Substrate for device, module for ingestible device, ingestible device, and power feeding system

Abstract

This substrate (10) for a device is provided with: a coil (11); and a substrate (20) that has a first main surface (21) and a second main surface (22) and in which a recess (23) is provided in the first main surface (21). A first mounting region (26) is provided in a region of the first main surface (21) other than the recess (23). A second mounting region (27) is provided in a bottom part (24) of the recess (23). The coil (11) is provided inside the substrate (20) and / or on the second main surface (22) in parallel with the second main surface (22).

Description

Device substrate, dosage device module, dosage device and power supply system

[0001] The present invention relates to a device substrate, a dosage device module, a dosage device, and a power supply system.

[0002] There is a need for a method to confirm whether a patient has taken the prescribed medication, and a method to confirm what biological reactions occur when a patient takes a medication. For this reason, development of medication devices that transmit signals from inside the body to outside the body after being ingested along with medication is underway.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a swallowing sensor device that includes sensors including a sensor and a device for wirelessly transmitting information detected by the sensor, and a group of substrates formed by stacking multiple rigid substrates.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a wireless charging solid-state battery module including: a solid-state battery; an internal structure having an internal circuit electrically connected to the solid-state battery; a positive terminal and a negative terminal electrically connected to the solid-state battery, exposed to the outer surface, and positioned so that they can be mounted on an electronic circuit board; a barrier layer that contains a conductor in all or part and isolates the solid-state battery and the internal structure from the outside environment; and a power receiving terminal electrically connected to an external circuit including a power receiving coil that couples with an external electromagnetic field or magnetic field, and electrically connected to the internal circuit, and positioned outside the barrier layer.

[0005] Patent No. 6914567 Patent No. 7226574

[0006] Ingestion devices, such as the swallowing sensor device described in Patent Document 1, are known, i.e., devices that detect internal biological information by ingesting. While many electronic components must be mounted within an ingestion device, it is desirable for the size of the device to be as small as possible, appropriate for ingestion. Currently, batteries, in particular, can be the largest component. Therefore, in order to densely mount each electronic component, the inventors mounted a small, high-capacity lithium secondary battery, more specifically, an all-solid-state battery, and a wireless power receiving coil on the same substrate. However, simply mounting both on the same substrate did not fully demonstrate wireless power transfer. The reason for using an all-solid-state battery is that wireless power transfer uses high frequencies, but since most secondary batteries have metal exteriors, consideration was given to the effects of electromagnetic wave absorption and heat-related performance degradation.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 relates to a small wireless charging solid-state battery module that can protect a solid-state battery from moisture, dust, heat, etc. in the air, has high waterproof properties, and yet can be easily charged wirelessly, and describes that deterioration of characteristics is suppressed by making the thickness of the circuit board 20 μm or more and 1000 μm or less and using a water vapor barrier material for the circuit board. However, as a result of investigations by the present inventors, it was found that efficient wireless power supply was not possible with this clearance.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a device substrate that can achieve both miniaturization when electronic components are mounted and wireless power supply to the mounted battery, a medication device module including the device substrate, a medication device including the medication device module, and a power supply system using the medication device.

[0009] The device substrate of the present invention comprises a coil and a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, with a recess provided in the first main surface, a first mounting area provided in an area of ​​the first main surface excluding the recess, and a second mounting area provided at the bottom of the recess, and the coil is provided parallel to the second main surface, inside the substrate and on at least one of the second main surface.

[0010] The module for a medication device of the present invention comprises a substrate for the device of the present invention.

[0011] The medication device of the present invention comprises a medication device module of the present invention.

[0012] The power supply system of the present invention uses the dosage device of the present invention.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device substrate that can achieve both miniaturization when electronic components are mounted and wireless power supply to the mounted battery, a medication device module including the device substrate, a medication device including the medication device module, and a power supply system using the medication device.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing an example of a module for a ingested device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view schematically showing an example of a module for a ingested device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line segment A1-A1 of the module for a ingested device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing another example of a cross section along the line segment A1-A1 of the module for a ingested device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 5 is a top view schematically showing another example of a substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a top view schematically showing yet another example of a substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a top view schematically showing yet another example of a substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a bottom view schematically showing another example of a module for a ingested device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line segment A2-A2 of the module for a ingested device shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing yet another example of a cross section along the line A1-A1 of the module for a ingested device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an all-solid-state battery according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a top view schematically showing an example of a module for a ingested device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line A3-A3 of the module for a ingested device shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a device for a ingested device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line A4-A4 of the device for a ingested device shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a power supply system according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a wireless power supply system using a magnetic field resonance method used in an evaluation test. FIG. 18 is a top view schematically showing a device substrate provided in the wireless power supply system shown in FIG. 17. Fig. 19 is a bottom view schematically showing a device substrate provided in the wireless power supply system shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 20 is a graph showing the measurement results of the inductance of the coil provided in the dosage device module of each configuration used in the evaluation test. Fig. 21 is a graph showing the measurement results of the power supply characteristics of the wireless power supply system of each configuration used in the evaluation test.FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of yet another module for a medication device according to the present invention.

[0015] The device substrate, the medication device module, the medication device, and the power supply system of the present invention will be described below. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following configurations and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. In addition, a combination of multiple individual preferred configurations described below also constitutes the present invention.

