First Ever Digital Pill…The Future of Eye Care?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill that carries an ingestible nano-sensor which communicates with devices outside the body even after it has been swallowed. The sensor comprises of copper, silicon and magnesium break down when it reacts with stomach fluids, sending a signal to a body patch worn by the patient. The patch, in turn, collects information about whether the medication has been taken, when and the amount taken. This information can then be sent to doctors, medical caregivers or family members for review.  Manufactured by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, Otsuka, the digital pill – called Abilify MyCite – has been made to aid patients suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression, among other mental illnesses. Can this technology be leveraged to also help patients manage eye diseases like Glaucoma, Allergies, Age-Related Macular Degeneration or Diabetic Retinopathy only time can tell.