This article was first published in the April 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
This pill can take an athlete's temperature — from the inside. Measuring 17.7mm x 8.9mm, the PVC-coated e-Celsius Performance contains a temperature sensor, radio frequency antenna, internal memory drive and a processor that sends measurements in real time to an external monitor.
Unlike other thermometers, which require people to remain still, the capsule allows for complete range of movement. For most people, this would only be necessary at particular times — after surgery, for example.
In the world of elite sports, however, where techniques such as ice treatments are used to hasten recovery, this information can be vital from week to week. "Players need to follow a detailed plan of recovery and training to stay at their peak performance," says Sébastien Moussay, CEO of BodyCap, the French miniaturisation specialists behind the device.
Cycling teams used BodyCap's e-Celsius Performance during the 2015 Road World Championship and, in September 2015, FC Nantes experimented with the pill. "Football players use an intensive and continuous amount of physical energy, so there is a high risk of heatstroke, especially during the summer," says Moussay.
Once it has reached the gastrointestinal tract, a process which usually takes around two hours, the pill transmits information every 30 seconds. Users need to be within one metre for the monitor to pick up the signal; if the user is out of reach, the pill can store data for up to 16 hours.
For Moussay, an ingestible pill is just the beginning for miniaturised sensors. "Depending on the monitored parameter, the right solution can be wearable, ingestible and in the future, implantable." And after the pill has passed through the body? BodyCap say: "It is not meant for reuse."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
