Pharma-informatics system

Abstract

An apparatus that includes a partial power source including a first material and a second material, the partial power source configured to generate, upon contact with a conducting medium, a potential difference between the first material and the second material to provide power to a control device, and generate, using the first material and the second material, a current flow within the conducting medium, the current flow including information encoded based on a variable conductance between the first material and the second material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for communicating information within a body of a patient, the system comprising:
 a first device comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a quasi-electrostatic signal to the body of the patient; and   a second device comprising a receiver configured to receive the transmitted quasi-electrostatic signal, wherein the receiver is configured to couple to the body of the patient; and   wherein the quasi-electrostatic signal is transmitted between the first device and the second device via a conducting medium for the quasi-electrostatic signal.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the quasi-electrostatic signal is transmitted between the first and second device within the body of the patient and wherein the body of the patient is the conducting medium for the quasi-electrostatic signal. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one third device, wherein the at least one third device is configured to receive the transmitted quasi-electrostatic signal via a quasi-electrostatic coupling to the body of the patient, wherein the quasi-electrostatic signal is received by the at least one third device within the body of the patient, and wherein the body of the patient is the conducting medium for the quasi-electrostatic signal. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the quasi-electrostatic signal comprises an identifier of the first device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a signal generating circuit coupled to a power supply, and wherein the signal generating circuit is configured to generate the quasi-electrostatic signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the signal generating circuit comprises an oscillator coupled to an antenna. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency such that a radiation field generated by the antenna has a wavelength more than 10 times longer than a largest dimension of the body. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency of about 10 MHz or less. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device is an ingestible medical device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device is a pharmaceutical delivery device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a power source. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the power source comprises two dissimilar materials that are configured to provide a voltage potential difference when in contact with a conducting fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second device is configured to transmit a control signal to an effector located in the body. 
     
     
         14 . A communications device comprising:
 a power supply;   a signal generating circuit coupled to the power supply and configured to generate a signal; and   an antenna coupled to the signal generating circuit and configured to transmit the signal via a quasi-electrostatic coupling to a patient's body.   
     
     
         15 . The communications device of  claim 14 , wherein the power supply comprises a battery. 
     
     
         16 . The communications device of  claim 14 , wherein the power supply comprises:
 an antenna configured to receive energy from an energy source via a quasi-electrostatic coupling to the body; and   a converter circuit configured to convert the received energy to electrical power.   
     
     
         17 . The communications device of  claim 14 , wherein the antenna comprises a pair of electrodes. 
     
     
         18 . The communications device of  claim 14 , wherein the signal generating circuit comprises an oscillator coupled to the antenna. 
     
     
         19 . The communications device of  claim 18 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency of about 10 MHz or less. 
     
     
         20 . The communications device of  claim 14 , wherein the signal generating circuit comprises:
 a driver coupled to drive a time varying potential on the antenna;   an oscillator having an output, wherein the driver is configured to receive the output of the oscillator; and   a modulator configured to modulate a frequency or a phase of the output of the oscillator to encode information in the signal.   
     
     
         21 . A communications device comprising:
 a power supply;   a signal generating circuit coupled to said power supply and configured to generate a quasi-electrostatic signal;   an antenna coupled to said signal generating circuit and configured to transmit the quasi-electrostatic signal via quasi electrostatic coupling to said body; and   wherein the signal generating circuit comprises:
 a driver coupled to drive a time varying potential on the antenna; 
 an oscillator having an output, wherein the driver is configured to receive the output of the oscillator; and 
 a modulator configured to modulate a frequency or a phase of the output of the oscillator to encode information in the quasi-electrostatic signal. 
   
     
     
         22 . The communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the communications device is an implantable medical device. 
     
     
         23 . The communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency of about 10 MHz or less. 
     
     
         24 . The communications device of  claim 23 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency of between about 300 Hz and about 1 MHz. 
     
     
         25 . The communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the oscillator is configured to operate at a frequency such that a radiation field generated by the antenna has a wavelength more than 10 times longer than a largest dimension of the body.