[0016] The following embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that partial substitution or combination of the configurations shown in different embodiments is possible. From the second embodiment onwards, descriptions of matters common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. In particular, similar effects resulting from similar configurations will not be mentioned one after the other for each embodiment.

[0017] In this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements (e.g., "perpendicular," "parallel," "orthogonal," etc.) and terms indicating the shape of elements are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a range of substantial equivalence, for example, a difference of about a few percent.

[0018] The drawings shown below are schematic diagrams, and the dimensions, aspect ratio, scale, etc. may differ from those of the actual product.

[0019] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing an example of a module for a medication device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view schematically showing an example of a module for a medication device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line A1-A1 of the medication device module shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the medication device, and the Z-axis direction is the lateral direction of the medication device. The Y-axis is an axis perpendicular to each of the X-axis and Z-axis.

[0020] The medication device module 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 can function as a power supply module to be installed in a medication device, and includes a device substrate 10, one or more batteries 40 mounted on the device substrate 10, and one or more electronic components 12 mounted on the device substrate 10.

[0021] The device substrate 10 includes a coil 11 and a substrate 20 .

[0022] Here, the substrate 20 is a resin substrate, but the type is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an HTCC substrate (HTCC: High Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) or an LTCC substrate (LTCC: Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics).

[0023] The substrate 20 has a first main surface 21 and a second main surface 22, and a recess 23 is provided on the first main surface 21. On the other hand, the second main surface 22 may be a flat surface without any recesses or protrusions.

[0024] The recess 23 is a cutout provided in the first main surface 21 of the substrate 20, and is lower than the first main surface 21 in a region excluding the recess 23 (hereinafter referred to as a reference plane 25), i.e., it is located closer to the second main surface 22. As shown in Fig. 3, the recess 23 is a rectangular recess in cross section, and the bottom 24 of the recess 23 and the reference plane 25 may be flat surfaces parallel to the second main surface 22, or the bottom 24 of the recess 23, the reference plane 25, and the second main surface 22 may be parallel to one another. The substrate 20 provided with the recess 23 has a thin portion 28 where the recess 23 is provided, which has a relatively small thickness, and a thick portion 29 where the recess 23 is provided, which has a relatively large thickness in the region excluding the recess 23.

[0025] A first mounting area 26 is provided in the area of ​​the first main surface 21 excluding the recess 23, i.e., the reference surface 25, and a second mounting area 27 is provided at the bottom 24 of the recess 23. A circuit pattern (not shown) including wiring, lands, pads, etc. is provided in each of the first mounting area 26 and the second mounting area 27. Furthermore, vias, through holes, etc. may be provided in the substrate 20 in the thickness direction of the substrate 20.

[0026] One or more batteries 40 are mounted in the first mounting area 26, and one or more electronic components 12 are mounted in the second mounting area 27. Here, a battery 40 is mounted in each of the pair of first mounting areas 26, and multiple electronic components 12 are mounted in the second mounting area 27, although the number of each is not particularly limited. When viewed from above, each of these mounting areas corresponds to an area defined by the components mounted in that area.

[0027] In this specification, the term "main surface" refers to a main surface having a larger area than other surfaces. Therefore, a "substrate" has two main surfaces (a first main surface and a second main surface) that face each other in the thickness direction.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a cross section of the medication device module shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along the line A1-A1.

[0029] The coil 11 is a receiving coil for wireless power supply (contactless power supply) in combination with a power transmitting coil (neither of which is shown) of a power transmitter separate from the ingestion device, and is electrically connected to the battery 40. The coil 11 is provided parallel to the second main surface 22 inside the substrate 20 (see FIG. 4) or on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20 (see FIG. 3). The coil 11 is formed, for example, by patterning. The coil 11 may be provided both inside the substrate 20 and on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20. In this case, the coil pattern inside the substrate 20 and the coil pattern on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20 may be connected in series with each other via a via or the like.

[0030] The coil 11 is made of, for example, copper. Wireless power feeding can be performed using electromagnetic induction technology or magnetic resonance technology. Note that magnetic resonance is a type of electromagnetic induction, in which a current flows through the coil 11 in response to changes in the magnetic field created by the power transmission coil.

[0031] The battery 40 is, for example, a secondary battery capable of charging the power received by the coil 11. In this case, the battery 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rechargeable battery, but an all-solid-state battery having a solid electrolyte is preferable. All-solid-state batteries are small, have high capacity, and are safe because they do not leak. In addition, all-solid-state batteries can be mounted on a substrate and are capable of constant voltage charging (CV), which allows for a simplification of the charging circuit formed on the substrate 20. For these reasons, all-solid-state batteries are suitable for the module 1 for a dosage device.

[0032] The type of electronic component 12 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, passive components such as diodes, capacitors, coils, resistors, and piezoelectric elements, active components such as transistors, regulators, DC-DC converters, A / D converters, and ICs, sensors such as thermistors, or a biometric information acquisition unit equipped with a timing means or sensor.

[0033] The device substrate 10 can achieve both miniaturization when the electronic components 12 are mounted and wireless power supply to the mounted battery 40 .

[0034] More specifically, in the device substrate 10, a recess 23 is provided on the first main surface 21 of the substrate 20, a second mounting area 27 is provided on the bottom 24 of the recess 23, and the electronic component 12 is mounted in the second mounting area 27. As a result, the electronic component 12 is disposed in the thin-walled portion 28 of the substrate 20, and the dosage device module 1 including the electronic component 12 can be made smaller. In particular, the dimension of the dosage device module 1 in the thickness direction can be reduced.

