A new implant can automatically deliver naloxone following an opioid overdose The implant can sense an overdose by tracking heart rate, breathing and other vital signs It successfully revived 24 out of 25 overdosed pigs WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A new implant could help prevent overdose deaths by automatically administering the OD-reversing drug naloxone, a new study shows. The implant, about the size of a stick of gum, is placed under the skin, where it monitors vital signs like heart rate and breathing, researchers say.
When the implant determines an OD has occurred, it rapidly pumps out a dose of naloxone, researchers said. In animal studies, the device reversed potentially fatal opioid overdoses 96% of the time, according to results published Aug. 14 in the journal Device .
“Having an automated robotic system that is able to sense and reverse opiate overdose could be transformational, particularly for high-risk populations,” said senior researcher Giovanni Traverso , a clinician and biomedical engineer at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute. An opioid overdose causes a person to stop breathing. That can cause permanent brain damage within three minutes and death within four to six minutes, researchers said in background notes.
To help prevent overdose deaths, doctors have started prescribing naloxone, which can restore normal breathing by blocking the effects of opioids like heroin or fentanyl. It can be administered as an in.