To enhance communication between health care and patient they have developed micro-chipped pills...

[midnight]

http://www.proteusdigitalhealth.com/proteus-digital-health-announces-fda-clearance-of-ingestible-sensor/

Proteus has worked collaboratively with the FDA since 2008 to determine the regulatory pathway for this innovation, which represents a new category of medical device and patient care. The application was ultimately processed in accordance with the de novo provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for low-risk devices that have no predicate on the market.

“We are thrilled to have achieved this important milestone to market our ingestible sensor in the United States now, as well as in Europe,” said Dr. George M. Savage, co-founder and chief medical officer at Proteus Digital Health. “We are very much looking forward to bringing the benefits of our ingestible sensor to the American public in the form of innovative product offerings.”

“The FDA validation represents a major milestone in digital medicine. Directly digitizing pills, for the first time, in conjunction with our wireless infrastructure, may prove to be the new standard for influencing medication adherence and significantly aid chronic disease management,” said Dr. Eric Topol, professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute and author of “The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Healthcare”.

The Proteus ingestible sensor can be integrated into an inert pill or other ingested products, such as pharmaceuticals. Once the ingestible sensor reaches the stomach, it is powered by contact with stomach fluid and communicates a unique signal that determines identity and timing of ingestion. This information is transferred through the user’s body tissue to a patch worn on the skin that detects the signal and marks the precise time an ingestible sensor has been taken. Additional physiologic and behavioral metrics collected by the patch include heart rate, body position and activity. The patch relays information to a mobile phone application. With the patient’s consent, the information is accessible by caregivers and clinicians, helping individuals to develop and sustain healthy habits, families to make better health choices, and clinicians to provide more effective, data-driven care.

[FirstLight]

1. scary shit, maynard

Additional physiologic and behavioral metrics collected by the patch include heart rate, body position and activity.

does that 'body position' include GLOBAL Position?

this sounds like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. all offered as a benign help for Healthy choices...when it's some kind of tracking device that tells them what meds you need so they know what to deprive you of when they haul you in for using the wrong words in your last Email...

sorry, I know it sounds a little but does anyone else get the creeps from this?

[midnight]

2. This is concerning considering the lack of privacy to all things we use to think were private....

And then monitoring behavioral metrics... That is a bit over the top....

[FirstLight]

3. seriously!

It's more ammo for me to hurry up and get my health in control so I am not taking any meds...who says they have to TELL you they are giving you one of these?

[Glitterati]

4. Easily defeated

with a $4.00 pill cutter.

Just cut your pills before you take them.

[midnight]

5. That's a good suggestion, but what can be done about the gel caps?