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Highly reliable ingestible event markers and methods for using the same

  • US 9,320,455 B2
  • Filed: 01/31/2013
  • Issued: 04/26/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An ingestible event marker comprising:

  • a support;

    a control circuit physically associated with the support to control the event marker;

    a first electrochemical material physically associated with the support and electrically coupled to the control circuit;

    a second electrochemical material electrically coupled to the control circuit and physically associated with the support at a location different from the location of the first material such that the first and second electrochemical materials are electrically isolated from each other, wherein the first electrochemical material is dissimilar from the second electrochemical material, and wherein the first and second electrochemical materials are configured to produce an actual dipole having a predefined dipole length, wherein the actual dipole length is a distance between the first electrochemical material and the second electrochemical material; and

    a membrane physically associated with the support and positioned between the first electrochemical material and the second electrochemical material to produce a virtual dipole having a length defined by a distance across the membrane, wherein the virtual dipole length is larger than the actual dipole length; and

    wherein the first and the second electrochemical materials are configured to generate a voltage potential to power the control circuit when the first and the second electrochemical materials come into contact with an electrically conductive liquid at a target physiological site.

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