Patent ID: 6884239

Claim:
An ingestible device for delivering a substance to a chosen or identifiable location in the alimentary canal of a human or animal, comprising: an openable reservoir, for the substance, that is sealable against leakage of the substance, the reservoir including an exit aperture, for the substance, closeable by a closure member releasably sealed to the aperture; an actuator mechanism for opening the reservoir; an energy source, operatively connected for powering the actuator mechanism; a releasable latch for controllably switching the application of power to the actuator from the energy source; and a receiver of electromagnetic radiation for operating the latch when the receiver detects radiation within a predetermined characteristic range, wherein the actuator mechanism operates by applying a force to the closure member, characterized in that the device includes a retainer member, for the closure member, that provides limited resistance to unsealing of the closure member from the exit aperture whereby, on the said force on the closure member attaining a threshold value, the said resistance is overcome and the closure member unseals the exit aperture to permit discharge of the substance from the reservoir.