[0035] Furthermore, in the device substrate 10, a first mounting area 26 is provided on the first main surface 21 of the substrate 20 excluding the recess 23, i.e., on the reference surface 25. The battery 40 is mounted in the first mounting area 26, and the coil 11 is provided parallel to the second main surface 22 inside the substrate 20 and / or on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20. This allows the coil 11 to be spaced apart from the battery 40 in the thickness direction of the substrate 20. Therefore, the magnetic field generated around the coil 11 during wireless power transfer extends to conductors on the surface of the battery 40, such as the metal constituting the battery's exterior body or external electrodes, preventing induced currents from being generated in the conductors and consumed as heat. In other words, eddy current loss due to the conductors of the battery 40 can be reduced. As a result, wireless power can be transferred to the battery 40 via the coil 11.

[0036] Therefore, the medication device module 1 including the device substrate 10 can achieve both miniaturization and wireless power supply to the battery 40. In particular, the dimension in the thickness direction can be reduced.

[0037] The coil 11 is preferably disposed on the second main surface 22 side of the substrate 20. This allows the coil 11 to be spaced further away from the battery 40 in the thickness direction of the substrate 20, thereby further reducing eddy current loss due to the conductor of the battery 40 and enabling more efficient wireless power supply to the battery 40.

[0038] Here, the "second main surface side" means the second main surface side inside the substrate or on the second main surface of the substrate. Also, this "second main surface side inside the substrate" refers to the region located on the second main surface side when the substrate is divided into two equal parts at half the maximum thickness of the substrate in the thickness direction.

[0039] The specific distance between the coil 11 and the battery 40 in the thickness direction of the substrate 20 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

[0040] 3 and 4, the height from the bottom 24 of the recess 23 of the substrate 20 to the first main surface 21 (reference surface 25) (the depth from the reference surface 25 to the bottom 24) is preferably greater than the height of each electronic component 12 mounted in the second mounting area 27. This allows for a high density of the medication device module 1.

[0041] Here, the terms "height" and "depth" both refer to the distance or dimension in a direction perpendicular to the first or second main surface of the substrate.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a top view schematically showing another example of the substrate according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a top view schematically showing yet another example of the substrate according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a top view schematically showing yet another example of the substrate according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0043] 1, the recess 23 of the substrate 20 may be provided so as to bisect the reference surface 25, or a pair of reference surfaces 25 may be provided so as to sandwich the centrally located recess 23. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the reference surface 25 may be provided all around the recess 23, or the recess 23 may be provided so as to be surrounded by a continuous annular reference surface 25.

[0044] The planar shape of the substrate 20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a rectangle (see Figures 1, 5, and 6), a circle (see Figure 7), an ellipse, a track shape, and an n-sided polygon (where n is an integer of 5 or more).

[0045] Furthermore, the shape of the recess 23 when viewed from above is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a rectangle (see Figures 1 and 5), a circle (see Figures 6 and 7), an ellipse, a track shape, a triangle, an n-gon (where n is an integer of 5 or more), and a shape that is a combination of these shapes.

[0046] The track shape refers to a shape in which a pair of opposing sides of a rectangle are each bulged out into a semicircle. Furthermore, the term "top view" refers to a view from the first main surface side of the substrate in the thickness direction of the substrate or a view through the substrate.

[0047] Furthermore, the position of the recess 23 in the first main surface 21 when viewed from above is not particularly limited, and may be located in the center of the first main surface 21 as shown in Figures 1, 5, and 6, or may be provided at a position off-center of the first main surface 21 as shown in Figure 7. Also, for example, the recess 23 shown in Figure 1 may be provided biased to one side of the pair of reference surfaces 25, and as a result, the areas of the pair of reference surfaces 25 may be different from each other.

[0048] 1, when viewed from above, it is preferable that at least a portion of the coil 11 overlaps with the first mounting area 26 of the substrate 20. This allows for a more compact dosage device module 1. In this way, when viewed from above, the coil 11 may overlap with the battery 40 mounted in the first mounting area 26.

[0049] Similarly, from the viewpoint of miniaturization, it is preferable that at least a part of the area surrounded by the coil 11 overlaps with the recess 23 of the substrate 20 when viewed from above.

[0050] On the other hand, when viewed from above, it is preferable that the coil 11 does not overlap any of the electronic components 12 mounted in the second mounting area 27. This reduces eddy current loss due to the electronic components 12, making it possible to more efficiently supply power wirelessly to the battery 40. In this way, when viewed from above, each electronic component 12 mounted in the second mounting area 27 may be located within the area surrounded by the coil 11.

[0051] From this point of view, it is preferable that the coil 11 is provided in a spiral shape only on the peripheral edge of the substrate 20 along the outer periphery of the substrate 20, and not in the center of the substrate 20, as shown in FIG.

[0052] 8 is a bottom view schematically showing another example of the module for the medication device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line A2-A2 of the medication device module shown in Fig. 8.

[0053] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the coil 11 may be provided in a spiral shape from the center to the outside, or may be provided from the center of the substrate 20 to the peripheral edge of the substrate 20.

[0054] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating yet another example of a cross section along the line A1-A1 of the module for the medication device shown in FIGS.

