Ingestible capsule with on-board sensor hardware

An ingestible capsule comprising:

• an ingestible indigestible bio-compatible housing;
• and further comprising, within the housing:
• a power source;
• sensor hardware including a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature sensor signal representing a temperature of an environment surrounding the ingestible capsule;
• processor hardware;
• memory hardware;
• and
• a wireless data transmitter;
• wherein, during a passage of the ingestible capsule through a GI tract of the subject mammal, the processor hardware is configured to receive a signal being output by the sensor hardware, to process the received signal, and to store some or all of the processed signal, or data extracted therefrom, on the memory hardware as data transmission payload;
• the processor hardware is configured to receive and monitor the temperature sensor signal to identify when the temperature sensor signal indicates that the ingestible capsule ceases to be within the GI tract of the subject mammal, and in response to said identification to determine occurrence of an excretion event, and in response to determining occurrence of the excretion event to modify one or more settings of the wireless data transmitter to start, restart, increase transmission power of, or increase a rate of, wireless transmission of the data transmission payload away from the ingestible capsule by the wireless data transmitter.

An ingestible capsule comprising:

• an ingestible indigestible bio-compatible housing;
• and further comprising, within the housing:
• a power source;
• sensor hardware;
• processor hardware;
• memory hardware;
• and
• a wireless data transmitter;
• the ingestible capsule being configured, following ingestion by a subject mammal, to collect data during a passage through a GI tract of the subject mammal, during which passage the processor hardware is configured to receive a signal output by the sensor hardware, to process the received signal, and to store some or all of the processed signal, or data extracted therefrom, on the memory hardware as data transmission payload;
• the processor hardware is configured to receive and monitor the signal output by the sensor hardware to identify a transmission trigger event indicator, and in response to said identification to determine occurrence of a transmission trigger event, and in response to determining occurrence of the transmission trigger event to modify one or more settings of the wireless data transmitter to start, restart, increase transmission power of, or increase a rate of, wireless transmission of the data transmission payload away from the capsule by the wireless data transmitter.

A method in an ingestible capsule, the ingestible capsule comprising:

• an ingestible indigestible bio-compatible housing;
• and further comprising, within the housing:
• a power source;
• sensor hardware;
• processor hardware;
• memory hardware;
• and
• a wireless data transmitter;
• the method comprising, following ingestion of the ingestible capsule by a subject mammal, during a passage through a GI tract of the subject mammal, at the processor hardware, receiving a signal being output by the sensor hardware, processing the received signal, and storing some or all of the processed signal, or data extracted therefrom, on the memory hardware as data transmission payload;
• at the processor hardware, receiving and monitoring the signal output by the sensor hardware to identify a transmission trigger event indicator, and in response to said identification, determining occurrence of a transmission trigger event, and in response to determining occurrence of the transmission trigger event, modifying one or more settings of the wireless data transmitter to start, restart, increase transmission power of, or increase a rate of, wireless transmission of the data transmission payload away from the capsule by the wireless data transmitter.