Jan 12, 2026 10:31 PM
https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7...chresult=1
INTRO: Engineers have created a biodegradable radio frequency (RF) antenna that can be incorporated into pill capsules to report when medication has been swallowed.
Most components of the new technology break down in the stomach and absorbed by the body. A tiny RF chip, which is not biodegradable, passes out of the body through the digestive tract.
The system could help address a major challenge in health care by ensuring particularly high-risk patients are taking their medication as prescribed.
“We’ve developed systems that can stay in the body for a long time, and we know that those systems can improve adherence, but we also recognise that for certain medications, we can’t change the pill,” says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.
“The question becomes: What else can we do to help the person and help their health care providers ensure that they’re receiving the medication? The goal is to make sure that this helps people receive the therapy they need to help maximise their health.”
The antenna that sends out the RF signal is made from zinc and it is embedded into a cellulose particle. This is placed inside a capsule along with the medication... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Engineers have created a biodegradable radio frequency (RF) antenna that can be incorporated into pill capsules to report when medication has been swallowed.
Most components of the new technology break down in the stomach and absorbed by the body. A tiny RF chip, which is not biodegradable, passes out of the body through the digestive tract.
The system could help address a major challenge in health care by ensuring particularly high-risk patients are taking their medication as prescribed.
“We’ve developed systems that can stay in the body for a long time, and we know that those systems can improve adherence, but we also recognise that for certain medications, we can’t change the pill,” says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.
“The question becomes: What else can we do to help the person and help their health care providers ensure that they’re receiving the medication? The goal is to make sure that this helps people receive the therapy they need to help maximise their health.”
The antenna that sends out the RF signal is made from zinc and it is embedded into a cellulose particle. This is placed inside a capsule along with the medication... (MORE - details, no ads)