordance with the present invention utilizing a hydrogel circuit breaker.
• FIG. 10B depicts the switch ofFIG. 10A, with a swollen hydrogel circuit breaker after exposure to gastrointestinal fluids.
• FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a galvanic gastric sensor for utilization with the electronic tag shown inFIGS. 1 and 3.
• FIG. 12A is a summary of the results of testing of several phosphate electrodes at different modes.
• FIGS. 12B and 12C are coded charts depicting the results set forth inFIG. 12A for a 20K Ohm load and a 1K Ohm, respectively.
• FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the electronics associated with the tag integrated circuit.
• FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the overall in-link and out-link communications between the electronic tag taken internally by a patient, and the external reader utilized to communicate with the tag illustrating a specific example of conductive transmissions from the reader to the tag at 4 MHz and radiative out-link transmissions from the tag to the reader at 400 MHz by way of example.
• FIG. 15 is a timing chart illustrating the periodic transmissions from the reader to the tag and the data bursts from the tag to the reader.
• FIG. 16 is a chart depicting the content of the in-link transmission from the reader to the tag.
• FIG. 17 is a chart depicting the content of information contained in the data bursts from the tag to the reader.
• FIG. 18 depicts a timing chart for out-link transmissions from multiple tags to the reader.
• FIG. 19 is another timing diagram illustrating the operation of the system of the present invention.
• FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating further aspects of the operation of the system.
• FIGS. 21A and 21B are side views illustrating alternate constructions for the electronic capsule to permit a portion of the electronics to be carried within the capsule.
• FIG. 22 depicts an alternate construction with the tag partially within the capsule and partially exposed.
• FIGS. 23 and 24A and 24B depict exemplary constructions of a capsule with a tag in accordance with this invention.
• FIG. 25 is an exploded illustration depicting, from left to right, the attachment of an integrated circuit chip to the tag connected to the low frequency and high frequency antenna areas, and the wrapping of the tag about a capsule (right hand side).
• FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional side view of the tag, illustrating the various elements depicted in schematic form inFIGS. 6A and 6B.
• FIG. 27 sets forth representative dimensions of the capsule and tag.
• FIG. 28 is a top view of a wrist band reader feature shown inFIG. 3.
• FIG. 29 depicts a patch reader wearable by a patient.
• FIG. 30 depicts a pill container having an on-board reader.
• FIG. 31 is a block diagram of thereader19 inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of asynchronous burst operation.
• FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of a reader receive architecture.
• FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram of the medication compliance system where EKG is used to confirm the identity of the patient.
• FIG. 35 is a top perspective view of one-half of a galvanic cell lead arrangement.
• FIG. 36 is an exploded top perspective view of one-half of a different galvanic cell lead arrangement.
• FIG. 37 depicts a tag positioned inside a capsule body.
• FIG. 38 depicts a tag inside a capsule cap.
• FIG. 39 depicts a tag inside a pocket in the capsule.
• FIG. 40 depicts a pocket in the capsule and a tag that fits in the pocket.
• FIG. 41 depicts a bi-leaf foldable tag and method for inserting it into the capsule.
• FIG. 42 depicts a quad-leaf foldable tag with an anode and cathode on alternating leafs.
• FIG. 43 depicts a star-shaped foldable tag.
• FIG. 44 depicts a how star shaped foldable tag may be inserted into a capsule.
• FIG. 45 depicts a tri-fold tag with pin holes therein and a corresponding placement rod.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• A description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be presented with reference toFIGS. 1-45.
• NotingFIG. 1, asystem10 for monitoring medication compliance in apatient16 comprises an electronic sensor, preferably in the form of an external wireless monitor orreader11 that includes anRF transceiver12 and one ormore antennas13. Theantenna13 can be external or internal to thereader11 and can be implemented in a variety of ways as known in the art, including an on-chip antenna or simple pads or electrical contacts that function as an antenna. Thereader11 detects the presence of anelectronic pill14 in, for example, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of thepatient16. As shown theelectronic pill14 has atag15 attached to or part of thepill14. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “pill” can include a capsule or other form of medication administration or testing. Thesystem10 is designed to detect thepill14 when located in the patient's mouth M, esophagus E, stomach S, duodenum D, intestines (including the colon) I or rectum R.
• With continued reference toFIG. 1, thesystem10 includes atag15 fixed with thepill14, either internally or along the outer surface, or both. After ingestion of thepill14, thetag15 is made electronically active and begins communication with theexternal reader11. Theexternal reader11 in one embodiment is in ahousing19 worn by or attached with the patient16 so as to be comfortable and easy to wear continuously to ensure it is always with the patient.
• Theelectronic pill14 comprises an orally ingestible and biocompatible drug-transporting device with embedded or attached electronic circuits that communicates with theexternal wireless reader11. As described in greater detail below, theelectronic pill14 uses, for example, a silicon-based integrated circuit and/or other passive components such as coil antennae and capacitors. The circuit can incorporate millions of transistors, patterned through various semiconductor processing steps, to provide an enormous amount of intelligence. For instance, theelectronic pill14 can store a patient's medical history in addition to detailed information about a drug being administered, provide a unique identification number, and implement advanced communication circuits and protocols to reliably transmit data to theexternal wireless reader11.
• Turning now toFIG. 2A, theelectronic pill14 preferably comprises a drug-transporting device, such as acapsule17 that has associated therewith theelectronic tag15. NotingFIG. 1, asignal52 received by thereader11 from theelectronic circuit30 after ingestion of thecapsule17 is thus indicative of medication compliance. The term “drug-transporting device” is not intended as a limitation, and other compositions and devices for delivering medication are intended to be subsumed hereinto as known in the art. Alternatively, thecapsule17 may be devoid of medication to serve as a placebo during a drug trial.
• Referring again toFIG. 2A, the electronic components of theelectronic pill14 are capable of wireless transmission and reception over short distances (i.e., in the range of 20-30 cm). The electronic components in the circuit47 (i.e., antenna, power source, and silicon chip), once hermetically sealed and packaged, are small enough to fit either to the inside wall or on the outside wall of thecapsule17. This level of miniaturization is feasible owing to integration and circuit scaling trends associated with standard CMOS technologies.
• With continued reference toFIG. 2A, a small chip or otherelectronic circuit47 is attached to thesubstrate15 as well. Thiscircuit47 provides a great deal of functionality including but not limited to two way communication and complex protocols, energy harvesting (mechanical, electrical, etc), sensing of conditions such as location of the tag, pH, chlorine content, detection of physiologic signals, biometric identification, encryption, and identification code storage and transmission.
• Referring now toFIG. 3, the complete system is principally composed of adata reader111 andmultiple tags15 attached tomedication14.Bidirectional data50/52 is exchanged between thereader111 and thetag15. Thereader111 probes the one ormore tags15 inside thebody10 and coordinates the communication to allow multiple ingested tags to communicate simultaneously, sequentially, or in other ways to permit multiple communication pathways. Thetags15 communicate their unique identification data and whether they are in the GI tract. Thereader111 then providesoutput data58 to auser interface54 such as a laptop or smartphone enabling real-time upload59 of medication events to aremote database60 or other location. Thereader111 receives information from theuser interface54 via thechannel56 indicating medication regimen status such as the time of the next scheduled medication event, confirmation of the event from the main database, or other information from theuser interface54 or the remote database ortrial coordination center60 via the wide area network (cell or wifi network)channel59. In another embodiment, theuser interface54 andreader111 are embedded into a single device, either on or off the body.
• The data link from thereader111 to tag15 is defined as the “in-link”path50. Preferentially, in-link data to the tag includes synchronization, signaling, address, and tag configuration information. Thereader111 preferentially transmits information by way of differential metallic skin contacts. The in-link signal50 passes through thebody10 and is sensed by thetag15 through a differential probe network.
• The data link from thetag15 to thereader111 is defined as the “out-link”path52. Preferentially, the out-link data to the reader includes GI sensing, pharmaceutical, adherence, signal level, physiologic data, biometric identification data, and address information. The out-link channel52 is a radio frequency signal traveling through both thebody10 and the free space between the body and the antenna of thereader111. A small antenna on thetag15 radiates the out-link signal52 which is received at thereader111. Thereader111 is capable of receivingsignals52 frommultiple tags15 simultaneously.
• All of these components work together to complete a system that can accurately detect a medication event, including the time of ingestion, the dosage, and specific identification of the medication and/or subject using the system. This information is then used to verify critical compliance with drug therapy. This data can also be used in combination with other patient data to improve adherence and treatment outcomes.
• The following sections describe the detailed construction of thetag15. Referring toFIG. 4, thetag15 comprises a body interface andantenna203 that allows for the in-link50 and out-link52 communication. Theingestion detection subsystem208 utilizes the body interface andantenna system203 to determine when the medication actually resides in thebody10 and in particular in the digestive tract M,E,S,D,I,R, and specifically which portion of the digestive tract. A receivesubsystem204 implements the in-link50 communication and interfaces between the body interface andantenna subsystem203 and acontrol subsystem209. Atransmission subsystem206 implements the out-link52 communication and interface between thecontrol subsystem209 and the body interface andantenna subsystem203. Anenergy harvesting subsystem205 captures energy from either thebody interface203 or from the environment that thetag15 resides in, for example the motion or temperature of the device. Theenergy harvesting subsystem205 provides energy which is stored in anenergy storage system207 and to thetag15 in general to operate the components and provide sufficient power for out-link52 transmission. Thecontrol subsystem209 coordinates and controls the differing components of thetag15 and implements any communication protocol, sensor measurements, maintains tag memory for various identification information, and implements any other functionality required by thetag15. Thetag15 can be attached to apill14 orcapsule17 in a variety of ways, either by being built into the medication, build onto the medication, being printed onto the medication, or by being attached onto the outside or inside of the medication carrier (i.e. a capsule). In an exemplary embodiment, thetag15 is on abiocompatible substrate45 that can be built in high quantities and then later attached or built into acapsule17, for example.
• Referring now toFIGS. 5A and 5B, in another embodiment of thetag43, theantenna44 are printed on aflexible substrate45 that is biodegradable and digestible, such as a flat sheet-like material, and includes anelectronic chip47 mounted on the substrate. Thissubstrate45 is then placed on or wrapped around thecapsule46. Preferably, thesubstrate45 should have sufficient rigidity for manufacturing and attachment, be easily and safely digested, be flexible for wrapping around a pill or capsule, and withstand temperatures required for manufacturing and sterilization.
• There are relatively few materials forsubstrates45 that are both easily and safely digested and can also withstand temperatures required for bonding thechips47 to the antennae44 (up to 190° C.) or the sintering of metallic inks. In one embodiment, an enteric coating commonly used in colonic-targeted drug release, is utilized to create a flat and flexible substrate that meets these requirements and has been used in prototype tags.
• Enteric coatings are commercial materials with good flexibility and proven biocompatibility. They are currently used in aspirin, acetomenophin and other drugs that upset the stomach, as they resist disintegration at low pH. Enteric coatings usually begin to disintegrate at a pH above 5.5 or higher, which is the typical pH of the duodenum and small intestine. Enteric coatings include but are not limited to polymethacrylate-polymethylmethacrylate (PMA-PMMA) copolymers and cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), which are commercial coatings under names of “Eudragit” and “Aquacoat CPD” that are readily available as pre-mixed solutions.
• Referring now toFIG. 6A, in another embodiment, thesubstrate45 ofFIGS. 5A, B can be manufactured with a coated paper to create a biocompatible coatedpaper substrate system260 to provide advantageous properties. Apaper substrate82 coated with acoating254 provides improved mechanical properties, increased printing strength, reduced dissolution time, and allows for alternative printing methods, while maintaining biocompatibility. Enteric coated paper provides asmooth texture256 for thepaper82 and allows forantenna patterns266 to be easily transferred onto it. Thepaper82 also breaks up rapidly once thecoating254 dissolves. Preferentially, thepaper82 is coated on all sides, but in some implementations coating only the top of the paper is required. In addition, abiocompatible adhesive252 is applied to the bottom of the paper when thetag15 will be applied to the outside of the medication. When adhesive252 is included, aprotective backing258 is used to simplify handling and attachment to the medication.
