Published on 11/11/2008
Everything seems mandatory to be "smart" these days, and the same goes for even medical pills. Philips have come up with an intelligent pill which has a microprocessor inside, alongside other components such as a battery, wireless radio, pump and a drug reservoir that will release medication in a specific area in the body at the right time. Dubbed the iPill, this capsule is smart enough to measure acidity via a sensor to determine its location in the gut, thereby releasing drugs as and when required. The iPill also doubles up as a thermometer of sorts, reporting the local temperature to an external receiver. This prototype is already ready for serial manufacturing.