Smart pill keeps tabs on dosages

Imagine a pill that, when ingested, could track and record a patient's medication regimen, send the information to a receiver that would decode it and then transmit the data to a cellphone.

An American-based biomedical company is taking the digital age to the next level with the launch of an edible microchip embedded in a smart pill that, once ingested and comes into contact with stomach fluids, activates the chip.

A signal is then sent to a receiver in the form of an intelligent patch worn on the arm or shoulder: The patch contains a receiver that decodes the information about the drugs and dosage taken, and keeps a log of what time the pills reached the stomach.

The information can then be downloaded, through Bluetooth, to a computer or smart phone that can be accessed by the patient's doctor or caregiver. Proteus Biomedical has signed a deal with a British pharmacy chain to sell the edible microchips - the size of a grain of sand - through the private sector for around £50 (more than R600) a month. It is expected to be available by the end of the year.

Called the Helius, the system was designed to help patients, who take multiple pills on a daily basis, and their caregivers to monitor which pills are taken and when they are taken to ensure that patients are adhering to their treatment course.

Thandi Skade: The Star, 18 January 2012