Ingestible event marker systems

• US 10,441,194 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Robertson, Timothy, Savage, George, Zdeblick, Mark, Behzadi, Yashar, Costello, Benedict, Frank, Jeremy, Hafezi, Hooman, Haniff, Tariq, O'Reilly, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Clow, Lori A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Archer, Marie
• Application Number:
  US14/341,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14507 specially adapted for measuring characteristics of body fluids other than blood devices for taking samples of body liquids A61B10/0045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6873 Intestine
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3277 being a redox reaction, e.g. detection by cyclic voltammetry voltammetry per se G01N27/42, G01N27/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/005 Devices for making primary cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

Ingestible event marker systems that include an ingestible event marker (i.e., an IEM) and a personal signal receiver are provided. Embodiments of the IEM include an identifier, which may or may not be present in a physiologically acceptable carrier. The identifier is characterized by being activated upon contact with a target internal physiological site of a body, such as digestive tract internal target site. The personal signal receiver is configured to be associated with a physiological location, e.g., inside of or on the body, and to receive a signal the IEM. During use, the IEM broadcasts a signal which is received by the personal signal receiver.

Claims

1. An ingestible event marker comprising:

a battery section including two electrodes configured to supply a battery voltage upon contacting a body fluid by generating a current between the two electrodes using the body fluid as a conductive medium;

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store an identification code; and

an electric monopole antenna communicatively coupled to the IC;

wherein the IC comprises;

a control logic configured to control an impedance between the two electrodes to alter the current flowing through the body fluid to transmit a coded signal representing the identification code through the electrical monopole antenna as a monophasic electrical signal;

a power supply circuit coupled to the control logic; and

a capacitor coupled to the control logic, the battery section, and the power supply circuit, the capacitor configured to be chargeable by the battery voltage.

2. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein:

when a level of charge stored within the capacitor is below a predetermined threshold,

the control logic is configured to generate a recharge signal, and

the power supply circuit further comprises a recharge transistor configured to couple the battery voltage to the capacitor and to recharge the capacitor based upon the recharge signal.

3. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit further comprises a diode to prevent a charge stored in the capacitor to flow back to the electrodes.

4. The ingestible event marker according to claim 3, wherein the diode is a Schottky diode.

5. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the IC further comprises an oscillator coupled to the capacitor and the control logic, the control logic configured to control the oscillator to generate a clock signal based on the battery voltage.

6. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the IC further comprises a switch coupled to the control logic, the switch configured to change an impedance between the two electrodes.

7. The ingestible event marker according to claim 6, wherein the switch changes the impedance between the two electrodes based upon the coded signal transmitted by the control logic.

8. The ingestible event marker according to claim 6, wherein the capacitor is charged when the switch is turned off.

9. The ingestible event marker according to claim 6, wherein the two electrodes are shorted when the switch is turned on.

10. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the identification code includes a cycle pattern of an ON period and an OFF period, wherein the OFF period is longer than the ON period.

11. The ingestible event marker according to claim 10, wherein the capacitor is configured to be charged by the battery voltage during the OFF period, and wherein the electric monopole antenna does not transmit the coded signal during the OFF period.

12. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the battery section forms a voltaic cell to produce the battery voltage when the electrodes are coupled with the body fluid.

13. The ingestible event marker according to claim 1, wherein the electric monopole antenna comprises one electrode of the two electrodes.

14. An ingestible event marker comprising:

a battery section including two electrodes configured to supply a battery voltage upon contacting a body fluid by generating a current between the two electrodes using the body fluid as a conductive medium;

an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the battery section and configured to store an identification code; and

wherein the IC comprises;

a transmission switch transistor coupled to the two electrodes;

a control logic configured to control the transmission switch transistor to control an impedance between the two electrodes to alter the current flowing through the body fluid to transmit a coded signal representing the identification code using binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulation via a carrier frequency generated by an oscillator;

a power supply circuit coupled to the control logic; and

a capacitor coupled to the control logic and the power supply circuit, the capacitor configured to be chargeable by the battery voltage.