Trackable pills with electronic ID tags
First Claim
1. A trackable, authenticatable medical pill, comprising:
- a pill of substantially conventional configuration, size, construction and chemistry, essentially not larger than about 3 cm in length and about 1 cm in diameter, a radio frequency ID tag on or in the pill, including an antenna and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna, and the integrated circuit including a power supply for storing a portion of energy received by the antenna from a separate reader device that sends out an RF power signal for interrogating a plurality of similar ID tags, a processor circuit receiving power from the power supply and for originating a response to the power signal from a reader device, and a transmitter connected to the processor circuit for transmitting a response signal from the pill to identify or authenticate the pill, the transmitted signal being sent via the antenna, whereby medical pills with the ID tags can be verified for authenticity and/or tracked until medication of the pill is ingested or absorbed by a patient.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical pill intended for human or animal consumption includes an RF ID tag in or on the pill. The tag will respond to a nearby reader, the tag itself being without a battery or other constant power supply, capturing power from the reader'"'"'s transmitted signal and storing a portion of that power in a power supply. An antenna for the RF ID tag may be integral with the tag or it may be transferred to the pill using conductive materials in the pill'"'"'s coating, filler or binding agents, embedded within the pill, or printed onto the pill. If separate from the tag the antenna is electromagnetically coupled to the tag which has a small onboard antenna. The RF ID tag of each pill has data that are transmitted when the tag is interrogated by a signal from a reader. Incorporation of an ingestable ID tag is possible because of the tag'"'"'s very small size compatible with ingestion and because the tag can contain an antenna within the pill that allows the tag to be read at a substantial distance. Several different methods for deactivating the RF ID tag after ingestion or use of the pill are disclosed. Medicaments other than oral pills can also have the ID tags.
183 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A trackable, authenticatable medical pill, comprising:
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a pill of substantially conventional configuration, size, construction and chemistry, essentially not larger than about 3 cm in length and about 1 cm in diameter, a radio frequency ID tag on or in the pill, including an antenna and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna, and the integrated circuit including a power supply for storing a portion of energy received by the antenna from a separate reader device that sends out an RF power signal for interrogating a plurality of similar ID tags, a processor circuit receiving power from the power supply and for originating a response to the power signal from a reader device, and a transmitter connected to the processor circuit for transmitting a response signal from the pill to identify or authenticate the pill, the transmitted signal being sent via the antenna, whereby medical pills with the ID tags can be verified for authenticity and/or tracked until medication of the pill is ingested or absorbed by a patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A trackable, authenticatable medical dosage unit, comprising:
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a medical dosage unit of substantially conventional configuration, size, construction and chemistry, a radio frequency ID tag on or in the medical dosage unit, including an antenna and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna, and the integrated circuit including a power supply for storing a portion of energy received by the antenna from a separate reader device that sends out an RF power signal for interrogating a plurality of similar ID tags, a processor circuit receiving power from the power supply and for originating a response to the power signal from a reader device, and a transmitter connected to the processor circuit for transmitting a response signal from the medical dosage unit to identify or authenticate the medical dosage unit, the transmitted signal being sent via the antenna, whereby medical dosage units with the ID tags can be verified for authenticity and/or tracked until used by a patient. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification