University Researcher Developing Implantable Naloxone Device

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 | 0

A researcher at Northwestern University is developing an implantable device that can automatically release opioid-antidote naloxone if a sensor detects a person’s blood-oxygen level has fallen to an unsafe level, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.

Animal testing is scheduled to begin next year, and clinical trials in humans could start within five years, according to the report.

John Rogers, director of the Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics at Northwestern, developed the device. He described it as a “fully autonomous system, almost like an implantable emergency response system, providing a first responder’s type of functionality but without human intervention.”

The device is also tethered to a user’s cellphone and automatically alerts paramedics when a person appears to be suffering an opioid overdose.