COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH PARTIAL POWER SOURCE
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a control device for altering conductance; and
a partial power source comprising;
a first material electrically coupled to the control device; and
a second material electrically coupled to the control device and electrically isolated from the first material,wherein the first and second materials are selected to provide a voltage potential difference when in contact with a conducting liquid, andwherein the control device alters the conductance between the first and second materials such that the magnitude of the current flow is varied to encode information.
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Abstract
The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can be used in a variety of different applications, including as components of ingestible identifiers, such as may be found in ingestible event markers, e.g., pharma-informatics enabled pharmaceutical compositions.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a control device for altering conductance; and a partial power source comprising; a first material electrically coupled to the control device; and a second material electrically coupled to the control device and electrically isolated from the first material, wherein the first and second materials are selected to provide a voltage potential difference when in contact with a conducting liquid, and wherein the control device alters the conductance between the first and second materials such that the magnitude of the current flow is varied to encode information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An event marking apparatus for producing an identifiable current signature associated with ingestion of a pharmaceutical product, the apparatus comprising:
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a pharmaceutical product in an ingestible form; and a system secured to the product and activated upon contact with conductive fluid, the system comprising; a frame; a control device secured to the frame for controlling the conductance of the system; a first material physically associated with the frame and electrically coupled to the control device; a second material electrically coupled to the control device and physically associated with the frame at a location different from the location of the first material, such that the first and second materials are electrically isolated from each other; and a non-conductive skirt secured to the frame and positioned relative to the first and second materials to facilitate extension of the electrical path between the first and second material. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of producing an identifiable device that is operational upon contact with a conducting fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
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securing a control module on a support structure; depositing a first material onto the structure to produce an anode on the structure and electrically coupling the anode to the control module; depositing a second material onto the structure to produce a cathode on the structure at a location that is electrically isolated from the location of the anode and electrically coupling the cathode to the control module; and using the control module to vary the conductance between the anode and the cathode when the device comes into contact with the conducting fluid and produce a unique current signature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A system for communicating through a conducting fluid, wherein the system uses variance in rate of transfer of mass between solid and the conducting fluid to encode information in an ionic production rate, the system comprising:
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a support structure; a first solid material physically associated with the support structure; and a second solid material physically associated with the support structure, wherein the first material and the second material represent a voltage potential difference when in contact with the conducting fluid; and a control module electrically coupled to the first and second material and physically associated with the support structure, wherein the control module varies conductance between the first material and the second material thereby controlling the rate of transfer of mass between the first material and the conducting fluid and wherein the control module communicates information through ionic production rate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification