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House Passes Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act Advocacy groups applaud passage of bill that would permanently repeal and replace SGR.

Clinical PET-MRI Moves Closer to Reality Thanks to a European grant for the HyperIMAGE project, a consortium of scientists across Europe have worked with Philips to develop a proof-of-concept, pre-clinical combined MR-PET scanner that could one day lead to improved radiation therapy and cardiology treatments.

Scientists Find Unusual Immune System Activity in Brains of Schizophrenics The "germ theory" of schizophrenia got a mild boost this week as scientists discover that recently afflicted schizophrenics show higher levels of inflammatory proteins in the brain.

Aural Trumps Oral for Ear Treatment A novel microfluidic drug delivery system makes it possible to reach parts of the body poorly served by oral and injectable medications.

Senate Health Care Reform Bill Unveiled Legislation may go to cloture vote this weekend. Read the details.

RSNA 2009 Preview This year's RSNA should provide a very interesting look at the effects of the economy on the major OEMs. As always, vendors are whipping up the hoopla, and inside this story are great previews of what's being debuted. But DOTmed reporters will also be there to get the real buzz. Look for video interviews in our Online News direct from the show.

Interview With Fred Robertson, President & CEO of TomoTherapy TomoTherapy president and CEO Fred Robertson talks with DOTmed about his perspective on ASTRO's 2009 annual meeting, changes in the radiation oncology industry and two important TomoTherapy product launches that occurred at the show. Watch the HD video.

Pen-Sized Microscope Aims for Precise Brain Surgeries A confocal microscope picking up brain-safe fluorescent dyes could result in more accurate and streamlined surgeries to remove tumors from the brain.

Health Care Reform Round-Up: CBO Pegs Senate Bill at $849 Billion The numbers are in on the Senate's version of reform. Also read about the wide-ranging impact that the legislation would have.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Has Stunning New Guidelines on Mammography Agency recommends no routine screening for women 40-49, no self-examination. Read the details.

Philips iPill

Philips Unveils "Intelligent Pill" for Digestive Tract Diseases

November 18, 2008
by Lynn Shapiro, Writer
Philips has developed an "intelligent pill" with a microprocessor, battery, wireless radio, pump and medication reservoir that releases medicine into the digestive tract. The size of a capsule, the "iPill" is designed to pass through the digestive tract naturally and treat diseases such as Crohn's disease, colitis, and colon cancer.

The capsule determines where in the digestive tract it should go by measuring the local acidity levels in the stomach. Then it releases medicine from its drug reservoir via a microprocessor controlled pump, allowing accurate, programmable drug delivery. In addition, the capsule is designed to measure local temperature and report this information wirelessly to an external receiver unit.

Delivering drugs directly to the location needed means that patients can take lower doses of a drug, reducing its side effects, Philips said.

The company planned to present its Intelligent Pill prototype at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in Atlanta Tuesday. Philips said the product is ready to hit the market.

"We foresee that technologies like the "iPill", which combine electronics with diagnostic and therapeutic properties, will open up the possibility of targeting almost any kind of drug to a specific location in the intestinal tract," said Dr. Karsten Cremer of Pharma Concepts GMbH, Basel, Switzerland.

"In 2001, the first camera pill was approved by the FDA for diagnostic applications. Now, seven years later, for the first time, Philips researchers will present its "iPill" technology--the second generation camera pill," the company said.

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