"Cybertooth" for patients may replace pills

By Corinne Heller

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A "cybertooth" that dispenses medicine to chronic patients may replace pills and injections for those who have a hard time remembering to take their pills, researchers say.

The European Union is funding the Intellidrug project to develop a cybernetic oral device that attaches to a tooth and administers a dosage programmed by a patient's doctor.

"The device is going to be crucial, first of all for patients who have disabilities in remembering -- like Alzheimer's patients," said Ben Z. Beiski, one of the developers, at Assuta Medical Centre in Tel Aviv.

"Rather than having a nurse running up to them and reminding them to take the pill, we have a device that will do it automatically," he said.

Beiski said the method would also be ideal for people who take medication to treat asthma attacks, especially those who suffer from them during the night.

"The software (is) programmed to deliver the drug at any time that you like".

A doctor would also program into a remote control information such as when the drug should be administered, and the patient's age, weight and medical history.

The device can be fixed in a patient's mouth, either as an attachment, or type of crown, to a tooth or as an implant.