• The biocompatiblecoated paper system260 ofFIG. 6A addresses manufacturing problems of electroplating/electroetching on biodegradable substrates. Preferentially,biocompatible paper82 is a mixture of biodegradable materials distributed in impregnated and/or on coated the paper in a number of ways.Paper82 can be any substance that can be used as a flexible and strong biocompatible substrate in the dry state but weakens in the wet state. Rice papers, pulp papers, plant-based fiber papers including linen papers are all substrates that can be used with a biocompatible material coating or impregnation. Thepaper82 itself is also biocompatible. Thebiocompatible substances254 used for coating or impregnating the paper alter the dissolution properties, thermal properties, mechanical properties, biodegradation rates and other properties of thepaper82. The biodegradable materials included in the construction of thebiodegradable substrate260 allow for digestion of thesubstrates45 and prevents untoward effects such as lodging in the stomach of the substrate or pill itself, as may occur with non-degradable and smoothly-surfaced polymeric substrates.
• Thesubstrates45 allow for the placement of a metallic trace forantennae266,chips47 or other electronics via electro-plate, bonding, gluing, adhesive or printing. Theantenna266 may be covered in aprotective coating268 to prevent digestion, protect the antenna from handling, and dielectrically isolate the antenna from the environment. Thepaper82 is superficially coated with the biodegradable substance such as polymethyl methacrylate-polymethacryalte, cellulose acetate phthalate, poly lactic acid, poly glycolic acid, various sugars, oils, waxes or proteins.
• Thebiocompatible materials254 added to the paper also allow for increased stability of paper materials in more extreme environments, including those of very high temperature and humidity, preventing thetag15 from warping or deforming (and possibly fracturing the antenna266). Referring toFIG. 6B, thesubstrate45 is coated in a multi-layer or patterned method with multiple layers ofcoatings254,264 such that various portions of the tag can be exposed or broken down in thebody16 at varying times or locations. At different times or locations in the body, different coatings may dissolve exposing different types or portions of theantenna266 or sensors to thebody16. These varying conditions provide information to the system allowing for determination of ingestion time ortag15 location. Referring toFIG. 6.C, a cross-sectional side view of an alternate form of the system260A, the coatings can be patterned such that different portions of thepaper82 are coated with different coatings. This multi-layer or multi-coated system260A tracks the progress of the substrates as they pass through the digestive tract M,E,S,D,I,R or encounter different solutions in thebody16. In a preferred embodiment, eachcoating254,264 is an Enteric coating that is formulated to dissolve in specific areas of thehuman body16. In combination with a multi-level electronic sensor and in the form of an electronic pill, the location of the medication is tracked through the human body. As each layer of thesubstrate254,264 dissolves in its pH or chemically sensitive environment, a new electronic sensor, which by way of example can be a galvanic cell is exposed. In addition to exposing different sensors or probes in different portions of thebody16, the selective dissolution of the coatings in different parts of thebody16 alters the transmission properties of theantenna266 or system260A in general, thus making the location of thetag15 in the body detectable without separate sensors.
• Various bodily chemicals and even organisms (and their respective chemicals) can cause the degradation of the materials used with thesystems260 and260A. Enzymes, hormones, cells (blood cells), proteins, acids, ions, bacteria, and so forth can contribute to the degradation of the substrates or any of the substrate layers.
• Furthermore, in another embodiment, thesystem10 is triggered to dissolve in the patient'sbody16 in the presence of both a bodily chemical and an external impulse for additional control. For example, the sensitivity of chemical breakdown is enhanced by the application of RF energy to thesubstrates260,260A (producing heat or otherwise) from an outside RF source.
• Thesystem10 may also be loaded with various degradation control chemicals that can delay or hasten degradation rates. This is useful if the processing of substrate layers that require extra-thick amounts of a certain layer to be mechanically stable or if a layer requires another chemical in addition to the ones found in thehuman body16 to begin degrading appreciably.
• Pills14 orcapsules17 are typically printed with edible inks of pharmaceutical grade to uniquely identify the product and provide additional information such as company logo, brand name, and dosage information. In accordance with this invention, these edible inks are replaced with conductive and biocompatible silver inks to pattern small antennas266 (FIG. 6A), coils41 (FIG. 2C) or deposited conductive pattern44 (FIGS. 5A, 5B) directly on thecapsule14,17. Other compositions known in the art are also contemplated such as but not limited to carbon black, iron, gold, copper, zinc, and conducting polymers.
• Thus, by way of printing, etching, or electroplating,miniature antennae266 are made of silver, carbon black, copper, or other biocompatible coatings. Silver, copper, zinc and other metals are substantially biologically inert, and when ingested in small amounts, are nontoxic to humans and pass through the body without being absorbed into tissues. Furthermore, the conductivity of most of these metals is very high, making them excellent conductors. Therefore, theantenna266 performance not only depends on physical size constraints, but also on the total usable concentration of conductive material.
• Referring again toFIGS. 6A and 6B, it is preferred to encapsulate the components of the tag with acoating268 for multiple reasons, including but not limited to: electrical isolation from the conductive fluids of the GI-tract M,E,S,D,I,R, prevention of dissolution or exposure to the body for safety, and selective dissolution at different locations in thebody16. For example, thecoating268 prevents contact with the body, limiting exposure of the materials to thepatient16. Certain coatings can be utilized that are pH or otherwise selectively dissolved in different portions of the GI tract. In a preferred embodiment, enteric coatings that do not dissolve until they reach the intestine I or other locations, where very little digestion occurs. This allows the material to break up before excretion but not leach materials into the blood stream. It is also desirable to activate the tagging system only after the patient has ingested thepill14. Once ingested, thepill14 orcapsules17,46 are exposed to stomach acids that eat awaycoatings268 on the surface of thecapsule17,46. Coatings52 (or268) may be applied or selectively applied to cover parts of the tag or capsule/pill. In one embodiment, thesecoatings268 are applied selectively to cover certain portions of the tag and capsule but allow other portions of the tag and capsule to break down. This allows the tag to change shape or break down in such a way that it easily passes through the digestive tract while still protecting sensitive materials from digestion.
• In another embodiment, the conductive layers of theantenna266 on thetag15 are made by incorporating a metal that can dissolve, such as iron filings under a temporaryprotective layer268 such as polyglycolic acid or by incorporating particles that are nontoxic by virtue of being non-absorbable (e.g., silver or carbon). Degradation of the matrix releases particles that move through the digestive system of thepatient16 without absorption. Such particles are present above a percolation threshold for conductive “contact” (within 1000 Å), and reside in a degradable matrix such as polylactic/glycolic acid or starch. The degree of conductivity is adjusted by the degree of close contact and by the number of contact points (volume fraction). Particles that are not spherical can be added at lower levels to get good conduction. Hence, graphitic carbon plates can reach a percolation threshold at lower levels, and silver can be used as planar particles as well.
• In a preferred embodiment, theintegrated circuit47 is encapsulated or coated in a protective coating such that it is not exposed to thebody16 and its digestive process. Packaging preferably does not interfere with the RF communication but provides enough safety for human studies. Methods of use allow access to the aqueous environment for sensors while still ensuring safety.
• Power sources for body-powered electronic pills should be biocompatible, small in size with the appropriate form factor, capable of delivering high power with good maximum discharge current characteristics and low self-discharge, and provide long calendar life. Referring again toFIG. 4, many techniques may be used for harvestingpower205 and storing thepower207 within thecircuit47 for use with thetag15. For example, a capacitor can be used to store the energy atblock207 owing to the short duration of the active nature of these devices. In one embodiment, the capacitor is embedded into the pill electronics and charged fromblock205 by a handheld device via a magnetic field or other mechanism before being swallowed by thepatient16. The capacitor holds this charge until activated by a triggering mechanism, such as the dissolving of a specially coated switch by stomach acid.
• In another embodiment of theenergy harvesting block205 inFIG. 4, the chemical energy of the stomach contents is converted into electrical energy. For instance, the chemical reaction between the stomach acid and a zinc electrode oxidizes the zinc, creating an electric current via a metal electrode making the return path. In another embodiment, the system converts mechanical motion (e.g., peristaltic and other motion common in the digestive tract) into electrical energy.
• In yet another embodiment, theenergy harvesting system205 ofFIG. 4, harvests the energy of the in-link channel50, stores the energy inblock207 and uses this energy to power thetag15 and transmit data via the radiative out-link52. Harvesting of the energy from the reader's in-link50 is sufficient to power thetag15 and its transmission of the out-link channel52. In all of these embodiments, thetag15 harvests the energy until it obtains sufficient energy to transmit a signal to theexternal reader11 along the out-link channel52. As illustrated inFIG. 15, this harvesting process typically is substantially longer than the duration of the burst information sent out by thetag15, thus allowing for amplification of the out-link channel52 with respect to the instantaneous power harvested, for instance from the in-link channel50. For example, if the in-link channel50 is harvested for 100 ms and the out-link burst of information is 1 ms in duration, the out-link power transmission52 may be 100 times larger than the instantaneous power harvested by thepill14 orcapsule17 from the in-link signal50.
• An important aspect in successful detection of the ingestedelectronic pills14 orcapsules17,46 is to positively identify the origin of the transmission, that is, whether the pill or capsule is transmitting from inside the patient'sbody16. Knowledge of transmission origin is necessary to detect a patient who might intentionally spoof the system into registering a positive compliance. Multiple methodologies can be implemented for ingestion detection with element208 (FIG. 4). NotingFIG. 17, multiple techniques exist for “triggering” the system to respond only after reaching the stomach. The trigger can be activated by the dissolving of material that opens (or closes) a switch. The trigger can be based on electrical, chemical, or mechanical detection of stomach or GI tract contents (e.g., pH sensor, ISFET, temperature sensor, three electrode electrochemical cell, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS), microfluidics, miniaturized or nanoscale lab-on-a-chip, biomarker targeting, biosensors, optical sensor, sound transducers, bio- or chemi-luminescent sensor, or the like). When spoofing is not an issue, the trigger can be activated just before ingestion or by thereader11. Additionally, one also simultaneously measures changes in material properties such as physical size (swelling), magnetism, polarizability/polarization, phase (solid-solid, solid-liquid, liquid-liquid, etc.), viscosity, chemical/molecular makeup, optical clarity, thermal conduction, state of charge and so forth. For example, the sensor may sense changes in the outer walls of a capsule, such as temperature or conductivity before it comes in contact with the outer environment.
• The ingestion detection system using the galvanic gastric sensor284 (FIG. 11) withsensor208 communicates with thecontrol subsystem209 ofFIG. 4. Thecontrol subsystem209 is then either programmed to process the data it receives to determine if thetag15 is in the proper location, or passes the data through thetransmission subsystem206 for analysis by the external components, for example the reader11 (FIG. 1) or111,external device54, or central database system or healthcare provider60 (FIG. 3). In another embodiment, thetag15 does not respond to queries from thereader111 or11 until theingestion detection system208 indicates that thetag15 is in the proper location, such as the stomach S.
• Additionally, the presence of specific features in the received signal from inside the body may be sufficient to determine the transmission origin. For instance, signal strength in out-link52 coming from inside thebody16 is lower compared with that from outside the body due to attenuation from tissue, blood, and bones. It is also reasonable to expect a shift in the resonant frequency or a unique characteristic of the frequency spread or content when a signal propagates through tissue, which is absent when the transmission is outside thebody16.
• Additional techniques for detecting the origin of the transmission oftag15 include:
• The dynamics of pill motion in the esophagus E (e.g., speed of pill travel, orientation of magnet, and path of travel) and or stomach S may provide subtle discriminating differences between the in-link signal52 received fromtag15 inside thebody16 and atag15 that is outside thebody16. The peristaltic motion of the esophagus and the tossing and turning in the stomach may produce pill motion that affects the signals received due to the natural or purposely modified directionality of the fields generated by tag transmission. Additionally, there is a normal progression from mouth M to esophagus E to stomach S that will produce a difference in motions that must be obtained sequentially to validate the location of thepill14.
