Engineers from the University of Florida (USA) have created a capsule that incorporates a small microchip and antenna and that, after ingestion, warns that a patient has taken their medicine. According to Rizwan Bashirullah, creator of the invention, this smart pill could be very useful in patients who forget if they have taken the medication, or simply get confused and do not take it daily.
The pill consists of a capsule with a microchip and an antenna that has been imprinted on its surface using non-toxic silver nanoparticle ink . The antenna is biocompatible and dissolves almost 100%. When the pill is swallowed, the microchip communicates it to a small external electronic device (which in the future could be incorporated into the mobile phone), which in turn sends a message to a telephone or a computer, informing both the patient and the patients. doctors and family members, if necessary.
According to the American Heart Association, the main problem in treating diseases today is that medical prescriptions are not being met . Recent studies show that patients with chronic diseases only take half of the prescribed pills . And that 10% of hospital admissions is due to this lack of consistency. Even 218,000 deaths annually are attributed to this problem. “Using technology to remedy it can be a good idea,” says Bashirullah.
