Dissolvable biosensor can help track medication adherence

US-based scientists have developed a bioresorbable, passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system that enables precise monitoring of medication ingestion events in a bid to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce healthcare expenditures.

Called SAFARI (Smart Adherence via FARaday cage And Resorbable Ingestible), the system comprises a bioresorbable RFID antenna combined with a cellulose-metal particle-based RF shielding coating that blocks RF signals until the device reaches the target site (eg, stomach).

“The system can be built directly into existing pill capsules,” noted lead scientist Mehmet Girayhan Say from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. When the pill is swallowed, the coating dissolves, releasing both the antenna and the medication. The antenna then sends a signal to an external receiver, verifying ingestion.

Say pointed out that SAFARI is made using fully biodegradable materials, eliminating the need for device retrieval or battery replacement. “Once the signal is transmitted, most of the system’s electronic components safely break down in the stomach, while the tiny RF chip moves through the digestive tract and exits the body naturally … thereby mitigating electronic waste.”

In vivo evaluation of SAFARI in swine models demonstrated the system’s ability to accurately detect ingestion events and completely biodegrade inside the stomach. The system successfully transmitted signals from inside the stomach to an external receiver located up to 2 feet away. The tag and parts of the shielded capsule disintegrated within 24 h after administration. [Nat Commun 2026;doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67551-5]

“This technological platform serves as an important demonstration of digital medication adherence, using cellulose-based electronics in the biomedical device field,” Say said.

High-impact medical cases

SAFARI is being positioned as a specialized medical tool, not a consumer product.

“[The system] is not intended for mass-market deployment but rather for targeted, high-impact clinical contexts, where medication adherence is critical to patient outcomes and public health,” according to Say.

“These include infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and HIV, where nonadherence can promote drug resistance; transplant and cardiovascular patients requiring strict immunosuppressive or antiplatelet regimens to prevent graft rejection or thrombosis; and complex patient populations with overlapping adherence and health risks, such as individuals with HIV and substance use disorder or poorly controlled hypertension,” he added.

Say pointed out that in the US alone, medication nonadherence represents a critical healthcare challenge, generating more than USD 100 billion in additional costs annually and contributing to approximately 125,000 preventable deaths per year.

“Ongoing work will expand the present findings through chronic exposure modelling and pharmacokinetic analyses to confirm safety for lifelong use,” he said.

In the future, Say and colleagues plan to work on the development of battery-assisted RFID systems to extend the detection range, as well as on pairing the system with a wearable device that could relay the data directly to a patient’s healthcare team.