• Transmission of unique codes based on a variety of potential sensors attached to thetag15. In one embodiment, body temperature, pH, ECG or other physiologic sensors are included in theingestion detection system208 and either processed or relayed by thecontrol system209 to thetransmission subsystem206. Thecontrol subsystem209 can transmit either raw sensor back to thereader11 or111 for analysis of the patterns, or process the data itself and transmit back to the reader11 (FIG. 1) or111 (FIG. 3) an indication of its location.
• Ensuring that thetag15 is only active inside the patient'sbody16. For instance, thetag15 is inert when dispensed and is activated upon contact with saliva and/or other bodily agent.
• Alternatively, thetag15 is activated outside thebody16, prior to ingestion, and deactivated inside thebody16 after coming in contact with bodily fluid.
• The activation/deactivation process can be carried out using, for example:
• Selectively coated sensors that exhibit change in properties in the presence of specific chemical compounds.
• Biodegradable switches based on proteins that are broken down when exposed to digestive enzymes in the stomach.
• Unique GI fluid sensors based on the properties of the GI fluid
• One implementation strategy of a bio-switch is to interface the conductive sensor with a transistor (e.g., MOSFET, FET, BJT, etc.), as shown inFIG. 7. A conducting sensor in series with resistor R1 acts as a simple resistor divider and provides the necessary biasing voltage to the transistor gate. The output of the bio-switch is taken from the transistor drain and fed to the enable port of the RF transmitter (an RF transmitter is used as an example, but can be any electronic device that requires activation). A power source provides necessary power to drive the transistor and activation voltage. When the bio-switch is outside the body, the resistance of the conductive sensor is small compared to R1; thus the activation voltage (VA) will be below the gate threshold voltage. When the gate voltage is below the threshold, the transistor is turned off and the voltage at output equals zero. When the bio-switch comes in contact with a bodily fluid, select chemical molecules will bind to the conductive sensor and increase its resistance, thereby also increasing the activation voltage. When the activation voltage increases beyond the gate threshold voltage, the transistor turns on, and voltage at output equals that of the battery. A large voltage at the output in turn enables the RF transmitter and readies it for transmission.
• An alternative implementation is shown inFIG. 8, where the circuit configuration yields a deactivation circuit. When the bio-switch is outside the body, the voltage at output equals that of the battery; that is, the RF transmitter is enabled. When the conductive sensor comes in contact with a bodily fluid, the transistor is turned on and voltage at output equals zero, thereby disabling the RF transmitter.
• A bio-switch implementation using a conductive sensor is not limited to the above examples. Variations in transistor type, substrate type, biasing schemes, selection of power, etc., can yield several different implementation options. An exemplary concept here is the utilization of a conductive sensor to drive a switching mechanism. In the above examples a battery was used to drive the transistor and circuitry, but instead a charged capacitor can easily replace the battery. The switch can also be used to modify the frequency of the signal transmitted or detected externally (e.g., changing the frequency response of the pill/antenna). The capacitor can be charged before a pill is dispensed or can be charged by RF induction as is done in RFID techniques. One positive aspect of using a capacitor is that over time the capacitor will discharge and the entire system will become inert, meaning the subject must take the pill within a given time frame, thereby increasing the robustness of the system to spoofing.
• Another implementation of the bio-switch is to use a MOSFET e-nose sensor instead of a conductive sensor. A bio-switch with a MOSFET e-nose sensor can be implemented with much simpler supporting circuitry since the transistor does both sensing and switching. An example is shown inFIG. 9. The resistor divider of R1 and R2 provides a fixed activation voltage to the transistor gate. When the bio-switch is outside the body, the activation voltage is just below the gate threshold voltage; therefore, the transistor is off. When the MOSFET sensor comes in contact with a body fluid, a catalytic reaction takes place at the transistor gate and changes the channel conductivity; i.e., the gate threshold voltage is lowered so that the activation voltage is now above the threshold voltage. Therefore, the transistor turns on, and the voltage at output equals that of the battery. Again, this illustration is just one possible implementation scheme, and variations can be constructed with different types of substrate (e.g., n-type and p-type) and supporting circuitry.
• An additional embodiment utilizes biodegradable switches that undergo significant changes in conductivity when exposed to the digestive enzymes of the stomach. One can mix a conductive substance (e.g., carbon) with a non-conductive substance (e.g., protein). A conductive substance doped with a non-conductive substance will tend to have lower conductivity (high resistance) than a pure or even semi-doped material. When the doped material comes in contact with digestive enzymes, the non-conducting material is broken down or dissolved by the enzymes, leaving behind just the conductive material. One possible switch implementation can be based on a composition of carbon and albumin. The albumin protein is broken down by pepsin, an enzyme that is naturally present in the stomach. When the switch composition is devoid of albumin, the conductivity of the switch increases and bridges a gap in the circuit to complete the circuit. A number of possibilities exist in selecting a conducting material and a protein. Furthermore, it is also possible to incorporate multiple non-conducting materials to yield switches that are extremely selective to activation.
• In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, the in-link50 signal is used forenergy harvesting205 and is sufficiently low in frequency such that most of the energy is transferred conductively through the body of thepatient11. Thus, thetag15 is only easily powered when thetag15 is in contact with the body of the patient11 since the in-link signal is significantly attenuated in the air. As such, thetag15 will not respond to queries from thereader11 until such time as the pill is being touched or ingested by thepatient11. Similarly, synchronization signals from the in-link50 are used by thetag15 to modify the timing of the out-link52 such that the reader will not detect the signal unless the out-link52 is timed appropriately. When the in-link50 is directly injected into the body, it can be limited to only propagate through the body, thus only tags15 inside the body will respond properly to the reader. This provides a level of spoofing prevention with virtually no additional complexity added to the system.
• NotingFIGS. 10A and 10B, in order to ensure that the pill is ingested, the antenna system can be disabled by electrically “shorting” the antenna through the use of aningestible switch90 that contains acircuit breaker92 that becomes modified in the presence of gastric juice. An embodiment of this concept includes a method of breaking a circuit via the swelling of the breaker material in the presence of stomach fluid. Theswitch90 comprises a thin layer ofhydrogel92 partially coated with aconductive trace94 such as metal flake or micro-thin metal foil. When the hydrogel is exposed to low pH liquid, it swells to about sixteen times its normal size and breaks theconductive trace94. This mixture is then coated with an albumin-based layer that will prevent exposure of the hydrogel to fluids until the albumin is selectively broken down in the GI tract by either pepsin or typsin. The preferred mechanism for deactivating the system using aningestible switch90 is to electrically connect the two pads of anantenna13, creating an electrical “short”. The lower the resistance, the more power is diverted from the signaling antenna. By way of example, a five ohm resistance is sufficient to reduce the input power from the antenna by 95+%. A resistance of10K ohms will reduce the input power to the signaling chip by only 10% or less. In the case where the in-link50 is separate from the out-link52, either antenna can be shorted by this technique, essentially crippling thetag15. The preferred embodiment is to short the in-link antenna in a system that utilizes the in-link to power the system.
• Sensor such as pH sensors and other chemical sensors are fairly complex devices. NotingFIG. 11, to avoid a requirement to embed such a complex device into thetag15 or integratedcircuit20, the preferred embodiment of agastric sensor208 utilizes agalvanic couple208 that is placed in various bodily fluids (stomach fluid, esophageal fluid, GI fluid, etc.) to create a measurable change in electrical properties such as current, voltage, and/or resistance and allow digestible electronics to evaluate the location of atag15 in thehuman body16. In one embodiment, thesensor208 senses changes in the outer walls of apill14, such as temperature or conductivity before it comes in contact with the outer environment. In the preferred embodiment, the galvanic couple can provide discrimination of location as well as providing electrical power to the system. Theingestion detection system208 on thetag15 works either outside or inside apill14. Inside the pill, thedetection system208 operates when the GI fluids permeate the pill or dissolve any external layers. Thetag15 begins generating power and voltage as soon as it is wetted by ingestion and allows thetag15 to begin communicating with thereader111. As the tag moves through the GI tract M,E,S,D,I,R, the sensor or voltage information is communicated or processed by thecontrol logic209 such that location information can be determined by thereader111 or other external system.FIG. 11 shows the GI sensor/energy cell connected to controllogic208. The GI sensor requires two electrodes for operation and one or both of these electrodes may also function as antennas. In the preferred embodiment, one of the electrodes for the GI sensor comprises a small strip of metallic zinc while the second electrode consists of a specially coated silver electrode that is shared with the in-link antenna.
• In one embodiment, thegalvanic couple284 is constructed of twodiffering metals280,282 or compounds that, when placed in a bath of any number of solutions, produces an electric voltage and subsequent current and is measured by thecontrol system208. Metals used for a galvanicgastric sensor284 are transformed by a number of chemical reactions to produce a new chemical compound. The new compound changes the differential voltage. Upon immersion in a target fluid, the compound transforms into a different compound and accompanying the transformation is a change in voltage. Other changes in the galvanic cell materials can be phase transitions, state transitions, amount of the chemical compound (causing a natural change in differential voltage based on the degree of material available to sustain such a voltage), and other materials transitions that cause a change in the electrical output of the galvanic cell. In the preferred embodiment, the GI sensor creates varying degrees of current or voltage depending on the nature of the fluids in which it is immersed. Other signals such as external voltage changes induced by the electrical activity of the heart or muscles may also be detected on thegalvanic couple284. Thus, the GI sensor not only gives true/false data about the environment, but may also senses the chemical/electrical/thermal/etc. makeup of the environment and give a signal corresponding to the state.
• The metals or compounds are connected to a measurement means in the control logic208 (FIG. 11) and can be a voltmeter, potentiostat/galvanostat, electronic switch or other means to measure or gauge the voltage and report if and/or when the target electronic reading is reached in the target solution. If thesensor284 is not in the target solution, the voltage will not change appreciably as no chemical transformation will proceed. Thus, the voltages or an indicator of location can be transmitted via thetag15 to thereader11 or111 to confirm the location of thepill14 orcapsule17,46. Such chemicals transformations include silver phosphate and other silver compounds, including silver chloride, silver sulfate, silver carbonate, or even silver metal itself. Transformation can occur on the anode or cathode of the galvanic cell. In the preferred embodiment ofFIG. 11, asilver phosphate electrode280 is attached to a zinc ormagnesium electrode282, and the silver phosphate transforms to silver chloride and silver metal while the zinc or magnesium oxidizes to metal or forms a compound with anions in solution. Accompanying the silver materials transformation is a voltage differential (from high-to-low or low-to-high state). The voltage/current differential is affected by the selection of the two metals or compounds (or mix thereof), whereby a silver phosphate-zinc system differs in output voltage/current from that of a silver-phosphate-copper or silver sulfate-zinc system. Furthermore, a dissolvable orprotective coating281,283 may be applied to theelectrodes280,282 such that the electrodes are not exposed to the fluid until a certain external condition exists, such as when thetag15 is exposed to the high chlorine content of the stomach. Coatings on eachelectrode281,283 can be the same or different, providing flexibility in the voltages and currents produced in different transit times and locations in thebody16.
• FIG. 12A is a chart describing the voltages measured from thesilver phosphate electrode280 ofFIG. 11 formed by applying 9V to a silver chloride electrode in KH2PO4 solution with a silverelectrode return path282. Thesilver phosphate electrode280 was tested at loads of 20 kOhm and 1 kOhm. The charts inFIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C show the time course of voltages of the electrodes with differing amounts of phosphate (exposure time to the KH2PO4 solution), differing loads, and differing solutions. Thegastric sensor284 has a substantially different voltage in HCl, the primary component of stomach fluid, versus sulfuric acid solution.
• In alternate embodiments, thetag15 is modified to include sensors to measure various attributes of the pill's surroundings. For instance, thetag15 can have a pH monitor, temperature probe, or other sensors42 (FIG. 2B) to verify compliance. In addition, it may be beneficial to use a system that can also provide a readout of the in-link signal strength. This signal strength is beneficial for optimizing the communication protocol dynamically as well as providing potentially discriminating information relating to the location of thetag15.
