Method of determining body exit of an ingested capsule

A computerized method of determining body exit of an ingestible capsule comprising the steps of:

• providing an ingestible capsule having a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a power source adapted to provide current to an electrical circuit housed in said capsule;
• having a subject ingest said capsule;
• recording measurements from said pressure sensor and said temperature sensor as said capsule passes through at least an end portion of a gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• measuring voltage for said circuit as said capsule passes through said gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• transmitting said measurements to a processor outside of said gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• analyzing said voltage measurements for a low voltage condition;
• analyzing said temperature measurements for a substantial drop in said temperature measurements;
• identifying a longest consecutive increasing pressure sequence in said pressure measurements from a selected start time to a transmission end time to provide terminating pressure data as a function of time;
• comparing said sequence to a reference;
• and
• making a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject as a function of said comparison, said analysis of said temperature measurements, and said analysis of said voltage measurements.

A computerized method of determining body exit of an ingestible capsule comprising the steps of:

• providing an ingestible capsule having a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor;
• having a subject ingest said capsule;
• recording measurements from said pressure sensor and said temperature sensor as said capsule passes through at least an end portion of a gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• transmitting said measurements to a processor outside of said gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• analyzing said temperature measurements for a decrease in temperature;
• providing a terminating data set for said pressure and temperature measurements between said decrease in temperature and a transmission end time;
• analyzing said terminating data set to determine a relationship between said pressure and said temperature measurements;
• comparing said relationship to a reference;
• and
• using said comparison to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.

A computerized method of determining body exit of an ingestible capsule comprising the steps of:

• providing an ingestible capsule having a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor;
• having a subject ingest said capsule;
• recording measurements from said pressure sensor and said temperature sensor as said capsule passes through at least an end portion of a gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• transmitting said measurements to a processor outside of said gastrointestinal tract of said subject;
• analyzing said temperature measurements for a decrease in temperature;
• providing a terminating data set for said pressure and temperature measurements between said decrease in temperature and a transmission end time;
• determining a correlation value between temperature and pressure data in said terminating data set;
• and
• using said correlation value to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• receiving pressure measurements recorded by a pressure sensor on an ingestible capsule ingested by a subject;
• identifying an increasing pressure sequence in said measurements between a selected start time and a transmission end time;
• comparing said sequence to a reference;
• and
• using said comparison to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.

A system for identifying the body exit of an ingestible capsule from a gastrointestinal tract comprising:

• an ingestible capsule having a pressure sensor adapted to record pressure data as a function of time as said capsule passes through at least a portion of a subject's gastrointestinal tract;
• a receiver adapted to received said data when transmitted from said capsule;
• a processor adapted to communicate with said receiver;
• a display in communication with said processor;
• said processor programmed to
• receive pressure measurements recorded by said pressure sensor;
• identify an increasing pressure sequence in said measurements between a selected start time and a transmission end time;
• compare said sequence to a reference;
• and
• use said comparison to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• receiving pressure measurements recorded by a pressure sensor and temperature measurements recorded by a temperature sensor on an ingestible capsule ingested by a subject;
• analyzing said temperature measurements for a decrease in temperature;
• providing a terminating data set for said pressure and temperature measurements between said decrease in temperature and a transmission end time;
• analyzing said terminating data set to determine a relationship between said pressure and said temperature measurements;
• comparing said relationship to a reference;
• and
• using said comparison to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• receiving pressure measurements recorded by a pressure sensor and temperature measurements recorded by a temperature sensor on an ingestible capsule ingested by a subject;
• analyzing said temperature measurements for a decrease in temperature;
• providing a terminating data set for said pressure and temperature measurements between said decrease in temperature and a transmission end time;
• determining a correlation value between temperature and pressure data in said terminating data set;
• and
• using said correlation value to make a determination regarding said capsule exiting said gastrointestinal tract of said subject.