PHARMA-INFORMATICS SYSTEM
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.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a partial power source comprising 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 comprising information encoded based on a variable conductance between the first material and the second material.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device configured to produce the variable conductance between the first material and the second material when the partial power source is in contact with the conducting medium.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device comprising a switch disposed between the first material and the second material, the switch configured to control the variable conductance between the first material and the second material to encode the information when the partial power source is in contact with the conducting medium.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device comprising a switch disposed between the first material and the second material, the switch configured to short-circuit the partial power source when the partial power source is in contact with the conducting medium and the switch is closed.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first material is an anode and the second material is a cathode.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conducting medium is a physiological fluid.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises at least one of time information, date information, or identity information associated with a composition coupled to the partial power source.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power storage element configured to receive and store power from the partial power source, the power storage element configured to provide the power from the partial power source to the control device.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the partial power source is ingestible.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current flow is detectable by an external device.
11 . An apparatus, comprising:
a partial battery comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the partial battery configured to:
generate, upon contact with a physiological fluid, a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode to provide power to a signal generation element; and
generate, using the first electrode and the second electrode, a current within the physiological fluid when in contact with the physiological fluid to conductively transmit a signal.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the signal encodes at least one of time information, date information, or identity information associated with a composition coupled to the partial battery.
13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.
14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a power storage element configured to receive and store power from the partial battery, the power storage element configured to provide the power from the partial power source to the signal generation element.
15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a signal generation element, the signal generation element comprising a switch disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the switch configured to control the current within the physiological fluid to encode information in the signal when the partial battery is in contact with the physiological fluid.
16 . An apparatus, comprising:
a partial battery comprising a first material and a second material, the partial battery configured to:
generate, upon contact of the first material and the second material with a physiological fluid, a potential difference between the first material and the second material using the physiological fluid as an electrolyte of the partial battery to provide power to a control device; and
modulate a current flow within the physiological fluid being used as the electrolyte and based on a variable conductance within the control device and between the first material and the second material.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the variable conductance encodes at least one of time information, date information, or identity information associated with a composition coupled to the partial battery.
18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device configured to produce the variable conductance between the first material and the second material when the partial battery is in contact with the physiological fluid.
19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first material is an anode and the second material is a cathode.
20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a power storage element configured to receive and store power from the partial battery, the power storage element configured to provide the power from the partial battery to the control device.
21 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device comprises a switch disposed between the first material and the second material, the switch configured to short-circuit the partial battery when the partial battery is in contact with the physiological fluid and the switch is closed.
22 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a control device, the control device comprises a switch disposed between the first material and the second material, the switch configured to control the variable conductance between the first material and the second material to encode information when the partial power source is in contact with the physiological fluid.