Chip-in-a-pill technology

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayarticleNew.asp?section=health&xfile=data/health/2010/November/health_November23.xml

Look out, 'smart pill' is watching you

(Reuters)

9 November 2010

Novartis AG plans to seek regulatory approval within 18 months for a pioneering tablet containing an embedded microchip, bringing the concept of “smart-pill” technology a step closer.

The initial program will use one of the Swiss firm’s established drugs taken by transplant patients to avoid organ rejection. But Trevor Mundel, global head of development, believes the concept can be applied to many other pills. snip

The biotech start-up’s ingestible chips are activated by stomach acid and send information to a small patch worn on the patient’s skin, which can transmit data to a smartphone or send it over the Internet to a doctor.

Mundel said the initial project was focused on ensuring that patients took drugs at the right time and got the dose they needed—a key issue for people after kidney and other transplant operations, when treatment frequently needs adjustment.

[txlibdem]

1. How soon till Dr. McCoy types can give you a pill to start regrowing a kidney?

No, seriously. How fracking long do we have to wait?

[qazplm]

2. roughly 200 years plus

but we have to have a third world war first, and the Vulcans have to see our first warp drive test.

[txlibdem]

3. There's always a catch to it, isnt' there...

Alright. Waiting game it is, then.

Unless...

Perhaps YOU are a visitor from the 29th Century trying to manipulate the timeline for or against the Temporal Prime Directive. Now I'm not sure If I should believe you or not... Do the words "Tempus Fugit" mean anything to you?

:]