[0055] 10 , the module 1 for the ingested device may include a magnetic sheet 13 sandwiched between the battery 40 and the first main surface 21 of the substrate 20. By using the magnetic sheet 13, most of the magnetic flux during wireless power supply passes through the portion of the magnetic sheet where the magnetic flux density is high, thereby further reducing the influence of the battery 40 and making it possible to narrow the gap between the coil 11 and the battery 40 in the thickness direction of the substrate 20, for example, to set it to 1 mm or less.

[0056] The magnetic sheet 13 is made of a sheet of silicone or other rubber with powder of a magnetic material such as sendust or ferrite kneaded into it. The thickness of the magnetic sheet 13 can be selected appropriately depending on the strength of the magnetic field of the wireless power supply, but from the viewpoint of miniaturization and low profile, a thickness of 1 mm or less is preferable.

[0057] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of the all-solid-state battery according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The all-solid-state battery 41 shown in FIG. 11 has a solid-state battery stack in which a plurality of battery constituent units, each having a positive electrode layer 42, a negative electrode layer 43, and a solid electrolyte 44, are stacked.

[0059] The all-solid-state battery 41 has sintered layers, such as a positive electrode layer 42, a negative electrode layer 43, and a solid electrolyte 44, each of which is formed by firing. Preferably, the positive electrode layer 42, the negative electrode layer 43, and the solid electrolyte 44 are each fired integrally with one another.

[0060] The positive electrode layer 42 is an electrode layer containing at least a positive electrode active material. The positive electrode layer 42 may further contain a solid electrolyte. In a preferred embodiment, the positive electrode layer 42 is made of a sintered body containing at least positive electrode active material particles and solid electrolyte particles. On the other hand, the negative electrode layer 43 is an electrode layer containing at least a negative electrode active material. The negative electrode layer 43 may further contain a solid electrolyte. In a preferred embodiment, the negative electrode layer 43 is made of a sintered body containing at least a negative electrode active material particles and solid electrolyte particles.

[0061] The positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material are materials involved in the transfer of electrons in the all-solid-state battery. Charging and discharging are performed by the transfer of electrons caused by the movement (conduction) of ions between the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 via the solid electrolyte 44. It is preferable that the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 are layers capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions. In other words, the all-solid-state battery is preferably an all-solid-state secondary battery in which lithium ions move between the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 via the solid electrolyte 44 to charge and discharge the battery.

[0062] The positive electrode active material contained in the positive electrode layer 42 may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a lithium-containing phosphate compound having a Nasicon structure, a lithium-containing phosphate compound having an olivine structure, a lithium-containing layered oxide, and a lithium-containing oxide having a spinel structure. An example of a lithium-containing phosphate compound having a Nasicon structure is Li ３ V ２ (P.O. ４ ) ３ Examples of lithium-containing phosphate compounds having an olivine structure include Li ３ Fe ２ (P.O. ４ ) ３ , LiFePO ４、 LiMnPO ４ An example of a lithium-containing layered oxide is LiCoO ２ , LiCo １／３ Ni １／３ Mn １／３ O ２An example of a lithium-containing oxide having a spinel structure is LiMn ２ O ４ , LiNi ０．５ Mn １．５ O ４ etc.

[0063] The negative electrode active material contained in the negative electrode layer 43 may be at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Si, Sn, Cr, Fe, Nb, and Mo, a graphite-lithium compound, a lithium alloy, a lithium-containing phosphate compound having a Nasicon structure, a lithium-containing phosphate compound having an olivine structure, and a lithium-containing oxide having a spinel structure. An example of a lithium alloy is Li-Al. An example of a lithium-containing phosphate compound having a Nasicon structure is Li. ３ V ２ (P.O. ４ ) ３ , LiTi ２ (P.O. ４ ) ３ Examples of lithium-containing phosphate compounds having an olivine structure include Li ３ Fe ２ (P.O. ４ ) ３ , LiCuPO ４ Examples of lithium-containing oxides having a spinel structure include Li ４ Ti ５ O １２ etc.

[0064] One or both of the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 may contain a conductive additive. Examples of the conductive additive contained in the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 include at least one of metal materials such as silver, palladium, gold, platinum, aluminum, copper, and nickel, and carbon. Although not particularly limited, copper is preferable because it is less likely to react with the positive electrode active material, the negative electrode active material, and the solid electrolyte material, and is effective in reducing the internal resistance of the solid battery.

[0065] Furthermore, one or both of the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 may contain a sintering aid. Examples of the sintering aid include at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium oxide, sodium oxide, potassium oxide, boron oxide, silicon oxide, bismuth oxide, and phosphorus oxide.

[0066] The solid electrolyte 44 is a material capable of conducting lithium ions. In particular, the solid electrolyte 44, which constitutes a battery constituent unit in a solid-state battery, forms a layer capable of conducting lithium ions between the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43. Specific examples of the solid electrolyte 44 include lithium-containing phosphate compounds having a Nasicon structure, oxides having a perovskite structure, and oxides having a garnet or garnet-like structure. Examples of lithium-containing phosphate compounds having a Nasicon structure include Li ｘ M ｙ (P.O. ４ ) ３ (1≦x≦2, 1≦y≦2, M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ge, Al, Ga and Zr). An example of a lithium-containing phosphate compound having a Nasicon structure is Li １．２ Al ０．２ Ti １．８ (P.O. ４ ) ３ Examples of oxides having a perovskite structure include La ０．５５ Li ０．３５ TiO ３ Examples of oxides having a garnet-type or garnet-like structure include Li ７ La ３ Zr ２ O １２ etc.

