An implantable medical device is disclosed. A housing includes a hollow body forming a first electrode on an outer surface with end caps affixed to opposite ends, one end cap forming a second electrode. A microcontroller circuit is provided and includes a microcontroller operable under program instructions stored within a non-volatile memory device. An analog front end is interfaced to the electrodes to sense electrocardiographic signals. A transceiver circuit is operable to wirelessly communicate with an external data device. The program instructions define instructions to continuously sample the electrocardiographic signals into the non-volatile memory device and to offload the non-volatile memory device to the external data device. A receiving coil and a charging circuit are operable to charge an onboard power source for the microcontroller circuit.

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.

The present disclosure relates to methods of collecting and testing bacteria containing samples from within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a subject. The methods may include disposing an ingestible device in the GI tract, collecting a bacteria-containing sample from the GI tract, selectively lysing eukaryotic cells in the sample by combining the sample with a dried reagent, exposing bacteria in the sample to resazurin in the ingestible device to produce resorufin, emitting light from the ingestible device, the emitted light being filtered through an optical filter to control for scatter so that the light interacts with the resorufin to produce fluorescence, and measuring a total fluorescence from the resorufin; or a rate of change of fluorescence from the resorufin as a function of time within the GI tract of the subject; and correlating the measured parameter to a number of viable bacterial cells in the sample.

Improvements in ingestible electronics with the capacity to sense physiologic and pathophysiologic states have transformed the standard of care for patients. Yet despite advances in device development, significant risks associated with solid, non-flexible gastrointestinal transiting systems remain. Here, we disclose an ingestible, flexible piezoelectric device that senses mechanical deformation within the gastric cavity. We demonstrate the capabilities of the sensor in both in vitro and ex vivo simulated gastric models, quantified its key behaviors in the GI tract by using computational modeling, and validated its functionality in awake and ambulating swine. Our piezoelectric devices can safely sense mechanical variations and harvest mechanical energy inside the gastrointestinal tract for diagnosing and treating motility disorders and for monitoring ingestion in bariatric applications.

A tablet, method of forming the tablet, and article of manufacture that includes the tablet. The tablet can include a layer of a first dissolvable material and a first circuit positioned on the layer of the first dissolvable material. The tablet can also include a layer of a second dissolvable material coating the first circuit, and a second circuit positioned on the layer of the second dissolvable material. The method can include providing the tablet, and determining a dissolving pattern for the tablet.

In accordance with some non-limiting examples of the disclosed subject matter, an ingestible system configured to acquire physiological information from an interior of a subject is provided, comprising a substrate and at least one physiological sensor. The at least one “physiological sensor can be coupled to the substrate and configured to capture physiological data from at least one of an internal area or an orientation in a digestive tract of the subject. The system can include a controller coupled to the substrate and configured to receive the physiological data and prepare the physiological data for one of transmission from the subject or analysis of the physiological data. The substrate, including the at least one physiological sensor and the controller coupled thereto can be configured to self-orient within the digestive tract of the subject, during ingestion of the system by the subject.

Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for in vivo monitoring of localized environment conditions within a patient user by measuring analytes, including glucose, oxygen, and/or other analytes. In some aspects, a sensor device includes a wafer-based substrate, at least one electrochemical sensor two-electrode contingent including a working electrode and a reference electrode on the substrate and configured to detect a target analyte in a body fluid when the sensor device is deployed within a subject's body, where the working electrode is functionalized by a chemical layer configured to facilitate a reaction involving the target analyte that produces an electrical signal; and an electronics unit in communication with the electrochemical sensor electrode contingent to transmit the electrical signal to an external processor.

A processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: compare a first index with a first reference value that has been determined for the first index, the first index indicating a receiving performance of a wireless signal that has been received by a receiving antenna from a medical device; perform switching to a first mode or a second mode based on a result of the comparing; and when the switching has been performed to the second mode, set a radiation direction of the receiving antenna toward a section in which a second index satisfies a condition relative to a second reference value that has been determined for the second index, from among a plurality of sections from which the receiving antenna receives the wireless signal, the second index indicating the receiving performance of the wireless signal that has been received.

A method for treating a gastric bloating sensation in a subject using a vibrating ingestible capsule ingested by the subject and activated in a targeted zone of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

Various methods and apparatuses are presented for an ingestible capsule that includes a digital, ingestible sensor component—or ingestible sensor—embedded into the capsule. The ingestible sensor component may be configured to activate upon coming into contact with conductive fluid, such as a body's stomach fluid. Once activated, the ingestible sensor component may be configured to perform various tasks, such as transmitting one or more signals and obtaining biometric data about the body that ingested the capsule.