The tracking technology known as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is showing up everywhere from grocery stores, to shipping containers, to gas station, to toll roads. Now, your intestines can join in the radio wave fun!Kodak has filed from 2007 a patent application for RFID tagged capsules that could be swallowed to track activity in a patient’s digestive system. The capsules would contain a tiny tracking chip which could be used to monitor a patient’s medication history, or to transmit other medical information to a nearby RF data collector. The pills would be designed to break down over time without harming the recipient.
While the idea might seem a little odd, it actually has potential to reduce the need for invasive medical procedures, as well as to ensure that patients take the proper dosage of their medicines.
RFID tags are tiny radio chips that resonate with a single echo when hit with a radio trigger. Kodak's digestible tags are harmless and intentionally fragile. The tags would be covered with soft gelatin that takes a while to dissolve in the stomach. After swallowing a tag a patient need only sit next to a radio source and receiver.They stop working when exposed to gastric acid for a specific period of time, providing a subtle way to monitor a patient's digestive tract.
Kodak says that similar radio tags could also be embedded in an artificial knee or hip joint in such a way that they disintegrate as the joint does, warning of the need for more surgery. Attaching tags to ordinary pills could also help nurses confirm that a patient has really taken their medicine as ordered. (New Scientist)
United States Patent Application 20070008113
Kind Code A1
Spoonhower; John P. ; et al. January 11, 2007
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System to monitor the ingestion of medicines
Abstract
A system for monitoring ingestion of medicine (21) comprises forming a digestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag (10). The RFID tag is attached to the medicine. The RFID tag and medicine are ingested. A signal from the RFID tag is monitored.
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Inventors: Spoonhower; John P.; (Webster, NY) ; Covannon; Edward; (Ontario, NY)
Correspondence Name and Address: Mark G. Bocchetti;Patent Legal Staff
Eastman Kodak Company
343 State Street
Rochester
NY
14650-2201
US
Assignee Name and Adress: Eastman Kodak Company
Serial No.: 351140
Series Code: 11
Filed: February 9, 2006
U.S. Current Class: 340/539.12
U.S. Class at Publication: 340/539.12
Intern'l Class: G08B 1/08 20060101 G08B001/08
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Claims
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1. A system for monitoring ingestion of medicine comprising: forming an antenna comprised of metal segments and said medicine; forming a digestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprised of at least one of said antennas; ingesting said RFID tag; receiving signals and power from an external transmitter; transmitting signals from said RFID tag to an external receiver; and monitoring a signal from said RFID tag.
2. A system as in claim 1 comprising the additional steps of: forming a conductive coating on particles of said medicine.
3. A system as in claim 1 comprising the additional steps of: forming a mixture of said medicine and conductive particles.
4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said medicine binds segments of said antenna together.
5. A system as in claim 4 wherein said segments are pre-stressed.
6. A system for monitoring ingestion of medicine comprising: coating particles of said medicine with a conductive material; forming an antenna of said coated medicine forming a digestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprised of at least one antenna; ingesting said RFID tag; receiving signals and power from an external transmitter; transmitting signals from said RFID tag to an external receiver; monitoring a signal from said RFID tag; and wherein dissolution of said antenna indicates digestion of said medicine.
7. A digestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for monitoring ingestion of medicine comprising: an antenna comprised of said medicine and conductive segment; a circuit connected to said antenna; a resonant cavity connected to said circuit; and wherein said antenna is dissolved by digestion of said medicine.
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Description
Integral aici: Read the full edible radio patent application.
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