[0067] The solid electrolyte 44 may contain a sintering aid. The sintering aid contained in the solid electrolyte 44 may be selected from, for example, the same materials as the sintering aids that may be contained in the positive electrode layer 42 and / or the negative electrode layer 43.

[0068] The positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43 may include a positive electrode current collecting layer and a negative electrode current collecting layer, respectively. The positive electrode current collecting layer and the negative electrode current collecting layer may each have the form of a foil, but may also have the form of a sintered body from the viewpoints of reducing the manufacturing cost of the solid-state battery by co-firing and reducing the internal resistance of the solid-state battery. When the positive electrode current collecting layer and the negative electrode current collecting layer have the form of a sintered body, they may be composed of a sintered body containing a conductive additive and a sintering additive. The conductive additive contained in the positive electrode current collecting layer and the negative electrode current collecting layer may be selected, for example, from the same materials as the conductive additive that may be contained in the positive electrode layer 42 and the negative electrode layer 43. The sintering additive contained in the positive electrode current collecting layer and the negative electrode current collecting layer may be selected, for example, from the same materials as the sintering additive that may be contained in the positive electrode layer 42 and / or the negative electrode layer 43. The positive electrode current collecting layer and the negative electrode current collecting layer are not essential for the solid-state battery.

[0069] The all-solid-state battery 41 is provided with an end surface electrode serving as a positive electrode 45 and an end surface electrode serving as a negative electrode 46. These end surface electrodes are preferably made of a material having high conductivity. Specific materials for the end surface electrodes are not particularly limited, but may include at least one selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, copper, tin, and nickel.

[0070] [Embodiment 2] Figure 12 is a top view schematically showing an example of a module for a medication device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 13 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along the line A3-A3 of the medication device module shown in Figure 12.

[0071] The ingestible device module 1A shown in Figures 12 and 13 includes multiple, specifically two, batteries 50. The two batteries 50 extend from the first mounting area 26 of the substrate 20 onto the recess 23 and are electrically connected to each other above the recess 23. This allows the multiple batteries 50 to be connected in series without wiring, eliminating the need for wiring to electrically connect them. Furthermore, when an all-solid-state battery is used as the battery 50, a large all-solid-state battery can be mounted, thereby enabling the implementation of high-capacity ingestible devices. Furthermore, since at least a portion of the recess 23 is covered by the multiple batteries 50, dust protection can also be expected for the electronic components 12 mounted in the second mounting area 27 on the bottom 24 of the recess 23.

[0072] More specifically, the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52 are disposed so as to protrude from a pair of opposing first mounting regions 26 toward the center of the substrate 20, and different electrodes of the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52 are joined and connected in series. The joint between the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52 is located at a position that overlaps with the recess 23 when viewed from above, but is not in contact with the bottom 24 of the recess 23. Furthermore, each electronic component 12 is covered by the joined body of the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52.

[0073] Although the case where the ingested device module 1A is equipped with two batteries 50 has been described here, the ingested device module 1A may be equipped with three or more batteries.

[0074] For example, in the case of providing three batteries, a third all-solid-state battery may be provided between the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52, different electrodes of the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the third all-solid-state battery may be joined together to connect them in series, and different electrodes of the second all-solid-state battery 52 and the third all-solid-state battery may be joined together to connect them in series, thereby connecting the three all-solid-state batteries in series. In this case, the third all-solid-state battery may be supported by the first all-solid-state battery 51 and the second all-solid-state battery 52 without contacting the substrate 20.

[0075] [Embodiment 3] Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a medication device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section along line A4-A4 of the medication device shown in Fig. 14.

[0076] The ingested device 70 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 can transmit information by vibrating the device 10A itself. The ingested device 70 is taken by a person with or without a drug. The ingested device 70 may be taken by itself. The information transmitted from the ingested device 70 is not particularly limited and may be a signal. Specific examples include a signal indicating that a drug has been taken or administered with the ingested device 70, and biological information acquired within the body. The drug that can be taken with the ingested device 70 is any drug. Specifically, for example, the drug may be taken by a person who has difficulty recognizing the act of taking a drug. In this case, the drug intake rate of such people can be improved. Furthermore, the burden on caregivers for such people can be reduced. In this specification, "transmission" is synonymous with "transmission" unless otherwise specified.

[0077] 15, the medication device 70 includes a medication device module 80 similar to the medication device module according to embodiment 1 or 2, as well as a housing 72. The medication device module 80 is housed in the housing 72 and is disposed inside the housing 72.

[0078] The housing 72 is made of, for example, a biocompatible resin or a resin whose surface is coated with a biocompatible material. An example of a biocompatible resin is epoxy resin. It is preferable that the material used for the housing 72 be one that will not dissolve in stomach acid or the like after the ingestible device 70 is taken into the body and will be excreted from the body.

[0079] Substantially all of the outer surface of the medication device 70 may be comprised of the outer surface of the housing 72 .

[0080] 14 and 15 show a so-called capsule-shaped, more specifically, cylindrical housing 72 with hemispherical ends in the longitudinal direction, but the external shapes of the medication device 70 and housing 72 are not particularly limited as long as they do not interfere with administration, and may be spherical, ellipsoidal, disc-shaped, cylindrical, tablet-shaped, polygonal columnar with rounded corners, etc. The ellipsoidal shape may be an oblate spheroid or an oblate spheroid.

