New device can save people from overdose without help from bystanders

The opioid epidemic claims more than 70,000 lives in the US each year, and lifesaving interventions are urgently needed. Although naloxone, sold as an over-the-counter nasal spray or syringe, saves lives by quickly restoring normal breathing during an overdose, administering the medication requires a knowledgeable bystander, limiting its life-saving potential.

A team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Northwestern University in Chicago has developed a device that can save people from overdose without help from bystanders. In animal studies, researchers found that the implantable device detects an overdose, quickly delivers naloxone to prevent death and can alert first responders.

The findings will be available from October 23 Scientific progress.

Naloxone has saved many lives. But during an overdose, people are often alone and do not realize they are overdosing. If anyone else is present, they will need access to naloxone -; also known as Narcan; and you should know how to use it in just a few minutes. We have identified an opportunity to save more lives by developing a device that quickly delivers naloxone to at-risk individuals without human intervention.”

Robert W. Gereau, PhD, the Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the WashU Medicine Pain Center

Prescription opioids – such as oxycodone – have helped people cope with the physical and mental challenges of daily debilitating pain. But the addictive properties of painkillers can lead to misuse and abuse, which are among the driving forces behind the opioid epidemic. In addition, cheap and easily accessible synthetic drugs – fentanyl, for example – have flooded the illicit market. Such ultra-potent drugs have accelerated the rise in overdose deaths in the US and were responsible for about 70% of such deaths in 2023.

The researchers worked with experts in engineering and materials science led by John A. Rogers, PhD, professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at Northwestern University, to develop a device – the Naloximeter – that uses a drop of oxygen levels as a signal for a possible overdose. An opioid overdose leads to slow and shallow breathing. Minutes after the medications begin to affect respiratory function, breathing stops. The Naloximeter, which is implanted under the skin, detects oxygen in surrounding tissues and sends an alert to a mobile application if levels fall below a certain threshold. If the user does not abort the rescue process within 30 seconds, the device releases stored naloxone.

The researchers implanted the device in the neck, chest or back of small and large animals. The device detected signs of overdose within a minute of oxygen levels dropping, and all animals made a full recovery within five minutes of receiving naloxone from the devices.

Naloxone displaces harmful opioids from receptors on the surface of brain cells, altering the cells’ activity. But the medicine doesn’t stick around; when the opioids reoccupy and reactivate the receptors, overdose symptoms may return. To provide additional support, the device relays an emergency alert to first responders.

“An added benefit of calling first responders is that it helps people reconnect with health care providers,” said Jose Moron-Concepcion, PhD, Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine and author of the study. “We want to prevent people from dying from overdoses and also reduce harm from opioids by giving people access to the tools and treatments to prevent future overdoses.”

The researchers – with some help from WashU’s Office of Technology Management – ​​were granted a patent to protect the device’s intellectual property. They are developing the technology and at the same time are looking for industrial partners in preparation for larger scale deployment and testing of the device in human clinical trials.

“The Naloximeter is a proof-of-concept platform that is not limited to the opioid crisis,” said Joanna Ciatti, a graduate student in Rogers’ lab. “This technology has far-reaching implications for people threatened by other emerging medical conditions such as anaphylaxis or epilepsy. Our study lays an important foundation for future clinical translations. We hope others in the field can build on these findings to help create autonomous rescue devices a reality.”

Ciatti JL, Vazquez-Guardado A, Bring VE, Park J, Ruyle B, Ober RA, McLuckie AJ, Talcott MR, Carter EA, Burrell AR, Sponenburg RA, Trueb J, Gupta P, Kim J, Avila R, Seong M, Slivicki RA, Kaplan MA, Villalpando-Hernandez B, Massaly N, Montana MC, Pet M, Huang Y, Morón JA, Gereau IV RW, Rogers JA. An autonomous implantable device to prevent death from opioid overdose. Scientific progress. October 23, 2024.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative, grant numbers UG3DA050303 and UH3DA050303; the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, grant number DGE-2234667; North Carolina State University, grant number 201473-02139; the NIH, grant number T32GM108539. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the NIH.