The 'HopeBand' has been developed by a group of students at Carnegie Mellon University as a wearable that could help to curb the number of opioid-related overdoses that are occurring across the US.
The device works by being worn on your wrist and constantly monitoring your blood oxygen levels; if a low level is detected, the unit will continue taking readings every 10 seconds. If the wearer doesn't improve, the device will sound alarm, start flashing lights and send out a text message to an emergency contact with their location to get assistance as soon as possible.
The 'HopeBand' is positioned by its developers to be first available for free via needle exchange programs with a commercial version costing between $16 and $20 hopefully coming in the future.
Overdose-Preventing Wearables
The 'HopeBand' Keeps an Eye Out for Opioid Overdoses
Trend Themes
1. Opioid Overdose Prevention - Develop new wearables and monitoring devices to prevent opioid-related overdoses.
2. Continuous Health Monitoring - Create wearable devices that continuously monitor vital signs to detect and alert potential health risks.
3. Emergency Notification Systems - Develop technologies that automatically notify emergency contacts in case of a health emergency.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - Opportunity to innovate and develop wearable devices for preventing opioid overdoses and monitoring overall health.
2. Technology - Opportunity to create advanced wearable technologies that can monitor vital signs and send emergency notifications.
3. Pharmaceutical - Opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to collaborate and develop novel solutions for opioid overdose prevention.