A new pill sends a text message when taken.

Often, we worry if our loved ones have taken their pills on time.

Proteus Digital Health has developed a new pill which sends a text when patients have taken their meds.

The system consists of a pill with a miniature sensor, a patch worn by the patient, and a smart phone to communicate the texts.

When the sensor reaches the stomach, it sends a signal to a patch worn on the patient’s torso. The patch transmits a message to selected smart phones and databases via Bluetooth.

Don’t worry – nobody needs to be plugged into a charger to keep it working. The small patch is powered by batteries, while the sensor is charged by electrolytes in the stomach.

It’s also fully digestible and made from metals already found in common foods and multivitamins – copper and magnesium.

Patients sign up for the service and the sensor pill is included with their prescription medication. When a text is received it is assumed they have taken the other meds along with the sensor pill.

The cost-effective device has been approved by the FDA and is expected to launch in the US soon.

How do you like the concept?