• In addition to determining when thepill14 orcapsule17,46 is ingested and where it resides, it is important to detect that the pill is ingested by the appropriate person. As such, a variety of biometrics are utilized to detect that thereader11 or111 andpill14 orcapsule17,46 are located on or in thecorrect person16.
• In one embodiment, an electronic pill monitors physiologic signals inside thebody16 that are typically difficult to mimic outside the body. For example, the patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) is detected and measured by the electrical contacts, galvanic sensor, or antenna of thetag15. Thetag15 either processes the signal or passes the signal via the out-link52 to thereader11 for further processing. Detecting the presence of a valid ECG signal indicates that thetag15 is inside thebody16. Detection of a periodic pulse between 30 and 120 BPM is sufficient to detect that thetag15 is inside the body. Furthermore, a wide variety of parameters can be extracted from the physiologic signals detectable inside thebody16. In a preferred embodiment, the processing system (either in thetag15,reader11, or elsewhere downstream) detects parameters of the electrical characteristics of signals received inside thebody16 including but not limited to: periodicity, amplitude, signal shape (including peak geometry, relative height), and signal to noise ratio. In addition, the signal detected inside the body can be transmitted to thereader11 and verified against a preloaded signature of the ECG or other physiologic signal recorded earlier, for example, during the initial administration of thesystem10. Additionally, thereader11 can record the same signal outside thebody16 and ensure that thetag15 is in thesame person11 that is wearing the reader and also checked against the stored signature. These features of the ECG and other physiologic signals measured at thetag15 orreader11 are also capable of biometric identification.
• In another embodiment, physiologic signals inside thebody16 are used to modify the timing of the out-link52 signal. For example, the out-link signal52 can be timed such that it is sent a prescribed time after the detection of the peak of the ECG signal. Thus, if thereader11 detects the same ECG external to the body and determines that the out-link signal52 timing is synced to the physiologic signal, then the pill must be not only inside thebody16 but also inside the SAME body that thereader11 is attached to.
• These physiologic features and their dynamic features (changes in the signals over time) are useful to identify thepatient16, ensure ingestion, or determine the location of thetag15 in the digestive tract M,E,S,D,I,R. The dynamic features include but are not limited to heart rate variability, changes in signal strength as the tag moves through thebody16 and muscle activity in different parts of the body. For example, the ECG will be quite strong as the pill passes the heart in the esophagus E and then gradually get weaker as it moves farther from the heart in the GI tract S,D,I,R.
• In an embodiment, theexternal reader11 is used to monitor and assess a given patient's16 ECG output (periodicity, peak geometry). This information is used for a first calibration step and recorded as the baseline ECG output. The later measurement of the ECG by thereader11 validates that the same person is using the reader. Additional, the measurement by thetag15 can be checked against this calibration to ensure that the proper person is taking the medication. In this case, if either the medication or the external reader is switched to adifferent person16, the results can be checked against the calibration data. Calibration can take place in the presence of proper supervising personnel, including doctors, nurses, etc., and the calibration can be locked to those who either have calibration codes or calibration devices.
• These biometric capabilities can also be used to help guard against improper medication (type or dose) being taken. Eachtag15 can be programmed to be taken by a specific patient. The patient specificity will be recorded by certain physiologic signals that can identify individual patients, such as parameters of the ECG. Thereader11 orinterface54 can first be programmed to register the kind and frequency of medication to be taken for a given patient ECG. Thereader11 orinterface54 then alerts the patient or proper personnel if the medication taken was given to the wrong person (pill ECG does not match reader ECG) or if the medication was taken at improper time intervals (over- or under-medication).
• Maximizing power efficiency is desirable to maximize the reading distance between thereader11 and thetag15 as well as power output and detectability. Advanced low-voltage and low-power circuit design topologies and a suitable process technology are required to achieve operation with small input power levels from radiated electromagnetic fields.
• Referring toFIG. 13, the preferred embodiment of theintegrated circuit20 for thetag15 includes:protocol logic306 having a random bit generator for robust two-way communication and control,data acquisition subsystem304 andsensor314 to determine the strength of the in-link signal50, in-link subsystem302, out-link subsystem308, and energy harvesting andstorage system310. TheIC20 is designed with fallback operating modes, including a chirp mode and a beacon mode. In the chirp mode, the protocol is suspended and theIC20 transmits data whenever it has sufficient power from the energy harvesting andstorage system310. In beacon mode, theIC20 transmits a periodic burst pattern with no data (bypassing all digital logic). In one embodiment, the energy harvesting andstorage system310 extracts power from induced currents generated from theexternal reader11 via the in-link subsystem302 or directly via the in-link antennas50. In a second embodiment, a galvanic cell, GI sensor, thermocouple, or other method of generating power from the digestive tract M,E,S,D,I,R or motion through it provides primary or supplemental power via theenergy harvesting subsystem310 to enable theIC20. The out-link subsystem308 drives the out-link signal52 under control of the protocol logic andcontrol subsystem306. The protocol andcontrol system306 contains all the logic to control the IC, the communications protocol, the data acquisition, synchronization, and data storage and output, including the preprogrammed information about the medication, patient, study and other information. Minimizing the power usage of all these subsystems and in particular the out-link subsystem308 is of utmost importance.
• Preferably, theIC20 is fabricated using industry standard CMOS manufacturing processes inclass10 or better clean rooms. The physical dimensions of theIC20 are expected to be very small, less than 1 mm×1 mm×0.1 mm. When affixed to thetag15, theIC20 is encapsulated in biocompatible epoxy to cover any hard edges and to prevent interaction between theIC20 and the patient'sbody16. Thepreferred IC20 is a custom designed microchip that stores the medication information, reads the GI sensor, and implements the signaling and communications protocol. The IC is designed to operate with extremely low power and to provide reliable deep in vivo communications.
• In addition to integrated circuit implementations for the various logic and systems of thetag15, another embodiment includes printed electronic circuits created with various inks including metallic, dielectric, and organic materials. The creation of complex printed electronics requires the creation of multilayer electronic devices such as transistors and capacitors, silver conductive ink and dielectric materials are typically loaded into separate ink cartridges. For example, In the case of capacitors, fabrication can be achieved by first printing a single line of nanoparticles onto a substrate that is heated until the inks are metalized. Next, a dielectric of polymer is printed directly over the line. Finally, a second conductive line is printed perpendicular to the original conductive line. In this way, the overlapping cross-section of the two conductive lines—with a dielectric between them-creates a capacitor whose capacitance is defined by the overlap area and the dielectric material and thickness Thus, if an antenna is printed simultaneously and attached to each conductive line, a simple 3-step inking procedure is enough to begin creating simple inductor-capacitor antennas that can resonate at a tuned frequency.
• Many generally recognized as safe (GRAS) materials are available for use as dielectrics, for example polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyimide (from precursors) and PVP. In the preferred embodiment, enteric coatings are used as a dielectric material.
• The radiation efficiency of a typical loop antenna increases with loop area and is inversely proportional to the excitation signal wavelength. Since the loop area is limited, it is desirable to operate at higher frequencies to improve the antenna efficiency. In typical RF applications, operating at higher frequencies can improve the aperture efficiencies of small antennae to maximize the received power. However, in biological systems, the operating frequency is a tradeoff between increased path loss in tissue and antenna efficiency. Indeed, RF signal attenuation behavior of the in-link50 and out-link52 in bodily fluids and body tissue to and from an ingestedtag15 is complex and difficult to model.
• Thetag15 may be coded with a variety of information including but not limited to data about medication, thepatient16, thereader11, or the drug trial the patient is participating in. Additionally, thetag15 can have a unique ID that is utilized with a database of other information tagged to each tag ID to obtain similar information without storing it on thetag15. Upon detecting thetag15, any of thereaders11,111,211 or311 can store a time-stamped reading of a medication event. If thetag15 is not detected, failed compliance can be signaled, for example, to thepatient16 and/or to a second party such as a health care provider orother agency54 via input andoutput signals56,58.
• It is preferred that the communication between eachreader11,111,211 or311 and thetag15 provides two way communication, with the communication from the reader to thetag15 being preferably through a conductive in-link channel50 and the communication from thetag15 to the reader being preferably through a radiative out-link channel52. The in-link channel50 is preferentially in the range of 1-20 MHz; this frequency range produces efficient data transfer from outside the body to deep inside thebody16 and can travel through the body conductively, requiring very small antennas or pads only to receive the signal. Because the in-link transmissions50 travel conductively, the signaling attenuates very rapidly outside thebody16 thus providing for increased privacy for the in-link channel50. Skin surface contacts with the reader, asreaders111,211 and311, maximizes the efficiency of the in-link transmission50 from the reader. The in-link channel50 communicates a variety of information to thetag15, including but not limited to querying for the presence of thetag15, turning the tag's transmitter on or off, collision avoidance, and various other protocol-based communications. The in-link channel50 also provides synchronization signals between the reader andtag15. Synchronization between thereader11 andtag15 are particularly important when the out-link signal52 is very small (as is expected when coming from inside the body) and/or when the out-link signal is transmitted in very short bursts for better energy efficiency.
• In an embodiment, thetag15 is powered using the RF energy received by its coil or antenna or in another embodiment where power is generated by energy harvesting means. As described previously, this power can be stored temporarily and then used to transmit a pulse or signal to thereader11. Storing the energy internally in thetag15 helps alleviate two distinct problems. First, it allows for the storage and amplification of the instantaneous power received from the in-link50 orenergy input312 to create higher powered but shorter bursts of out-link transmissions52. Second, when transmitting into thebody16, the external powering signal (in-link50) creates significant noise that may make detection of the out-link signal52 from thetag15 very difficult.
• One method to create more detectable signals for out-link signal52 is to utilize different frequencies for power transmission and data signaling. This allows theexternal receiver12 of thereader11 to be frequency-isolated from its transmitter. A frequency selective filter may then remove the noise from the transmitter to allow for high quality reception of the data signal. Lower frequency signals typically have lower losses in the human body. As such, thepower transmission signal50 may necessarily be lower in frequency than thedata transmission signal52 which can be much lower in power.
• Another method involves the use of dual antennas on one or both of thetag15 andreceiver12; that is one antenna or set of probes/contacts for the transmission/reception of the in-link or power transmission, the other for transmission/reception of the out-link signal.
• As discussed in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 15-18, another method involves the time multiplexing of the signals such that the power transmission ceases during predefined time periods to allowtag15 to start transmitting data. The circuitry oftag15 can be designed to utilize this cessation of power transmission as a marker to determine when to start transmitting data. Additionally, that circuitry may store the power during the “power cycle” for a period of time typically longer than the transmission cycle to provide a power multiplication to improve the signal strength of the data transmission.
• It is preferred that the communications to and from thetag15 and to and from thereaders11,111, . . . are protected, encrypted, encoded, or made secure in a way to prevent interpretation by other devices and have software and/or hardware required to protect the data and support privacy or data security requirements of the communication system.
• Many of thetag15 embodiments support IDs and other stored data that can be transmitted back to thereader11 via the out-link channel52. IDs and other data can be transmitted via pulsatile signals (information in the pulse duration, pulse spacing, pulse frequency, etc.) or via digital encoding. To increase signal-to-noise ratio, it is preferable to have a transmit/receive event wherein thetag15 responds to a request from thereader11 with a predetermined signal. This signal is repeated and then synchronously averaged over multiple transmit/receive events to produce a better signal-to-noise ratio. Synchronization of the transmissions from and to thereader11 andtag15 also improves the ability of thereader11 to detectfaint signals52 from thetag15 in thebody16.
