Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and Northwestern University have developed an implantable device that can detect an overdose and rapidly deliver Narcan to the person in need.
Narcan currently works great when there is someone around to deliver it to the overdose victim, but a lot of times no one is there to help. Washington University’s Dr. Robert Gereau’s team set out to remedy that.
“It’s an implantable device that can automatically detect when a person is suffering an overdose, and in response to that, it delivers a dose of naloxone, which is the drug that is used to reverse opioid overdoses,” said Gereau.
The device delivers naloxone or Narcan upon sensing a drop in oxygen levels and then alerts first responders to the person’s location.
“People who are particularly high risk and highly motivated to recover from opioid use disorder, this provides kind of a fail safe,” he said.
Gereau told KMOX Radio that this is a good example of science evolving and taking advantage of technological advances to address an urgent public health need.
“And I think that there’s a real chance that if this device can get in production and cleared for use, that it could really save thousands of lives,” said Gereau.
The device — pending approval and production — connects to your cell phone and gives you a lock out code to make sure you really need it.
Fred Bodimer of KMOX Radio in St. Louis contributed this report.
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