Medication compliance system and associated methods
AssigneeNeil R. Euliano
InventorsNeil R. Euliano, Jose C. Principe, Vikas V. Meka, Michael W. Stahl, Jr.
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Abstract
A system for monitoring medication compliance in a patient includes an electronic pill that includes a drug-transporting device and an antenna positioned on a surface of the drug-transporting device. A detector is positionable external a gastrointestinal tract of a patient for detecting a presence of the antenna in the patient gastrointestinal tract.
Claims32
A method for making an electronic pill adapted for monitoring for medication compliance in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- mounting a receive/transmit antenna and electronic circuit onto a flexible substrate;
- fitting the substrate to the exterior surface of an ingestible medication delivery device by wrapping the substrate and the receive/transmit antenna continuously around a curved portion of the exterior surface of the ingestible medication delivery device;
- said receive/transmit antenna is formed of one of carbon black, silver ink, iron, a conducting polymer and an edible ink;
- the antenna detectable from a gastrointestinal tract of the patient by a detecting device positionable external the patient gastrointestinal tract;
- filling the delivery device with a medication;
- temporarily storing within the medication delivery device power received from the detecting device;
- and then
- after a time delay following the storing step, transmitting from the medication delivery device to the detecting device a signal using the temporarily stored power, the signal indicating the presence of the medication delivery device within the patient.
A system for electronically monitoring an ingestible capsule, the system comprising:
- an ingestible capsule having an exterior surface;
- a flexible substrate fitted to the exterior surface of the ingestible capsule;
- a receive/transmit antenna and an electronic circuit, both the receive/transmit antenna and the electronic circuit mounted in electrically conductive contact with each other on the substrate, wherein the substrate and the receive/transmit antenna are wrapped continuously around a curved portion of the exterior surface of the ingestible capsule, wherein said receive/transmit antenna is formed of one of carbon black, silver ink, iron, a conducting polymer and an edible ink;
- and
- detector means for transmitting wireless signals to the electronic circuit through the receive/transmit antenna and for receiving wireless signals from the electronic circuit through the receive/transmit antenna.
A method for electronically monitoring an ingestible capsule, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an ingestible capsule having an exterior surface;
- mounting a receive/transmit antenna and an electronic circuit onto a flexible substrate with the receive/transmit antenna and the electronic circuit in electronic contact with each other;
- fitting the substrate to the exterior surface of the ingestible capsule;
- by wrapping the substrate and the receive/transmit antenna continuously around a curved portion of the exterior surface of the ingestible medication delivery device;
- said receive/transmit antenna is formed of one of carbon black, silver ink, iron, a conducting polymer and an edible ink;
- transmitting wireless signals to the electronic circuit through the receive/transmit antenna;
- and
- receiving wireless signals from the electronic circuit through the receive/transmit antenna for purposes of detecting the presence of the ingestible capsule;
- wherein said ingestible capsule is filled with a medication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.