• An embodiment of an efficient communication and protocol approach is demonstrated inFIG. 14. The approach is based on a unique communication path between thetag15 and the associatedreader11. Thereader11 transmits data to thetag15 by way of the conductive in-link50 communication channel. Thetag15 transmits data to thereader11 through the out-link radiative channel52. Anelectromagnetic transmitter block320 provides the interface to theradiative channel52 at thetag15 and acorresponding reader RX322 extracts the signal at thereader11. Atag15 for apatient16 is linked directly to thepatient reader11 similar to a key and lock. Only data with the proper key or data word are recognized by thereader11 as valid patient data. As an extra measure of protection, the out-link TX carrier320 is phase locked to the reader in-link signal50 to provide means for synchronization of data. Phase lock also allows coherent detection of the tag data at thereader11, thereby enabling use of phase modulation and reduced error rates. Since the in-link signal50 is propagated by direct body contact (in-link conductive channel), only thereader11 attached to the patient'sbody16 can properly demodulate the return tag out-link52 data. This feature makes external eavesdropping of the data very difficult. Hence, this approach enhances security of the data. As will be appreciated, this communication protocol also allows several tags to be consumed and data read without the need for individual tag identification bits, thus reducing significantly the amount of data that needs to be stored.
• The protocol is composed of the communication link timing and the associated in-link50 and out-link52 data fields.FIG. 15 depicts the relative communication link timing of the data for the in-link50 and out-link52. The process begins with thereader11 sending an FM modulated signal, or “in-link header”330 to thetag15 with information necessary for proper tag operation. The header is sent periodically every T seconds. On ingestion, a random bit generator in thecircuit20 for thetag15 begins operation. On completion of the in-link header field330, the value of the random bit generator is latched. This latched value is used to set the time, t_oat which thetag15 responds to thereader11 by sending adata burst332. The data burst332 contains a subset of the data stored on thetag15 to be sent to thereader11.Several bursts332 in sequence make up the full data transmission through out-link52. The latched random generator value becomes the pill ID or address for this specific tag. Since the ID is random, each tag swallowed will have a unique ID. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the algorithm may be as simple or complex as necessary to assure no two tags randomly end up with the same address. Each tag swallowed will send apulse332 delayed in time from the end of theheader330 proportional to the value of the random address. In this fashion, no twotags15 can transmit at the same time, thus preventing interference but also allowing multiple ingestion of tags. Also, since the tag address is set randomly, there is less need for special tag identification bits to be stored on each tag, thus reducing significantly the number of bits of memory required on thetag15. This reduces cost and complexity of thetag15 significantly.
• Referring toFIG. 16, a representative efficient in-link data field342 and corresponding definitions are shown. Field selection can be used to improve the robustness of the communications between thereader11 and thetag15. For example, the field N defines the number of data bursts332 that thetag15 uses to define a single tag information bit. Thus, it is appropriate to use a mechanism by which thesystem10 assigns more data bursts332 per bit for situations where the signal to noise ratio may be poor (very large patients for example). This allows for more integration time and improved reliability. Such a system is adaptable for broader utility.
• Referring toFIG. 17, a representative efficient out-link data field352 is configured to allot two data bursts332 for asingle bit354. Depending on the total number of bits J of information transmitted, N×J data bursts are generated. For example, if the total number ofbits354 is J=16 and N=2, then 32 data bursts332 are transmitted. As a further example of the utility of this protocol, thereader11 may be preprogrammed to only accept out-link data with the proper patient ID. This along with the fact that the data is coherently linked to thereader11 essentially reduces the likelihood of data not associated with thispatient16 being received as valid data.
• FIG. 18 shows the timing for the case of three tags taken together to further illustrate the efficiency of the protocol.Tag 1362 transmits at a random slot after the in-link header330 and transmitsmultiple bursts332 perbit354. Similarly,Tag 2364 andTag 3366 transmit their multiburst per bit transmission in different time slots after the in-link header330.
• As has been previously discussed, a communication network utilizing a phase based modulation scheme is known to have advantages of reduced bit error rate (BER) for the same transmission power compared to simple modulation schemes such as Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK). Since power is extremely limited in in-vivo communication systems, minimizing BER is a challenge. Implementing a phase-based modulation scheme requires that thereader11 be able to coherently demodulate thesignal52 for eachtag15. This normally requires that the frequency stability of eachtag15 be within a tight tolerance (20-40 ppm) to permit thereader11 to phase lock and demodulate the received signal. Such frequency tolerance requires that thetag15 transmit frequency be based on a crystal reference. Size and safety constraints prohibit the use of crystals to generate the transmit signal for thetag15. Further, since the tag transmission burst is short in duration, there may be issues in proper settling which may cause demodulation errors. Another solution is for thereader11 to have an independent receiver for eachtag15 and preferably use a phase lock loop based approach to lock to the incoming signal. There are issues with this approach as well. First, the burst durations are short making the design of such a receiver extremely difficult. Second, thetag15 still requires some measure of frequency tolerance to assure regulatory or system specifications are achieved. This may require the need for tag frequency trimming which adds to the manufacturing and test costs of eachtag15. Hence, a method is required to eliminate the need for a tight frequency tolerance on thetag15 as well as acomplex reader11 receiver design.
• A preferred approach takes advantage of the fact that thereader11 is connected via the conductive in-link50 communication channel to eachtag15. Hence, by using thereader11 as the initial frequency reference and locking eachtag15 to the reference signal forreader11, a self-synchronized coherent communication system is realized.FIG. 14 illustrates this concept in detail. First, thereader11 generates a reference signal (shown here for example with frequency of 4 MHz). This signal is passed to theconductive channel50 through aninterface circuit372 and propagated to anytag15 within the channel. At the same time, the 4MHz reference376 is frequency multiplied within thereader11 to thetag15 burst frequency (400 MHz by way of example). This signal is ultimately used to coherently demodulate data from anytag15. In thetag15, the 4 MHz reference frequency is extracted, amplified and passed to the input of a PLL demodulator and TX carrier generation circuit (Tag PLL)374. This circuit has several modes of operation including the tag burst mode. During the tag burst mode, the signal is frequency multiplied to the TX frequency of 400 MHz. This signal is subsequently passed through the out-link52 channel where it is extracted at thereader11. The readerlocal oscillator378 derived from the original 4 MHz reference is used to demodulate the receivedtag signal52. The system is self coherent. Thus, thetag15 achieves a tight transmission frequency tolerance by virtue of thephase lock loop374 and does not require any internal crystal reference.
• Other advantages of this embodiment may be seen by referring toFIG. 19. This figure shows the timing relationship between the in-link50 and out-link52 burst signal and defines the three modes of operation of thetag PLL374 network. The in-link data is sent at a periodic rate of T seconds, typically on the order of 1 ms. As described earlier, thetag15 responds some time later (less than 1 ms) with a TX burst. The TX burst also repeats at the same 1 ms interval. A single period is expanded inFIG. 20 to further highlight the modes of operation of the tag PLL. The tag PLL operates continuously. Duringmode 0382, the reader sends a fixed reference signal of frequency Fref (4 MHz). The tag PLL locks to this frequency and remains locked until progressing tomode 1384. Duringmode 1, the tag PLL remains locked; also duringmode 1, thereader11 frequency modulates the 4 MHz reference signal with any required information or configuration data for thetag15. Since the tag PLL is still locked to the reader signal, the modulated data can directly be extracted from theVCO control voltage375 on the tag PLL. Hence, duringmode 1384, the tag PLL is acting as a demodulation block. The tag PLL then returns tomode 0382 and stabilizes. Finally, duringmode 2386, the PLL is given the command to frequency multiply the 4 MHz reference signal, generating the 400 MHz TX burst signal. This is an efficient realization using the same circuitry for both in-link demodulation and TX carrier generation.
• FIG. 20 shows more detail of thetag PLL374. One key to its operation is thedual frequency VCO392. Duringmodes 0 and 1, theVCO392 operates at 4 MHz. Duringmode 2 theVCO392 is switched to 400 MHz (with VCO gain parameters changed accordingly) at the same time a divide by N (100 for this example) is enabled within the loop. The frequency of thephase detector394 remains unchanged and the loop dynamics remain the same. As a result the loop quickly settles to a precise 400 MHz and the TX burst is transmitted. Once the TX burst332 is sent, thePLL374 is returned tomode 0 and the process repeats.
• It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this implementation has several advantages. Using fine lithography integrated circuit technology, the power requirements for theVCO392 duringmode 0 and 1 are very minimal. Simple ring oscillator approaches may be used for theVCO392 requiring just a few micro-amps of current. This allows thetag PLL374 to operate continuously which then permits a very frequency tolerant transmission burst. Thetag PLL374 will stabilize with each subsequent burst. The same circuitry is used for both transmit and receive and area requirements are very small leading to a low cost solution.
• Wrapped tag embodiments are shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B. NotingFIG. 5B, the wrapping process is typically partially around or completely around the outer surface ofcapsule46, soft gelcap, or other medication carrying device as shown inFIG. 5B. The recent invention includes the method of attaching thetag43 to the inside surface of thecapsule46 as shown inFIG. 5A.
• Referring again toFIG. 5B, to avoid the accidental or purposeful removal of thetag43 from the outside of thecapsule46, prevent tampering, avoid damage to thetag43,substrate45,chip47, orantennas44 from handling and environmental issues and to increase the aesthetic appeal of capsules (and minimize patient hesitation in taking an electronically-tagged medication), it is prudent to conceal and protect all electronic devices, includingantenna44 andchip47, under aprotective coating48. Theprotective coating48 can be colored to match thecapsule46 or anadditional layer42 can be included to cover thetag43 or theentire capsule46 to further obscure the presence of the tag.
• Now notingFIG. 5A, placing thetag43 inside thecapsule46 obscures the tag from view, prevents tampering, and also provides protection to the tag as thecapsule46 must dissolve or be disassembled before the tag is exposed. Placing thetag43 inside thecapsule46 also maintains a minimal change in capsule volume, and simplifies tag attachment and functionality. When thepill14 is in the form ofcapsule46 and the tag is inserted into thecapsule46, thetag43 operates similar to when thetag43 is placed on the outside of the pill. As thecapsule46 begins to absorb fluids or the capsule begins to dissolve, thetag43 will come in contact with the GI fluids and begin to operate normally. Atag43 using leads that make contact with the interior wall of thegelatin capsule46 and activates upon wetting of the capsule can react with the environment to identify location, chemistry, or otherwise. Thetag43 can then use the gelatin capsule itself as a protective system in non-aqueous environments. The diffusion time of fluid through the capsule wall is the limiting factor for detection of body fluids or transmission/reception of conductive signaling within the body itself. To make contact with the outside environment in an expedient manner, however, the receiving pads must be in direct contact with the capsule as some pills swell outwardly when exposed to fluid. Thus, for this approach an adhesive for attaching thetag43 to the inside wall of thecapsule46 is desirable.
• In many cases, placing thetag43 inside thecapsule46 works well. In some cases, the delay between ingestion and activation of the sensor system on thetag43 may be problematic. Fitting thetag43 with external exposed sensor or pads would be advantageous for quick analysis of the body environment and for advanced location discernment. Transit from mouth to stomach typically takes place in less than 8 seconds, which is faster than most gelatin capsules can absorb fluid and begin to break down. Having an external lead or sensor minimizes this delay in sensing time for an internally-placedtag43. The number of pads that need to be exposed can be as few as one, depending on configuration.
• Referring toFIGS. 21A and B, a trace or foil49 that runs from inside the gelatin capsule to its exterior allows for electronic transmission from within a capsule or power harvesting from outside the capsule. Certain portions of the antennas or leads remain exposed79,44 on thetag43 allowing for electrical contact between the tag on inside of the capsule and the interior-exterior lead49 on thecapsule43. The interior-exterior lead49 is preferably constructed such that anelongated pad86,87 is included to make contact with the antennas or leads79,44,81 of thetag43. Thetags43 are constructed with coatings such that only the leads or antennas that need to be connected to the interior-exterior leads are exposed while all other electrical components and antennas are coated in a protective and/or dielectric substance. Theelongated pads79,87 and the design of the exposed areas of the antennas or leads44,79 allow for easy alignment of thetag43 and the internal/external leads49. For example, inFIGS. 21A and 21B eachelongated pad86,87 and exposedpad44,79 has a distinct depth inside the capsule which provides for very simple alignment of thetag43 and leads49. To make the interior-exterior connection, themetal film49 is thin enough to allow a 2-part gelatin capsule to still snap together. Thetag43 itself, being composed only of thin components (antenna, chip, substrate, etc.), takes up a minimal amount of volume within thecapsule46 and should not impair drug loading amounts.
