US Patent

US7978064 — Communication system with partial power source

Formulation · Assigned to Proteus Biomedical Inc · Expires 2026-09-14 · 0y remaining

Vulnerability score 60/100 Moderate — design-around opportunities exist

What this patent protects

This patent protects a communication system that uses dissimilar materials and a conducting fluid to create a power source and produce a unique current signature.

USPTO Abstract

The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can be used in a variety of different applications, including as components of ingestible identifiers, such as may be found in ingestible event markers, e.g., pharma-informatics enabled pharmaceutical compositions.

Drugs covered by this patent

Patent Metadata

Patent number
US7978064
Jurisdiction
US
Classification
Formulation
Expires
2026-09-14
Drug substance claim
No
Drug product claim
Yes
Assignee
Proteus Biomedical Inc
Source
FDA Orange Book + USPTO grounding via Google Patents

Bibliographic data sourced from FDA Orange Book + USPTO public records. Plain-English summary generated by AI grounded in source text. Patent term extensions (PTR, SPC, pediatric) may shift the effective expiry. Not legal advice.

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