Highly-swellable polymeric films and compositions comprising the same

A device comprising:

• a framework;
• a control device coupled to the framework;
• a partial power source coupled to the control device and configured to provide power to the control device when activated, the partial power source comprising an anode material and a cathode material;
• and
• a highly-swellable polymeric film that rapidly swells without disintegrating upon contact with an aqueous medium external to the device, and covers at least one of the anode material and the cathode material;
• wherein the highly-swellable polymeric film is pre-fabricated to:
• in a first mode of operation, increase shelf-life stability of the device by inhibiting reaction of at least one of the anode material and the cathode material with ambient moisture while the device is in storage;
• and
• in a second mode of operation:
• swell upon contact with the aqueous medium;
• and
• upon swelling, provide conduction between the aqueous medium and at least one of the anode material and the cathode material that the highly-swellable polymeric film is covering.

A system comprising:

• an ingestible device sized to be minimally dimensioned for ingestion, the ingestible device comprising:
• a framework;
• a control device coupled to the framework;
• a partial power source coupled to the control device and configured to provide power to the control device when activated, the partial power source comprising an anode material and a cathode material;
• and
• a highly-swellable polymeric film that rapidly swells without disintegrating upon contact with an aqueous medium external to the ingestible device, and covers at least one of the anode material and the cathode material;
• wherein the highly-swellable polymeric film is pre-fabricated to:
• in a first mode of operation, increase shelf-life stability of the ingestible device by inhibiting reaction of at least one of the anode material and the cathode material with ambient moisture while the ingestible device is in storage;
• and
• in a second mode of operation:
• swell upon contact with the aqueous medium;
• and
• upon swelling, provide conduction between the aqueous medium and at least one of the anode material and the cathode material that the highly-swellable polymeric film is covering;
• and
• a receiver configured to receive a communication associated with the ingestible device.

A method comprising:

• accessing an ingestible device sized to be minimally dimensioned for ingestion, the ingestible device comprising:
• a framework;
• a control device coupled to the framework;
• a partial power source coupled to the control device and configured to provide power to the control device when activated, the partial power source comprising an anode material and a cathode material;
• accessing a highly-swellable polymeric film;
• and
• combining the ingestible device and the highly-swellable polymeric film, such that the highly-swellable polymeric film covers at least one of the anode material and the cathode material;
• wherein the highly-swellable polymeric film is pre-fabricated to:
• in a first mode of operation, increase shelf-life stability of the ingestible device by inhibiting reaction of at least one of the anode material and the cathode material with ambient moisture while the ingestible device is in storage;
• and
• in a second mode of operation:
• rapidly swell without disintegrating upon contact with an aqueous medium external to the ingestible device;
• and
• upon swelling, provide conduction between the aqueous medium and at least one of the anode material and the cathode material that the highly-swellable polymeric film is covering.