• Referring toFIG. 22, in one embodiment, thetag43 is inserted partially into thecap110 of thecapsule46 and is partially exposed as thecapsule body112 is inserted into thecap110 but under thetag43. The leads44,79 are thus exposed to the outside of the capsule and can be made to appear innocuous. Likewise, thetag43 can be attached to the outside of thebody112 and partially covered once thecap110 is placed on top of the body/tag combination. Again, leaving leads44,79 exposed for proper sensing and/or power generation. Referring to the top portion ofFIG. 23, thetag43 is inserted into thecap110 and external leads are printed, built into, or attached via a second printed antenna substrate on thecapsule body112. When thecap110 and tag43 combination are inserted on top of thebody112 with external antennas,44,79, electrical contact is made between theinternal tag43 and the external leads44,79. This embodiment also allows for “hot-swapping” of internal and external components of the tag70. Different geometric designs of an external antenna can be accommodated by a single or few internal tags by creating a system that simply needs alignment of antennas with external traces. This way, a number of antennas/sensor probes can be produced that have specific applications (frequency, power transmission properties, size, complexity) for a specific drug, creating a modular design that can have certain unique or complex components placed on the exterior of the capsule and maintain a communication pathway. This embodiment also makes the process of creating multi-metal antennas or sensors simpler as only small strips of material need be placed on the outside of the capsule70.
• Referring to the bottom portion ofFIG. 23, thetag43 is inserted into the body of thecapsule112 and the external leads44,79 are attached, built-into, or printed on the outside of thecapsule body112. Vias,87 or other methods are then used to connect thetag43 to the external leads44,79.
• FIGS. 24A and 24B illustrate an alternative embodiment where thetag43 substrate is built with elongated portions that contain external antenna or leadcomponents44,79 such that when thetag43 is inserted into one end of thecapsule46 the elongated portions can be folded back and adhered to the outside of thecapsule46.
• Referring toFIG. 25, in the preferred embodiment, the main components of thetag15 are a very small integrated circuit (IC)47, ametal antenna44, a gastrointestinal (GI) sensor/energy cell composed of a specially coated GI sensor pad that doubles as an in-link antenna79 and a second metalicGI sensor pad81, and asubstrate45.
• Thesubstrate45 is composed of a specially coated paper or other inert material. Non-whitened, low-weight papers are non-toxic and become softened in the GI tract M,E,S,D,I,R to allow for easy passage without risk of lodging as it passes. In one embodiment, these papers will then be coated with a pharmaceutical enteric coating known as “Eudragit” or similar material that is inert and biocompatible, which provides a smooth surface to allow printing of antennas. Eudragit is also a pH-sensitive material that will dissolve in the colon I, allowing thetag15 to remain active long enough to be detected before disintegrating.
• Theantennas44,79 are printed on the substrate and preferentially coated with Eudragit as described above to protect the antenna and prevent interaction with the antenna materials until the tag passes into the colon I where it begins to disintegrate.
• In one embodiment, the GI sensor/energy cell includes the use of a zinc ormagnesium electrode81 andsilver electrode79 with special coatings as described previously. The GI sensor is designed to restrict the bioavailability of the materials to levels far below FDA, EPA, and/or recommended daily intakes. The simple GI sensor produces induced voltages from the voltaic battery when different metals interact with the acidic GI fluids. An analog to digital converter withindata acquisition block304 in thechip20 is used to uniquely detect the sensor's response to GI fluid.
• FIGS. 25 and 26 show the preferred embodiment of the tag, its size, and its approximate location of features. Thetag15 consists of four logical components: the in-link antenna system79, the GI sensor85, the tag integrated circuit (IC)47, and the out-link TX antenna44. The in-link antenna system79 includes two in-link50 pads (body contact pads) that are 1-2 mm by 4 mm. The GI sensor includes apad81 that is approximately 1 mm×5 mm. The out-link antenna44 utilizes the rest of the available space. Thetag IC47 is shown in the inlay of the figure. On the right ofFIG. 23 is a diagram of thetag15 after it is wrapped around a cylindrical object. The in-link antenna pads are separated by the maximum available distance, which is 180 degrees across the capsule once the tag is wrapped around it. The out-link antenna is optimized for the required three dimensional geometry of the capsule (or pill) after attachment. Thetag15 materials and construction conforms to all safety, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements. The physical structure of thetag15 and its relationship to a medication capsule is shown inFIG. 27. Target Tag sizes are shown such as to conform to asize 0 capsule. Future generations are expected to support smaller capsule geometries and tablets.
• To minimize the size and power requirements of theexternal reader11, in one embodiment it may not include the capabilities to transmit information via a cell system, wi-fi, or other wireless network. However, in another embodiment, thereader11 can transmit data to a standard cell phone, pager, or other device as shown inFIG. 1 and as described below with reference toFIG. 3, to allow for real-time updating of patient compliance and monitoring. Using a two part reader system allows for a miniaturized on-body receiver19 and a more powerfulmobile device54 with a more sophisticated user interface for messaging and transmission to a global database. In such a two-part reader system, an on-body reader11 has two communication systems, one 50, 52 to communicate with thetag15 and one 56, 58 to communicate with the mobile device (for example a bluetooth; seeFIGS. 3 and 31 and discussion below). In such a system, the mobile device only requires special software to operate as both a standard mobile device and a front-end user interface and wide area network (WAN) transmission interface.
• Theexternal reader11 can be embodied in several forms. For example, the reader can be thewristband111 ofFIG. 28, or thepatch211 ofFIG. 29 that can be adhered to the skin like a bandage, an arm band, a handheld device or the like. Another format is a pendant or similar device that hangs around the neck. In some embodiments, it is advantageous for the reader to have contact with the skin during a medication event. It is also advantageous to design the reader to be readily available and/or worn to ensure it is present with thepatient16 for all medication events. Another form is thepill container311 shown inFIG. 30 withcontacts313 on thebottle holder311 for skin contact during the ingestion of the medication. A minimal user interface exists on thebottle holder311 with a button to indicate ingestion has takenplace312 and anindicator313 to determine when the pill was detected. Thepatient16 removes the medication from thecontainer311, ingests it, pressesbutton312 and holds thepill container311 against the skin until the ingestion event is detected at thecontacts313 and theindicator314 confirms that thetag15 was detected in thebody16. In other forms, the reader is also built into a mobile device such as a cell phone, PDA, wrist watch, or into a memory card, dongle, or other add-on device that can be attached or inserted into a mobile unit. In yet another embodiment, the reader can be built into a cell phone case, potentially borrowing power from the cell phone.
• NotingFIG. 31, eachreader11,111,211 and311 has asmall user interface227 that presents indicators of ingested medication being detected and/or the capabilities to indicate when medication should be ingested. The readers are disposable or reusable, or contains portions that are disposable and reusable. The readers also preferably contain means for storing the recorded data for downloading via USB or other means directly to a PC or other computing device. The readers are also preferentially rechargeable. In addition, for those applications where the readers do not need to be mobile, they may be built into a dongle or other means into a standard computer or laptop.
• Continuing withFIG. 31, the reader comprises several RF/analog front-end components interconnected with a digital processing core to handle the communication protocols. The body interface orantenna subsystem220 interfaces with thebody16 or media surrounding the body (e.g. air). It contains the antenna and or contact points to transmit the in-link50 data to thetag15 and receive the out-link52 data from thetag15. In addition, thebody interface subsystem220 includes the sensors, contacts, or antennas necessary to acquire physiologic or biometric data required to ensure thereader11 is on theright patient16 and thetag15 has been ingested by the right patient. The receivesubsystem221 andtransmission subsystem222 contain the electronics to drive the antennas and/or receive data from the body interface andantenna subsystem220. The uplink receive225 and uplink transmit226 subsystems transmit data to and from either a mobile device for wide area communication or directly to a wide area communication system such as cell phone, wifi, or paging networks. The protocol andcontrol subsystem224 manages the communications of the out-link52, in-link50,uplink56, anddownlink58 transmissions, controls theuser interface227 and processes all data coming in and out of thereader11. Theuser interface system227 provides information to the patient about when atag15 has been detected, allows the patient16 to initiate a manual detection, provides indicators of when thepill14 should be taken, and provides other information to the patient.
• Thetransmission subsystem220 consists of a multiple modules. The first module contains a high voltage modulator stage with a programmable low frequency carrier to conductively couple RF signals into thebody16. The supply voltage of the modulator can be dynamically varied to superimpose in-link telemetry data to communicate with the tag on the pill. Digital input signals will be derived from the protocol andcontrol subsystem224 tasked to handle communication protocols to and from the tag and also to and from a uplink/downlink transceiver225,226 that wirelessly interconnects mobile devices to thereader11. The second module is a UHF receiver chipset used to demodulate out-link52 data from thetag15. The receiver is used to downconvert the detected out-link RF signals52 for data extraction by the baseband processor. Preferably, all communication protocols betweenreader11,tag15 andmobile devices54 are be synchronized to a master clock generation module to ensure proper timing control.
• Additional adherence improvement is likely when thepatient16 is motivated to follow the prescribed regimen. By connecting the patient with the medication, the pharmacodynamics (PD) and pharmacokinetics (PK), dose/response data, and their own reaction to the medications, patients become more interested in their regimen and become more adherent. The software system is preferentially implemented in a smart phone application that is linked to thereader11 and the information provided by the uplink/downlink data. In a preferred embodiment, the software shows estimated blood levels of the drug of interest based on the known patient information and medical information stored in the system, as well as the exact timing and doses of the medication taken by the patient. The software shows the patients how missing doses or improperly taking their medication affects their simulated blood levels, drug effectiveness, and how it changes their physical responses to the medication.
• Other embodiments include personalized calendars that list each medication and dosage listed under the following four time periods: Morning, Noon, Evening, and Bedtime. If a patient does not take their medicine, they are asked to write the reason. It also lists any special instructions to help prevent adverse effects resulting in decreased medication adherence. The software also contains a list of abbreviated instructions on how to use and monitor each drug so that the patient understands the benefit and risk of each drug. The software also allows the pharmacist to enter how many days late the patient comes to the pharmacy for a refill of chronically taken medication. If the adherence rate is unsatisfactory, the pharmacist is presented with various options on how to enhance adherence through patient education programs designed from well documented motivational interview techniques.
• The Personalized Medication Adherence Registry (PMAR) is a mobile software system that receives medication adherence data from the patient and device links, then presents it to the patient and healthcare providers in an extremely quick and easy to understand format. The largest group that will benefit from PMAR are those patients taking multiple chronically administered medications that are essential to wellness. Another important population are patients who are receiving medications that create frequent or severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Typical examples of healthcare providers are all physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical trial personnel, and any other health related professions who advise, monitor or treat patients with medications.
• When patients visit their physician or other health care providers, they are usually asked to produce a comprehensive, up-to-date, and accurate list of all their medications including the name of the drug, the dosage strength, and the directions for use. This list can become extremely complex very quickly and difficult to recall. This list is immensely valuable when a patient is traveling and in an accident. It may be life saving if this medication list can be produced as quickly as possible with all the required details. Having an electronic copy immediately available can save the patient time and money while improving their health and possibly preventing an inappropriate drug related catastrophe. A common example is when one of over 20 million Americans with diabetes becomes extremely weak in a public place. If he/she has recently taken his blood sugar lowering agent, a liquid with concentrated sugar e.g. a soft drink or orange drink may save their life. The patient must provide their username and password to allow others access to this encrypted information. Since this protected information resides on their cell phone, access to cellular service is not required. A back-up of all this protected information can also be accessed by the patient and any healthcare provider, family member or close friend who has access.
