Electronically and remotely controlled pill and system for delivering at least one medicament

摘要

An electronically and remotely controlled pill (500) or medicament delivery system is provided. The pill (500) includes a housing (102); a medicament reservoir (104) for storing a medicament; an electronically controlled release valve or hatch (106) for dispensing one or more medicaments stored in the medicament reservoir (104) while traversing the gastrointestinal tract; control and timing circuitry (108) for opening and closing the valve (106); and a battery (109). The control and timing circuitry (108) opens an closes the valve (106) throughout a dispensing time period in accordance with a preset dispensing timing pattern which is programmed within the control and timing circuitry (108). RF communication circuitry receives control signals for remotely overriding the preset dispensing timing pattern, reprogramming the control and timing circuitry (108) or terminating the dispensing of the medicament within the body. The pill (500) includes an RFID tag (508) for tracking, identification, inventory and other purposes.

主权项

1. A medicament delivery system for dispensing a medicament to a gastrointestinal tract of a body, said system comprising:
a housing; an opening in the housing; a reservoir for storing said medicament within said housing, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the opening; a pressure mechanism disposed in the housing for applying pressure to the reservoir to direct the medicament toward the opening; control and timing circuitry programmed with a dispensing timing pattern and comprising a clock, wherein the timing circuitry is adapted to transmit a release signal according to the timing pattern and the clock independent of a sensed physiological parameter of the gastrointestinal tract and independent of a contemporaneous signal from outside the body; and a release controller for receiving the release signal and controlling a release of the medicament from the reservoir.