Implantable Prevents Overdose
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Researchers from Northwestern University and Washington University at St. Louis have created a new implant that could save people who are overdosing on opioids.\\xa0
The autonomous device is about the size of a USB thumb drive, and it's implanted beneath your skin. When it senses that oxygen is low, it administers naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan.\\xa0
The team recently received a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (NIH HEAL) initiative.
First, the team will test the device on animals before advancing to human trials.\\xa0
The implant could overcome the biggest hurdle in life-saving treatment. Typically, a third party not only has to administer Narcan, but you need to have it on hand as well.\\xa0
The device can be placed in the abdomen, lower back, or collar bone.\\xa0
The implantable will undergo about five more years of development, but it could stand to save many lives. More than two million Americans suffer from opioid-specific substance abuse.\\xa0
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