• If the patient has access to the Internet via their cell phone or personal computer, they will be able to click a drug from their drug list and be linked to drug-specific information in Wikipedia. They will be reminded to print the information and have it validated for its accuracy and personalized application to their situation based upon various factors that are relevant, e.g., all their existing disease stated, medication list, age, sex, weight, diet, and exercise program.
• The Reminder feature of PMAR provides a timely visual and auditory notice to the patient via their mobile phone allowing the customer to be alerted for each of their scheduled medications. PMAR is easily customizable as to each patient's preference as to how they are to be reminded and the sound/vibrate/visual notification rules governing the reminder system. They can reminded to take all their prescription medications (Rx's), OTCs, herbal medications, and nutritional supplements.
• PMAR will also remind the patient several days prior to completing their medication that it is time to obtain a new refill or if they are probably almost out of their OTC, herbal, and nutrition supplement. This prevents one of the leading causes of proper medication adherence. These reminders are based upon the date of the last refill and whether they received a weekly, monthly, or quarterly refill.
• Although reminder systems are not uncommon, when coupled to compliance monitoring systems, additional features become possible. For example, if medications are not ingested when requested, a series of reminders or alerts can be sent starting with the patient and following up with family, care givers, doctors, pharmacists, drug trial monitors and administrators. If necessary, the system or support personnel can call or visit the patient to ensure that there are no problems and that the patient is taking the medication regularly.
• In addition, the real-time recording of every ingestion uniquely enables various advantageous patient reward systems that can be included in PMAR. For example, when patient's take their medication according to their regimen, they may be provided with coupons for free or discounted services or products. These coupons could be funded by any number of parties with a vested interest in ensuring medication adherence, including the pharmacy, the pharmaceutical company, the insurance company or government agency. For children and young adults, gaming coupons or online money or points for online games, music downloads, etc. can be provided for good or improving adherence.
• Other incentives or rewards can include currency, services such as free airtime, text messages, or data from a cellular provider, and discounts or credits towards the purchase of a product or next refill of the medication. Because each dosage can be individually verified as taken in real-time, currency or discounts can be incrementally added directly to a bank account or online account. The online account can be displayed on the user interface or on a web page. Gifts can be delivered directly by an online retailer automatically when the patient reaches a certain compliance level. The medication of interest can include prescription medicine, over the counter medicine, vitamins, supplements, food item, or any other ingestible that can have a tag attached to it.
• When the patient is reminded to take their medication, one of their options will be to choose from a list of common side effects and ADRs to document if they have experienced a recent ADR and if they stopped taking their medication secondary to the ADR. This often happens without the pharmacist or physician being aware. This will assist healthcare providers in determining the cause of patient non-adherence and prompt them to possibly decrease the dose or select an alternative medication. This feature alone can help decrease many avoidable hospitalizations.
• Referring again toFIG. 1, as an alternate to detection of the pill in the gastrointestinal system, it is also possible to detect apill30 as it passes through the esophagus E using a sensor32 designed to fit around the neck33. Preferably, this sensor32 takes the form of a complete circle around the neck33, a partial, horseshoe-like enclosure, or a simple device held against the neck33. The sensor32 detects all embodiments of thepill30 described elsewhere as it passes through the esophagus E into the stomach S. The embodiments in which the sensor32 forms a semi- or full circle around the neck33 also improve the signal-to-noise ratio over a sensor that is simply held in front of the patient. There is also less dependence on digestive mechanisms, providing less design restrictions on the pill itself.
• The neck sensor operates in all the same ways as thegastrointestinal reader11, but also allows for other, possibly advantageous, protocols. For the case in which multiple pills must be detected, a protocol in which the patient takes one pill at a time can be employed. In this approach, only one pill will occupy the esophagus E at any time, which improves the sensor's capability to identify and tally dosage.
• A biometric identification aspect is now described with reference toFIGS. 32-34. In some instances, it is important to know that theelectronic pill14 is inside the body of the person wearing thereader device111. This may be accomplished by both thepill14 andreader111 measuring a known physiologic signal and communicating attributes of this signal between them. The knowledge that thereader111 andpill14 devices are measuring the same physiologic signal indicates that thepill14 is inside the same person that thereader111 is attached to.
• Thepill14 may include a compliance monitoring device (404) attached or inside. Thiscompliance monitoring device404 measures a biometric signal such as the patient's ECG405 after being ingested and sends a signal corresponding to the ECG signal405 to thereader111 attached to the patient. Thereader111 also measures the ECG signal405 of the patient and can compare its signal to that measured by thecompliance monitoring device404. If the two signals match, thepill14 is confirmed to have been ingested by the person wearing thereader111.
• In order to reduce the amount of information that needs to be transmitted, certain characteristics of the ECG signal are calculated and transmitted between thepill14 andreader111. Many characteristics are possible, but a preferred characteristic is the timing of the peaks in the ECG signal405. This timing, sometimes called the R-R time because the peak of the ECG405 is often described by the letters QRS, can be easily calculated at both thepill14 andreader111 and compared, without the need to transmit the entire ECG signal405. Other characteristics of the ECG that can be measured include: heart rate, ratio of P to QRS or T to QRS amplitudes, duration P-R or R-T timing, QRS duration, among others.
• In addition to ECG, other physiologic signals may be used, including but not limited to breath rate, muscle activity, acoustic information, and blood flow measurements such as pulse oximetry, or body movements read with an accelerometer or similar sensors.
• In certain communication schemes, synchronizing the transmitter and receiver provides advantages including but not limited to higher signal to noise ratios, lower power transmission, and better reception. The use of the physiologic signal to synchronize the in vivo and ex vivo transmitter and receiver provides both a mechanism for synchronization and also ensuring that only pills ingested by the person wearing thereader111 are detected. If a person other than the person wearing thereader111 ingests thepill14, the physiologic synchronization cannot take place since each device will have a different synchronization signal. Only if the same person who is wearing theex vivo reader111 also ingests thepill14 can the two devices properly synchronize. In addition to this advantage, synchronizing to the physiologic signal prevents the need for either device to broadcast a synchronization signal, thus saving power in the communication system. In one embodiment, as described previously, instead of transmitting the ECG or parameters of the ECG, theoutlink signal52 is timed relative to a feature of the ECG such as the peak of the QRS. Thus, thereader111 andpill14 can only synchronize when the ECG signal is measured in the same body, without the need to actually transmit the parameters of the ECG.
• Another use of monitoring the physiologic signal is biometric identification. By measuring attributes of the ECG405 or other physiologic signal of the patient, identification of the person actually wearing thereader111 can be achieved. The physiologic signal may be measured by thepill14 orreader111 when the device is first provisioned. Thus, the device records the important attributes of the physiologic signal and then continuously compares the attributes of the physiologic signal throughout its use. If the attributes change significantly, this indicates that the person wearing thereader111 is probably not the same as the person who was originally provisioned thereader111. This prevents people from swappingreaders111 or having other people take theirpills14 for them.
• In one embodiment, principal component analysis (PCA) is used for feature extraction from the vector of data points representing a single pulse of ECG. For this algorithm, the fiduciary points are projected with PCA into a subset of features. For the classifier portion of the biometric signal, a linear model is used to match the PCA features to each person. In experimental trials, this method achieved an identification rate of 93% with ECG data sets from60 different people.
• The algorithm averages the individual pulses and then applies a similarity measure that compares the vector of PCA features from one subject to the vector of PCA features of other subjects. The similarity metric (for example mean squared error or Mahalanobis distance) calculates the distance between the vector under study and the average vectors from each subject in the database. For example, individual beats are aggregated and pruned for training the model. Pruning is determined by the similarity between beats. The similarity is calculated as follows:
• $\frac{n\Sigma x_iy_i-\Sigma x_iy_i}{\sqrt{n\Sigma x_i^2-{\left(\Sigma x_i\right)}^2\sqrt{n\Sigma y_i^2-{\left(\Sigma y_i\right)}^2}}}$
• This similarity measure is also used to determine patient X's distance with respect to either patient Y or a model that represents the world (averaged across all other patients) i.e. a cohort vs World model. In experimental trials, this model was able to correctly identify 98.67% of the patients (including the multi-day recordings).
• As known in the art, many other methods can be used to compare the physiologic signals such as ECG to previously recorded signals. For example hidden markov models, correlation, neural networks, clustering, and other methods.
• Multiple biometric methods can be used simultaneously. To obtain a good ECG signal, the data must be collected near or across the heart. Optical sensors on one arm or hand can detect blood flow and thus heart rate, but good ECG signals on the arm/hand require either both arms/hands or one arm/hand and a reference elsewhere on the body. In one embodiment, both an ECG system as described previously and a finger print system are used. In one implementation, an armband/wristband style reader is used with a fingerprint sensor. (PROBABLY NEED A FIGURE). On the top face of the armband/wristband is a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is also connected to an electrode (typically metallic). On the underside of the armband/wristband is a second electrode to allow ECG collection during capture of the fingerprint, since the subject is touching the electrode on top of the reader with one hand and the electrode on the bottom of the reader with the other hand/arm simultaneously. The electrode on the bottom of the reader can also be used as an impedance monitor to detect when the reader is removed. By detecting removal of the reader, the fingerprint may only be required once as long as the reader is not removed. Secondarily, the impedance monitor can be used with both the top and bottom electrode to verify that the person swiping their fingerprint is the same person who is wearing the device. The impedance between one arm and the other hand/finger is much lower than an open connection that would be detected if a person not wearing the reader did a fingerprint scan.
• The use of continuous data available on areader111 that is worn for extended periods of time provides a methodology for a much more robust biometric identification. Methods to remove noisy data during motion or other artifacts while still matching only the clean signals provides great flexibility in the identification system. In addition, the ability to detect when the signals are lost can be useful in determining when thereader111 is removed and replaced on the body. As long as the signal does not change dramatically or cease to be collected, it can be assumed that the same person is wearing thereader111.
• Whenmultiple pills14 are ingested it is desirable for thereader111 to be able to detect each device independently. In cases where thepills14 are not in communication or synchronized by some other means, it is desirable to have a communication telemetry system that may operate asynchronously.Pills14 provide telemetry data by sending amplitude based bursts of radio frequency (RF) energy at a frequency of fc Hz. These bursts are separated by a period of TB seconds. For multiple devices the frequency fc may be different for each device, either by design or due to process variations. Similarly, the period of bursts will be different for each device.
• Asynchronous operation may be used to assure a relationship between the burst separation period and the burst frequency. Thereader111 may then perform frequency analysis on the incoming pulse stream and sift out the individual pieces of telemetry from each communication device.
• An example of this is illustrated inFIG. 32. An individual communication device generates a burst separation and carrier frequency from a common clock generator. By determining the burst separation period at thereader111, the burst frequency may be calculated.
• FIG. 33 shows a reader receive architecture which accomplishes this. The input signal to the receiver includes bursts from up to N individual communication devices. The bursts contain information from eachdevice1 through N represented by signals S1, S2, . . . . SN. The ensemble burst telemetry is down-converted and filtered to a first Intermediate frequency, IF1. This signal is digitized by the analog to digital converter (ADC). A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is carried out which finds the periodicity of the pulse period for each communication device. Because the pulse period is directly related to the carrier frequency, this information is binned and used to digitally control oscillator blocks that generate local down conversion signals to bring each individual in-vivo signal to baseband. The converted signal is optimally filtered and passed to a signal processing block that extracts the information signals S1 . . . SN.
• An alternative approach is to use fixed oscillator signals for c1 . . . cN and down-convert directly.
• An example of a power source for thechip47 is now described with reference toFIGS. 35 and 36. Two forms of creating one half of a galvanic cell on the backside of asemiconductor die450 are presented here. The metalized sections are used as a power source for thedie450 upon immersion of the device in a fluid and when paired with an appropriate cathode/anode.
• A metalizedmaterial section452 connects thefront side454 of the die where the bond pads have been created to the typicallybare backside456 of the die which is eventually metalized with the appropriate cathode/anode material. In the example shown, the backside is metalized with amagnesium film458.
