Tattle Pill Tells Doctors If You Are Taking Your Medication

Taking medication is something that none of us really want to do. Some of us are lucky in that we only have to take medication every once and awhile. However, there are those out there who have to take some sort of medication on a daily basis. A lot of these people quickly tire of taking the medication for a number of different reasons. Doctor's want to make sure that these patients don't pretend to take the prescribed medication. In comes a new pill called Tattle that will tattle tale if you don't take your medication.

There are a lot of doctors out there who want to monitor if their patient is actually taking their medication. It is usually a battle between the two parties to be 100% honest with one another. This is why a group of researchers at the University of Florida created the Tattle pill. They want to give doctors the power of knowing when a patient is or is not taking their prescribed medication. And the cool part is that it is done by using a tiny microchip.

In order to make the Tattle pill a reality researchers had to develop a way to get a microchip into your body. What better way to deliver the chip to your body but through incorporating it into the pill you are taking. They took a capsule and coated with a label embossed with silvery lines. This label would then contain a very small microchip that can easily be swallowed along with the pill. The doctor will be able to monitor if you took the medication or not.

Communication is sent from the Tattle pill to a small electronic device that is worn by the patient. The pill is able to communicate with the device because the microchip has a built in antenna. Small electric waves are sent through the body to the receiver. The device will then transfer the information through WiFi capabilities to your cell phone, laptop, or even to a computer. Minutes after the transfer the doctor will be able to tell if you took the pill or not.

Another neat fact to know is that the pill will require no battery. It is powered by the electric signals sent between the receiver and the pill. Other good news is that the pill will pass through your gastrointestinal tract once it is ingested properly. This is a great little piece of technology that could lead to patients receiving the proper attention that they may or not be seeking.

Sources:

1. UFL, http://news.ufl.edu/2010/03/31/antenna-pill-2/, 2010