ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine 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.
That's why Wash U's Dr. Robert Gereau says his team set out to remedy that.
"The device is designed to kind of be an autonomous system that is implantable device that can automatically detect when a person is suffering an overdose," said Dr. Gereau to KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer. "In response to that, it delivers a dose of naloxone, which is the drug used to reverse opioid overdose."
"At the same time, it places a call to first responders and drops a geo-location tag allowing them to find the person who is suffering from the overdose."
Dr. Gereau says 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 -- and absent an answer, will automatically deliver the narcan or naloxone and contact emergency first responders when it senses a drop in oxygen.
"This device, for people who are particularly high risk and highly motivated to recover from opioid use disorder, this provides kind of a failsafe," said Dr. Gereau. "That means there will always be someone, your autonomous wearable device there to deliver naloxone when you need it should you need it."