Masticable ingestible product and communication system therefor

• US 10,398,161 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Arne, Lawrence, Zdeblick, Mark, Dua, Aditya, Savage, George, Leichner, Robert, Shenasa, Jafar, Johnson, Patricia, Schmidt, Raymond, Hatamkhany, Zahedeh, Muralidharan, Veeraperumanallu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/678,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 235487, 235492, 340 10, 340572
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/00 Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/10 using additives addition of substantially indigestible substances A23L33/21
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 35/00 Food or foodstuffs not provided for in groups A23L5/00 – A23L33/00; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/10 Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/19 Coating with non-edible coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

An apparatus includes a food product, at least one ingestible device associated with the food product to communicate information and at least one coating material surrounding the at least one ingestible device is disclosed. The ingestible device is associated with an ingestible medication to be ingested in conjunction with the food product. The coating is configured to release the at least one ingestible device upon the occurrence of an event.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one ingestible device to communicate information, the at least one ingestible device associated with an ingestible medication to be ingested;

at least one environmentally sensitive coating material at least partially surrounding the at least one ingestible device, wherein the environmentally sensitive coating material is a first coating; and

a second coating that is provided over the first coating; and

wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material protects the ingestible device from dissolving in a liquid carrier component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one ingestible device is stored within a pill.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one ingestible device is stored within a capsule.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material includes a hydrochloride material to control water absorption.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hydrochloride material controls an activation time for the at least one ingestible device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hydrochloride material is an alginic acid.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is configured to release the at least one ingestible device upon contact with stomach fluid.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is within the ingestible medication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second coating is the liquid carrier component.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is configured to dissolve at a predetermined pH level.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is configured to dissolve at a low pH.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is porous at the low pH, and enables moisture to penetrate the at least one ingestible device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is impermeable at a high pH.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material is an enteric coating.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the enteric coating dissolves at a neutral pH.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the enteric coating dissolves in an intestine, as the intestine is an environment with the neutral pH.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the enteric coating is impermeable at a low pH.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ingestible device comprises:

a support structure;

a first material physically associated with the support structure; and

a second material physically associated with the support structure at a location different from the location of the first material, such that the first material and second material are electrically isolated from each other and capable of generating a voltage potential when in contact with a conducting fluid, wherein the support structure includes a control module for controlling the conductance between the first material and the second material; and

wherein the ingestible device is activated when in contact with the conducting fluid and the contact results in a current signature that includes information encoded therein using the control module, wherein the conducting fluid is stomach fluid.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one ingestible device to communicate information, the ingestible device associated with an ingestible medication to be ingested;

at least one environmentally sensitive coating material at least partially surrounding the at least one ingestible device, wherein the environmentally sensitive coating material is a first coating; and

a second coating that is provided over the first coating; and

wherein the environmentally sensitive coating material protects the ingestible device from dissolving in a liquid carrier component; and

an acoustic receiver configured to couple to a user, the acoustic receiver configured to detect acoustic sounds emanating from a body of a user.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one ingestible device to communicate information, the at least one ingestible device associated with an ingestible medication to be ingested;

at least one environmentally sensitive coating material at least partially surrounding the at least one ingestible device; and

a liquid carrier component that is provided over the at least one environmentally sensitive coating; and

wherein the at least one environmentally sensitive coating material protects the ingestible device from dissolving in the liquid carrier component.