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Miniature ingestible device

  • US 9,597,487 B2
  • Filed: 04/07/2011
  • Issued: 03/21/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:

  • an ingestible device, including;

    a partial power source having a first portion and a second portion and configured to generate power upon contact of the first portion and the second portion with a fluid;

    a control unit electrically coupled between the first portion and the second portion of the partial power source, wherein the control unit is configured to be activated by receiving the power from the partial power source and to encode information in a current flow between the first portion and the second portion through the fluid;

    a tablet material covering the first portion and the second portion of the partial power source and the control unit such that the tablet material isolates the first portion and the second portion of the partial power source and the control unit from a surrounding environment, wherein the tablet material is formulated to disintegrate upon contact with the fluid to expose the first portion and the second portion of the partial power source to the fluid;

    a non-soluble film material covering at least a portion of the tablet material, wherein the non-soluble film material is formulated and configured to inhibit interaction between the ingestible device and a pharmaceutical product during disintegration of the pharmaceutical product, and wherein the non-soluble film material covers the tablet material such that when the tablet material comes in contact with the fluid, the non-soluble film material controls the direction of expansion of the tablet material as the tablet material expands; and

    a capsule enveloping the ingestible device, wherein the tablet material further isolates the first portion and the second portion of the partial power source and the control unit from the capsule.

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