CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – As the United States grapples with its deadliest drug crisis in history, the life-saving potential of naloxone, a medication that quickly reverses opioid overdoses, is more critical than ever. However, naloxone must be administered promptly after an overdose to be effective.
To address this challenge, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are developing a groundbreaking device that can automatically deliver naloxone when an overdose is detected. This implantable device, about the size of a stick of gum, is placed under the skin and continuously monitors vital signs like heart rate and breathing. If the device senses that the person is overdosing, it releases a dose of naloxone to counteract the effects.
“This could really address a significant unmet need in the population that suffers from substance abuse and opiate dependency to help mitigate overdoses, with the initial focus on the high-risk population,” Dr. Giovanni Traverso, the senior author of the study, said in a press release.
The research team began by studying the physiological effects of a fentanyl overdose in animals, tracking changes in heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. They discovered that a fentanyl overdose typically starts with a drop in heart rate, followed by a rapid slowdown in breathing. Using this data, they equipped the device with sensors to detect these specific patterns, allowing it to accurately identify an opioid overdose and distinguish it from other conditions that cause decreased breathing, such as sleep apnea.
“The most challenging aspect of developing an engineering solution to prevent overdose mortality is simultaneously addressing patient adherence and willingness to adopt new technology, combating stigma, minimizing false positive detections, and ensuring the rapid delivery of antidotes,” Scientist Hen-Wei Huang, a lead author of the study, said. “Our proposed solution tackles these unmet needs by developing a miniaturized robotic implant equipped with multisensing modalities, continuous monitoring capabilities, on-board decision making, and an innovative micropumping mechanism.”
In animal studies, the device successfully reversed the effects of an opioid overdose 96 percent of the time. The research team is now focused on optimizing the device for human use, including determining the best implantation site. They hope to begin human trials within the next three to five years.