[0081] 15 , the capsule-shaped casing 72 may be composed of a first divided casing 72a and a second divided casing 72b divided at the center in the short-side direction of the casing 72 along the longitudinal direction of the casing 72. That is, the casing 72 may be divided into two equal halves at the center in the short-side direction of the casing 72 along the longitudinal direction of the casing 72. In other words, the capsule-shaped casing 72 may be divided into two halves along the longitudinal direction of the casing 72 at a position where the cross-sectional area is maximum.

[0082] The first divided housing 72a and the second divided housing 72b are semi-capsule-shaped with the opposing divided housing sides open, and each has a space inside in which other components can be placed.

[0083] The medication device module 80 comprises a device board 83 having a coil 81 and a substrate 82, one or more batteries 84 mounted on the device board 83, and one or more electronic components 85 mounted on the device board 83.

[0084] The medication device module 80 is arranged so that the substrate 82 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the medication device 70. That is, the substrate 82 is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the lateral direction of the medication device 70. Note that the longitudinal direction of the medication device 70 is synonymous with the longitudinal direction of the housing 72, and the lateral direction of the medication device 70 is synonymous with the lateral direction of the housing 72.

[0085] The electronic components 85 include, for example, a piezoelectric element, a biological information acquisition unit, an A / D converter, and an IC.

[0086] The ingested device 70 drives the piezoelectric element to generate an ultrasonic signal from the piezoelectric element. The ultrasonic signal generated from the piezoelectric element propagates through a medium inside the ingested device 70 and is ultimately transmitted to the outside of the ingested device 70. That is, the ultrasonic signal generated from the piezoelectric element causes the ingested device 70 itself to vibrate, and information is transmitted as an ultrasonic signal to the outside of the ingested device 70, specifically, into the body.

[0087] The piezoelectric element functions as an ultrasonic oscillator that emits ultrasonic waves, vibrating the piezoelectric element to generate them. The piezoelectric element is also called a piezoelectric vibrator. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element are directional in the direction of the vibration of the vibrating surface of the piezoelectric element. Materials such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), BT (barium titanate), and KNN (potassium sodium niobate) can be used for the piezoelectric element. In this case, the oral device 70 includes an IC, which controls the piezoelectric element. The ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element is received by a receiver attached to the user's body surface, such as the torso, neck, or wrist, using a fastener such as a belt. The receiver is attached so that it directly contacts the body surface or so that it contacts the body surface via an intervening material such as gel.

[0088] The shape of the piezoelectric element is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, and a disk.

[0089] The biological information acquisition unit acquires biological information such as the internal position of the ingested ingested device 70, internal body temperature, stomach and / or intestinal pH, and vital signs such as intestinal activity. The internal body temperature may be core body temperature. For example, the biological information acquisition unit has a clock capable of measuring time, measures the time elapsed since the ingested device 70 was taken into the body, and estimates the internal position of the ingested device 70 based on the measured time. As another example, the biological information acquisition unit includes sensors such as a temperature sensor, a pH sensor, and an acceleration sensor, and detects internal body temperature, stomach and / or intestinal pH, intestinal activity, and other vital signs. The temperature sensor may include, for example, a thermistor. Note that biological information includes any information related to a living organism, and the biological information acquisition unit can be configured to acquire any biological information. The biological information acquisition unit is controlled by an IC.

[0090] When the biometric information acquisition unit acquires biometric information, the frequency of the ultrasonic waves oscillated from the piezoelectric element may be changed for each type of biometric information to be acquired.

[0091] The A / D converter, under the control of the IC, converts the analog biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit into digital information and outputs the digital biometric information to the piezoelectric element.Then, the digital biometric information converted by the A / D converter is transmitted as an ultrasonic signal by the piezoelectric element.

[0092] The piezoelectric element, the biometric information acquisition unit, the A / D converter, the IC, and other electronic components 85 are supplied with power from a battery 84 of the medication device module 80. In Fig. 15, the piezoelectric element, the biometric information acquisition unit, the A / D converter, and the IC are provided on a substrate 82 on which the battery 84 is provided, but the locations where the piezoelectric element, the biometric information acquisition unit, the A / D converter, and the IC are provided are not particularly limited to the substrate 82.

[0093] The medication device 70 may also include a sealant (not shown) disposed inside the housing 72. The sealant may fill substantially all of the space within the housing 72.

[0094] Examples of materials that can be used for the sealant include epoxy resin, polyphenylsulfone (PPS), ceramic material, glass epoxy, and resin filled with filler such as metal or oxide.

[0095] Fourth Embodiment FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of a power supply system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] The power supply system 100 shown in FIG. 16 uses a medication device 110 similar to the medication device according to the third embodiment, and includes the medication device 110 and a power transmitter 120.

[0097] The power transmitter 120 includes a transmission base 121 on which one or more taken devices 110 are placed, and one or more power transmission coils 122 wound in parallel to the transmission base 121. The taken device 110 is placed on the transmission base 121 of the power transmitter 120 so that the coil 112 included in the taken device module 111 faces the power transmission coil 122 in approximately parallel relation. When a current is passed through the power transmission coil 122 of the power transmitter 120 in this state, a current flows through the coil 112 of the taken device module 111 by electromagnetic induction, and the battery 113 of the taken device module 111 is charged.

[0098] [Evaluation Test] An actual module for a drug-administered device was fabricated, and the influence of the distance between the battery and the coil and the effect of the magnetic sheet were evaluated.

