NFL teams using "Radio Pill" to monitor athletes' temperatures

Players on the Minnesota Vikings might soon be going on the pill — not to prevent pregnancy, but to prevent overheating. After former offensive lineman Korey Stringer died of heatstroke four years ago, the team began looking into ways to monitor athletes' temperatures. They found HQ Inc.'s Cortemp ingestible core body thermometer pill, already in use by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The players ingest the pill, which transmits their body temperature to a handheld device for about 24 hours or so, after which it's eliminated from the body. All the hardware involved here ain't cheap — teams fork over $2,500 apiece for a few data recorders, plus an optional $4,000 handheld that serves as a central monitor for all the players. The bright side is it makes that iPaq hx4700 seem like a steal.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

"The players ingest the pill, which transmits their body temperature to a handheld device for about 24 hours or so, after which it�s eliminated from the body."

Somebody please tell me these are disposable. PLEASE!

I'm guessing they're not. I'm guessing these things cost a bit more than a buck ninety-nine each. I'm guessing someone's gotta get in there and fish 'em out after each, you know, "movement".

All you budding sports interns, this is what you've got to look forward to!

[tigerbot @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

hahaha,
While it seems like that might happen, I doubt it. NFL teams have money coming out the wazoo. An extra couple thousand dollars to make sure you're players are okay, is nothing for an nfl team.

Thanks for painting that picture inside my head though.

[KBrew @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I think these multi-million dollar operations would rather throw down a few grand than have a player die in training. I doubt they're so cheap as to have someone sifting through poo to retrieve these things.

[deadmonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

This could be a marketing GOLDMINE. Fish em out and sell em on eBay! Autograph, schmautograph I got a gizmo that's been in T.O.'s COLON. They could do them up in team colors and everything.

[Kurt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

But with TO, which end does it go in and which does it come out?

[deadmonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

#5, wellio if it goes in one end and out the other it doesn't really matter what direction it travels.

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Are you serious? You think they're going kiss off $2,500 every time a lineman takes a dump?

Damn well better believe someone will be paid to sieve that turd. They could pay $10,000 an hour and still be in profit...you really think no one would take that gig?

[Mark Pitman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

The pills don't cost $2500 a piece, it is the data recorders. They don't say how much the pills cost.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

"...you really think no one would take that gig?"


Heck, I'd rather fish the probes out of the poo than have to swallow'em again afterwards. I pity the poo-sifters, but I think I actually pity THE PLAYERS even more...

All joking aside though it wouldn't surprise me to know they were already...eh...harvesting these guys used food and epithelial cells anyway for tests. If they're that concerned about their health (and viability) periodic stool cultures would seem logical (if, quite literally, a$$-nasty...)

[Spyvie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

No way the pill itself cost $2500. Just something like RFID, a battery, and a thermistor.

[robotplague @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

wow, thats pretty interesting. i'd really like to know how much each of these cost. i bet the players get a little bonus at the end of the year based on how many pills they return after their journey is done.

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

No way they retrieve those radios for reuse.

Reuse implies re-ingesting. I don't care how much you sterilize them, not gonna happen.

[bonkeykong @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I'm surprised they just don't have a camera up their ass to show you what they ate for lunch. Oh look, he had a little beef this afternoon. That's why he only made eight yards. And don't think it won't happen! Don't think it won't happen! They've shown you everything on the field; there's only one place to go.
-Lewis Black

[Bruce @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

The pills cost "about $40 each" according to a company representative.

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2004/0704/news0704.htm

[rodents @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

living in minnesota, hearing the vikings name is embarassment itself, we suck major ass. And now we have heat sensing pills? For crying out loud, we're the "coldest" state according to that one thing

[Seth A @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I would also be surprised if they actually recycled these pills. Even if they did cost a lot. What would they do if they were "eliminated" at home, or in a hotel? Just have someone from the team with every player at all times? I think not.

[Russ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

if you were to combine this technology, and RFID product identification. you could have cafe food with inbuilt RFID tags. eat all you want, and a sensor works out your bill as you leave.

maybe even get a 5c deposit back with every 'returned' RFID tag.. urrrrgh!

[Spyvie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Russ,
ROFLMAO

[jordan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

the temperature of a player? what does that have to do with how they play anyway?

[Jazzay @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

just to take em out if theyre about to die of hear stroke

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

They play better when they haven't died of heat stroke.

[bhima @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

On the subject of recycling...
If you were paid a few million dollars a year, would you buy a new tag for $2500 or would you eat your own shit? Even if the teams were that cheap, the players likely wouldn't be.

I am happy to learn that they're only $40, and that this speculation is all moot.