The capsule, built with a zinc-cellulose antenna and an ultra-small RFID chip, emits a radio signal once swallowed, allowing healthcare providers to verify medication intake in real time. Most of the device safely degrades inside the digestive tract, with only the tiny chip passing through the body.
This type of system could be especially valuable for patients who require strict medication adherence, such as those recovering from organ transplants or undergoing long-term treatment for infections like HIV or tuberculosis. According to a study published in Nature Communications, failure to take medication as prescribed is a widespread issue that contributes to over 125,000 preventable deaths and more than $100 billion in avoidable healthcare costs every year in the United States alone.
The project, led by MIT’s Giovanni Traverso, also a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is part of a broader push to develop patient-friendly monitoring tools that don’t rely on wearable devices or invasive procedures. Researchers believe that integrating these capsules into existing treatment plans could help bridge critical gaps in medication adherence, especially in vulnerable or high-risk populations.
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