[0099] Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a wireless power supply system using a magnetic field resonance method used in an evaluation test. Fig. 18 is a top view schematically showing a device substrate provided in the wireless power supply system shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a bottom view schematically showing the device substrate provided in the wireless power supply system shown in Fig. 17. Note that Fig. 17 corresponds to a cross section taken along line A5-A5 shown in Figs. 18 and 19.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 17, a case 262 intended as the housing of a medication device is placed on a power transmission circuit board 261 equipped with a power transmission coil (not shown), and a medication device module 201 is placed on the case 262 so that the second main surface 222 of the board 220 faces the case 262.

[0101] The case 262 is made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), an engineering plastic, and has a thickness of 1 mm.

[0102] The dosage device module 201 included a device substrate 210, two all-solid-state batteries 241 mounted on the device substrate 210, and a plurality of electronic components 212 mounted on the device substrate 210.

[0103] The device substrate 210 includes a substrate 220 that is an LTCC substrate and has a rectangular shape in plan view, and a coil 230, and a recess 223 that has a rectangular shape in cross section is provided on a first main surface 221 of the substrate 220. The recess 223 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view at approximately the center of the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220. A first mounting area (not shown) is provided in the area of ​​the first main surface 221 excluding the recess 223, i.e., on a reference surface 225, and a second mounting area 227 is provided on a bottom 224 of the recess 223.

[0104] The coil 230 includes a first coil pattern 231 wound around the outer periphery of the substrate 220 on the reference plane 225 of the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220, and a second coil pattern 232 wound around the outer periphery of the substrate 220 on the second main surface 222 of the substrate 220, and the first coil pattern 231 and the second coil pattern 232 are connected in series with each other via a plurality of vias 233. The dosage device module 201 is arranged so that the second coil pattern 232 faces the power transmission coil of the power transmission circuit board 261.

[0105] Furthermore, a rectifier circuit (not shown) is formed on the substrate 220 and electrically connected to the coil 230, so that the alternating current output from the coil 230 is converted into direct current by the rectifier circuit.

[0106] The two all-solid-state batteries 241 were mounted in the first mounting area so as to cover the recess 223, and were arranged side by side. A spacer 213 was interposed between each all-solid-state battery 241 and the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220, or each all-solid-state battery 241 was arranged directly on the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220. As the spacer 213, a plastic plate having a thickness of 1 mm, 2 mm, or 5 mm, or a magnetic sheet having a thickness of 0.2 mm (FLX-946, manufactured by Toda Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was used.

[0107] In this way, by changing the thickness and presence or absence of the plastic plate, the distance between the coil 230, particularly the first coil pattern 231, and the all-solid-state battery 241 in the thickness direction of the substrate 220 was changed to 0 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, or 5 mm.

[0108] The voltage of each solid-state battery 241 is 2.6 V, and by connecting two of them in series, the battery voltage in this system is set to approximately 5 V. This is because the driving voltage of the piezoelectric element used in the oral device is 5 V, and power can be supplied to the piezoelectric element without going through a boost circuit that would lead to power loss.

[0109] Each electronic component 212 was mounted in the second mounting area 227. As the electronic component 212, for example, a resonant capacitor electrically connected to the coil 230 was disposed, and its capacitance was adjusted so that the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit formed by the capacitor and the coil 230 was 6.78 MHz.

[0110] Furthermore, a module for a medication device having the same configuration as the module for a medication device 201 except that the two all-solid-state batteries 241 were not mounted and the spacer 213 was not arranged on the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220, and a module for a medication device having the same configuration as the module for a medication device 201 except that the two all-solid-state batteries 241 were not mounted and a 0.2 mm thick magnetic sheet (FLX-946, manufactured by Toda Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was arranged as the spacer 213 on the first main surface 221 of the substrate 220 were also prepared.

[0111] Table 1 below shows the configuration of each of the modules for the medication device that were produced.

[0112]

[0113] Then, an alternating current was applied to the power transmission coil of the power transmission circuit board so that the power transmission current was 238 mA and the resonance frequency was frs>6.78 MHz.

[0114] FIG. 20 is a graph showing the measurement results of the inductance of the coil provided in the dosage device module of each configuration used in the evaluation test.

[0115] As shown in the results for configurations 3 to 6 in Figure 20, the coil inductance decreased as the coil-battery gap decreased from 5 mm to 0 mm, bringing the battery closer to the coil. Also, the results for configuration 7 in Figure 20 show that the effect of the magnetic sheet increases the coil inductance.

[0116] 21 is a graph showing the measurement results of the power supply characteristics of the wireless power supply systems of each configuration used in the evaluation test. Here, the output current of the rectifier circuit of the ingestible device module was measured at a voltage of 5V.

[0117] As shown in the results for Configuration 3 in Figure 21, when the gap between the coil and battery was 0 mm and the battery was in direct contact with the coil, the power supply characteristics were extremely poor. This is thought to be because the amount of current flowing at a voltage of 5 V was measured here, and so if the voltage did not reach 5 V, it was treated as 0 V. However, even if measurements were taken at a voltage below 5 V, it is expected that the amount of current obtained would not be as great as in Configuration 4.

[0118] The results of configurations 4 and 5 in FIG. 21 show that increasing the gap between the coil and the battery to more than 1 mm improves the power supply characteristics compared to configuration 7 in which a magnetic sheet is placed.