• InFIG. 35, the metalizedmaterial section452 is applied to the side of the semiconductor die450. This provides a conductive pathway between the bond pads and the backside metallization, which in this case is themagnesium film458. This metalizedmaterial section452 may be deposited similarly to the backside metallization or using conventional patterning techniques such as lithography.
• InFIG. 36, the metalizedmaterial section452 is applied through a hole that passes through thedie450. This also provides a conductive pathway between the bond pads and the backside metallization, which in this case is themagnesium film458. The hole is formed, for example, by etching.
• While the examples inFIGS. 35 & 36 show only one metallization (and therefore will need a cathode somewhere outside of the die), an alternative embodiment includes both the cathode and anode material deposited on the backside with a physical space between them that may or may not be filled with a solid material.
• Backside metallization may be achieved by sputtering, vapor depositing, laser depositing, bombarding, condensing, or physically attaching the metalizing material thereto.
• Additional examples of capsule designs are now described with reference toFIGS. 37-45.
• If desired, thetag15 may be built into thecapsule17, which may provide one or more of the following advantages
• protects thetag15 from the outside world;
• protects thetag15/medicine from the medicine/tag15 inside thecapsule17;
• the smart capsule product can be built in a qualified/approved facility with all the associated approvals and quality system and then be delivered and used by the customer just like any other capsule . . . thus removing the need to attach the tag to the capsule from the user, which simplifies the usage for the customer, since nothing in their clinical trial supply processes change;
• isolates the complexity of handling thetags15 to a single location, the capsule integrator's facility; and
• the smart capsules can be used just like any other capsule, with the potential need for a slightly modified capsule filling machine, since the shell will likely be thicker.
• Frequently in clinical trials a blinding capsule is used to prevent the patients from knowing which medicine they are taking (placebo, comparator, new drug, etc.). Often times pills, powder, liquid or other smaller capsules are placed into the blinding capsule for this reason. Blinding capsules are made in different sizes for this purpose and also typically have a longer cap to make the capsule harder to open after being sealed. Using a tag inside a blinding capsule creates a smart blinding cap that will be most useful in a clinical trial.
• Atag15 can be embedded into acapsule17 to create smart capsules during the manufacturing process and then they can be sold directly to users exactly like anyother capsule17. Billions ofcapsules17 are manufactured and sold each year. Many are used in clinical trials. Thecapsule17 can be FDA cleared, which would allow the smart capsule to be used like any other capsule, greatly simplifying the process of integrating the ID-CAP system into the processes used in clinical trials.
• Smart capsules17 can be used in commercial studies where a specialty pharmacy can be tasked with placing the medicine of interest into thesmart capsules17 in order to initiate an individual compliance trial. These compliance trials will be relatively inexpensive since thesmart capsules17 can be purchased easily and filled with regular filling equipment. The compliance trial could be requested by a doctor or payer (e.g. insurance company) to (a) better understand the effectiveness of the drug, (b) understand why the drug is not working, (c) determine if a generic is as effective as a name brand drug, etc.
• One possible way to manufacture such a smart capsule is to create an inner/outer shell of the capsule that the tag can be placed between as illustrated inFIGS. 37 and 38. This may be accomplished by either of the following two methods. The first method includes creating a second largerouter cap460 of thecapsule17 so that the inside of thecap460 fits over thebody462 like normal. The advantage of this method is that the “capacity” of the capsule is exactly the same. A disadvantage is that the cap is larger and may require a different mechanism to hold the capsule during filling.
• The second method (FIG. 39) includes creating asmaller body464 of thecapsule17 that fits inside the existingbody462. This creates a capsule that on the outside is exactly the same as a standard capsule. On the inside, however, the volume for carrying medicine is smaller. Thus, the packing mechanism for the capsule filling machine may need to be modified.
• Many other options are possible for building thetag15 into thecapsule17. For example, a small sheath may be placed over thetag15, rather than an entire shell, thus creating a larger volume.
• The sheath may cover thetag15 on the outside of thecapsule17, thus retaining the exact same internal volume and nature of theoriginal capsule17.
• In another example, shown inFIG. 40, thecapsule17 is designed in one piece such that apocket466 is contained in the cap orbody462. Thetag15 may then be inserted into thepocket466. Thepocket466 may be specially molded to allow room for any 3D features introduced by the chip or other devices placed onto thetag15. Thetag15 may be sealed into thepocket466 by heat sealing, adhesive, or another insert. Alternatively, the tag's15upper edge468 may be enlarged to fill the void left in the top of thepocket466.
• In these examples, thetag15 can be sealed into thepocket466 or between the outer and inner shell via heat treatment or electronic sealing methods. This can be done with a pin that can be inserted into the capsule shell and heated quickly to seal the capsule components together. The pin may also contain a ring or specific location where the heat/electricity is applied to promote sealing in only a single area.
• In another embodiment, the tag is inserted into the cap or body of the capsule and then an adhesive or quick drying material is sprayed in and around the inside of the capsule to adhere and protect the tag inside the capsule.
• Thetag15 may be constructed in a manner that permits various folding schemes to allow for easier assembly. Examples ofsuch tags15 are shown inFIGS. 41-45. In these examples, thetag15 includes foldable patterns that can be easily integrated into the tag attachment process. A bi-leaf (FIG. 41), tri-leaf (FIG. 45), cross (FIG. 42), or star-shaped (FIG. 43) design, for example, can be attached to aplacement rod470 during assembly. Theplacement rod470, including thetag15, is pushed down into thecapsule17, where thetag15 is secured to thecapsule17 via adhesion, heat, moisture, pressure, or the like. Referring toFIG. 41, the bi-leaf tag15 (shown without Antenna) is slid into thecapsule17 through the use of theplacement rod470. The “leaves” on both sides of thetag15 fold upward after placement into thecapsule17 and lock underneath the indentation. Referring toFIG. 42, the cross-shaped quad-leaf tag15 is depicted withGI cell material475 on each leaf (anode or cathode material on alternating leafs). Referring toFIG. 45, a pin and pin hole matching configuration of theplacement rod470 with thetri-leaf tag15 is used for securing thetag15 for a given orientation in thecapsule17 such as for a twist and locking mechanism.
• The snap mechanism found in many capsules makes use of a simple indentation made where the two parts meet. The cap of the capsule has dimples while the body has a ring indentation. Asimilar indentation472 can be made that allows thetag15 to be pushed down and locked into place. After a certain length of insertion, the tag ends463 moves past theindentation472 and are physically locked into place, while therod470 can be pulled out easily without thetag15 accidentally remaining attached. The same snap mechanism can be used inFIGS. 37,38, and 39 to hold the various pieces of the smart capsule together once assembled.
• A tag sheath may be created that completely covers thetag15 but can easily be secured into place over the existing capsule. It can be secured using a simple locking mechanism like that used to snap the capsule cap and body together and or other means such as adhesives or pressure may hold the capsule together.
• For indentation and twist-and-lock systems, one or more pin hole(s)474 can be built into thetag15 that fits with acorresponding pin476 on theplacement rod470. The pin-and-hole configuration ensures that thetag15 is inserted properly so that all leafs are inserted to the same degree, thus promoting a centered and symmetrical fit. Thepin474 hole can allow therod470 to twist thetag15 following placement into a capsule, locking it into pre-formed grooves in the capsule wall, which may be similar to the indentations that were previously described.
• Exterior forms of the multi-leaf tag are also useful. Here, thetag15 fits atop the capsule ends. In a multi-leaf tag configuration, the backside of theentire tag15 may have adhesive and the tag can be applied via pressure or heat.
• The tag leafs may also slide into the cap from the inside, but the tag leafs are longer than the cap length, allowing for GI cells at the end of each leaf to remain exposed to the outside environment for quick turn-on times. The assembly process would be a naturally-locking type where the body of the cap, through pressure, holds the tag against the cap when the two are locked into place. The cap can be designed such that it has grooves that permit the tag to fit flush with the surface of the cap. Alternatively, the tag does not have to extend past the edges of the cap, which may be useful for remaining hidden from view from the end user or for aesthetic purposes.
• The above designs can be separated from the interior drugs via a cap-in-cap method as described above. The cap-in-cap maybe a smaller capsule within a larger one, or it may be an insert that occupies only as high as the tag leaves extend upon insertion into the capsule. That multi-leaf design may allow for the coating of the backside of the tag with gelatin, HPMC, enteric coatings, celluloses, etc. to separate the tag from the drug. The capsule can be molded to the shape of the multi-leaf tag so that backside of the tag is flush with the capsule. Thus, the drug only interacts with gelatin so no interaction takes place between drug and tag materials during storage.
• The drug filling process for each of the above designs remains relatively unchanged, as the tags are pre-inserted during assembly.
• Theplacement rod470 may additionally contain an indentation at the center to protect the taller features of the tag (e.g. the integrated circuit) from undue pressure during the placement in the capsule.
• Atag15 may be placed along the long axis of thecapsule17 in either thecap460 or thebody462, thus not wrapping around thecapsule17. Twotags15 can be placed one either side of thecapsule17 in this format. Thetag15 may be inserted into a small sheath or pocket molded into thecapsule17 during the capsule molding process.
• High speed filling machines mainly use two filling principles: dosator type filling and “dosing disk or tamping” type. The dosator principle uses a dosing tube that dips in a powder bed normally two times higher than the final plug of compressed powder to be inserted into the capsule. During the dipping, the dosator piston compresses the powder into a cohesive plug and the tube transfers the plug into the capsule body. The dosing disk principle is based on filling chambers that are bored into the dosing disk. Powder flows into the filling chambers followed by a slight compression by a tamping punch which is typically repeated five times before the plug is ejected into the capsule body through a hole in the tamping disk.
• Capsules17 are often filled by hand by first placing thecapsules17 into a “capsule holder” and then brushing or tapping the powder into the body of the capsule. The cap holder can then be used to easily cap all the capsules at once.
• Thetag15 may alternatively be attached to a tablet, pill, or the like. A method of attaching the tag to a tablet includes wrapping thetag15 around the outside of the tablet and then coating the tablet with a standard pharmaceutical coating like gelatin or similar. Coatings can be used for easing ingestion (covering up bad flavors, making it easier to swallow, etc.), for time release, to avoid extraction of the inner drug, protect the tablet from the environment, improve product appearance, or other purposes. All of these coatings could also be used to protect the tag after it is wrapped around the tablet or pill. Common coatings are synthetic resins, gums, inactive and insoluble filler, sugar, plasticizer, polyhydric alcohol, waxes, coloring material, etc.
• Film coating is easily adapted for coating a tablet with atag15 wrapped around it. The tablet/tag combo can essentially be spray painted with the solubilized polymer after tag attachment. Commonly used films include Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC), Ethyl Cellulose (EC), Providone, Hydroxy Propyl Cellulose (HPC), Methyl ydroxy ethyl cellulose (MHEC), acrylate polymers (often called Eudragit), Polyethylene glycols (PEG), Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, etc.
• Other coating methods such as dip coating and vacuum film coating are easily adapted to coat a tablet or pill with an attached tag.
• The antenna and GI cell may be built into the integrated circuit if desired, thus allowing the IC to be directly embedded into thecapsule17. Many possible techniques can be used to embed the IC directly into the capsule shell. The IC can be inserted into a pocket in the capsule shell. The IC can be inserted into the capsule wall while the capsule is still “wet”. The IC can be pushed into a slot in the inside bottom of the capsule and then a small amount of material is used to cover the slot.
• With the improvements in electronic printing mechanisms, the ID-Cap system can be printed directly onto the side of the capsule after the capsule is manufactured. The printing process may include different materials including conductive materials, insulating materials, different metals for the GI cell, etc. With this process, circuits can be made that can implement simple RF responses to queries from an external reader. Additionally, the capsule can be made to output known RF signals when the GI-cell comes in contact with stomach fluid.
• The above specification and the drawings have been used to disclose a number of embodiments of this invention. Specific terms have been used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitations. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made in the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims (1)

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic drug compliance monitoring system comprising:

a pill having an electronic transmission capability; and

external means for receiving that transmission to sense the presence of the pill in the patient's body or digestive tract.

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