Trackable pills with electronic id tags

Abstract

A medical pill intended for human or animal consumption includes an RF ID tag in or on the pill. The tag will respond to a nearby reader, the tag itself being without a battery or other constant power supply, capturing power from the reader's transmitted signal and storing a portion of that power in a power supply. An antenna for the RF ID tag may be integral with the tag or it may be transferred to the pill using conductive materials in the pill's coating, filler or binding agents, embedded within the pill, or printed onto the pill. If separate from the tag the antenna is electromagnetically coupled to the tag which has a small onboard antenna. The RF ID tag of each pill has data that are transmitted when the tag is interrogated by a signal from a reader. Incorporation of an ingestable ID tag is possible because of the tag's very small size compatible with ingestion and because the tag can contain an antenna within the pill that allows the tag to be read at a substantial distance. Several different methods for deactivating the RF ID tag after ingestion or use of the pill are disclosed. Medicaments other than oral pills can also have the ID tags.