[0119] From the above, it was found that power cannot be supplied if the coil and battery are placed in direct contact with each other, but that power can be supplied by providing a gap between the coil and battery in the thickness direction of the substrate. It was also found that it is preferable to have a gap of at least 1 to 2 mm between the coil and battery in the thickness direction of the substrate. Furthermore, it was confirmed that by using a magnetic sheet, power can be supplied even when the battery is placed directly on the substrate via the magnetic sheet. However, compared to when a magnetic sheet is used, power supply characteristics were superior when the gap between the coil and battery in the thickness direction of the substrate was 2 mm or more.

[0120] [Modification] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of yet another module for a medication device according to the present invention.

[0121] In the dosage device module shown in FIG. 22 , the first main surface 21 of the substrate 20 has no recess, and the first main surface 21 is a flat surface without any recesses or protrusions, similar to the second main surface 22. The second mounting area 27 is not located at the bottom of the recess, but is located on the same plane as the first mounting area 26. One or more batteries 40 are mounted in the first mounting area 26, and one or more electronic components 12 are mounted in the second mounting area 27. In FIG. 22 , the coil 11 is located inside the substrate 20, but it may be located on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20, or it may be located both inside the substrate 20 and on the second main surface 22 of the substrate 20.

[0122] The present specification discloses the following:

[0123] <1> A device substrate comprising: a coil; and a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, the first main surface being provided with a recess; wherein a first mounting area is provided in an area of ​​the first main surface excluding the recess; and a second mounting area is provided at a bottom of the recess; and the coil is provided parallel to the second main surface, on at least one of an interior of the substrate and the second main surface.

[0124] <2> The device substrate according to <1>, wherein at least a portion of the coil overlaps with the first mounting area when viewed from above.

[0125] <3> The device substrate according to <1> or <2>, wherein the coil is located on the second main surface side.

[0126] <4> The device substrate according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein at least a part of the region surrounded by the coil overlaps with the recess when viewed from above.

[0127] <5> A module for a medication device, comprising the device substrate according to any one of <1> to <4>.

[0128] <6> A module for a medication device described in <5>, comprising a battery mounted in the first mounting area.

[0129] <7> The module for a dosage device according to <6>, wherein the battery is an all-solid-state battery.

[0130] <8> The module for a medication device described in <6> or <7>, which includes a plurality of the batteries, and the plurality of batteries protrude from the first mounting area onto the recess and are electrically connected to each other on the recess.

[0131] <9> A module for a medication device described in any one of <6> to <8>, comprising a magnetic sheet sandwiched between the battery and the first main surface.

[0132] <10> A module for a dosage device described in any one of <5> to <9>, comprising an electronic component mounted in the second mounting area.

[0133] <11> The module for a dosage device described in <10>, wherein the height from the bottom to the first main surface is greater than the height of the electronic component.

[0134] <12> A medication device comprising the medication device module according to any one of <5> to <11>.

[0135] <13> A power supply system using the ingestion device according to <12>.

[0136] 1, 1A, 80, 111, 201 Ingestion device module 10, 83, 210 Device substrate 11, 81, 230 Coil 12, 85, 212 Electronic component 13 Magnetic sheet 20, 82, 220 Substrate 21, 221 First main surface 22, 222 Second main surface 23, 223 Recess 24, 224 Bottom 25, 225 Reference surface 26 First mounting area 27, 227 Second mounting area 28 Thin portion 29 Thick portion 40, 50, 84, 113 Battery 41, 241 All-solid-state battery 42 Positive electrode layer 43 Negative electrode layer 44 Solid electrolyte 45 Positive electrode 46 Negative electrode 51 First all-solid-state battery 52 Second all-solid-state battery 70, 110 Ingestion device 72 Housing 72a First divided housing 72b Second divided housing 100 Power supply system 112 Coil 120 Power transmitter 121 Transmitter stand 122 Power transmission coil 213 Spacer 231 First coil pattern 232 Second coil pattern 233 Via 261 Power transmission circuit board 262 Case

Claims

1. A device substrate comprising: a coil; and a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, the first main surface having a recess; a first mounting area provided in an area of ​​the first main surface excluding the recess; and a second mounting area provided at the bottom of the recess; and the coil is provided parallel to the second main surface, inside the substrate and on at least one of the second main surface.

2. The device substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the coil overlaps with the first mounting area when viewed from above.

3. The device substrate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coil is located on the second main surface side.

4. The device substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a portion of the area surrounded by the coil overlaps with the recess when viewed from above.

5. A module for a medication device, comprising a device substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The module for a medication device according to claim 5, comprising a battery mounted in the first mounting area.

7. The module for a dosage device according to claim 6, wherein the battery is a solid-state battery.

8. A module for a medication device as described in claim 6 or 7, comprising a plurality of the batteries, the plurality of batteries extending from the first mounting area onto the recess and electrically connected to each other above the recess.

9. A module for a medication device as described in any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising a magnetic sheet sandwiched between the battery and the first main surface.

10. A module for a dosage device as described in any one of claims 5 to 9, comprising an electronic component mounted in the second mounting area.

11. A module for a medication device as described in claim 10, wherein the height from the bottom to the first main surface is greater than the height of the electronic component.

12. A dosage device, characterized in that it comprises a dosage device module according to any one of claims 5 to 11.

13. A power supply system using the dosage device according to claim 12.

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