[Glasgow, Scotland – Thursday 31st October, 2024]
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/virtual-reality-and-wearable-technology-pilot-to-cut-drug-deaths
Government awards £12 million to research projects across the UK that are researching innovative technology to support people with addictions.
PneumoWave are developing a remote monitoring platform designed to make opioid usage safer by detecting the onset of life-threatening respiratory problems caused by opioid-induced overdose. The platform consists of a discreet, chest-worn biosensor paired with a mobile device, which allows for the immediate alerting of nearby naloxone carriers and emergency medical services.
The research project, titled RESCU2, involves conducting end-to-end monitoring, detection and alerting in individuals at risk residing in homeless accommodation, in collaboration with the University of Dundee, King’s College London and various third sector partners including Waythrough (formerly HumanKind), Thames Reach and Hillcrest Futures.
The research is being funded through the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, which is run by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS). Around £12 million has been awarded to 11 projects across 8 organisations in the UK. The projects were selected as part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Challenge and the NIHR i4i Addiction: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards, which are being run in partnership with the Scottish Government and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Dr Bruce Henderson, CEO of PneumoWave, commented:
“This funding, and the support received from academic and 3rd sector partners, will obtain crucial feedback from patients and those that support them while using our technology. This project is a large step towards achieving our goal that no one should die from drug overdose.”
Professor Sir John Strang at King’s College London, said:
“With drug deaths continuing to rise across the UK, we need innovations that will detect imminent fatal overdoses, so that lives can be saved by prompt alert and emergency interventions. We are testing PneumoWave’s breathing sensor in homeless hostels with residents who use opioids. Drug use and overdose frequently occur in homeless hostels, which mean they are a valuable context in which to demonstrate the sensor is a feasible and acceptable solution. In this way, we will examine the range of patterns typically seen in this population and the different features seen during overdose events.”
Ingrid Hainey of Hillcrest Futures commented:
“Hillcrest Futures is really pleased to be a part of the RESCU2 project, working with PneumoWave to pilot such an innovative device in our homeless accommodation services. Drug deaths are preventable – we just need to be able to detect potential overdose and respond quickly. This monitor will allow us to be alerted at the point of potential overdose and respond by administering naloxone and alerting emergency services helping to save lives.”
Professor John Dillon of the University of Dundee, said:
“NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee are delighted to be involved in this important research project that could help reduce the blight of drug related deaths that affects the citizens of our city.”
About PneumoWave:
PneumoWave’s proprietary digital technology and behavioral health platform provides real-time physiological data via patient-centric digital biomarkers with the core focus of preventing deaths and reducing hospital admissions from respiratory failure.
Through early and accurate detection of respiratory depression and facilitating rapid access to overdose reversal agents, PneumoWave aims to markedly reduce deaths in patients at risk of accidental overdose.
The device is part of a wider remote digital behavioral health platform that aims to provide physicians and care teams with a range of validated digital technologies that will enable more effective and efficient assessment and remote management of patients. Given the shortage of physicians, surging hospital costs, and proven difficulties for patients in accessing treatment, PneumoWave has the potential to drive optimal, life-saving outcomes for patients.
Disclaimer
PneumoWave’s software has been granted breakthrough device designation but is not yet cleared by the FDA.
About King’s College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
King’s College London is one of the top 35 UK universities in the world and one of the top 10 in Europe (QS World University Rankings, 2020/21) and among the oldest in England. King’s has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s is the premier centre for mental health and related neurosciences research in Europe. It produces more highly cited outputs (top 1% citations) on mental health than any other centre (SciVal 2019) and on this metric we have risen from 16th (2014) to 4th (2019) in the world for highly cited neuroscience outputs. World-leading research from the IoPPN has made, and continues to make, an impact on how we understand, prevent and treat mental illness and other conditions that affect the brain.
www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn @KingsIoPPN
About Hillcrest Futures
Hillcrest Futures provides services in the areas of physical and learning disabilities, autism, young people and older people. Further services include supporting positive mental health and wellbeing, homelessness, and drug and alcohol recovery.
Hillcrest provides community-based drug and alcohol, recovery and harm reduction support in Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and through homeless services in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Working in people’s homes, in the community, and in temporary and supported accommodation, support can be provided from 1 hour a week to 24 hours a day.
https://hillcrest.org.uk/hillcrest-futures/
About the University of Dundee’s School of Medicine
The School of Medicine is based on the University of Dundee’s Ninewells campus, co-located with Ninewells hospital (one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK). We are: 1st in the UK for Medicine and Medical Technology (2021 Complete University guide); most influential scientific research institution world-wide in pharmaceuticals (Clarivate Analytics 2006-2016) and 5th in the world for field-weighted citations (2019 CWTS Leiden Rankings). Our researchers have featured in the Reuters/Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers List and was rated 1st in the UK for Impact in REF 2014.
Translational research and teaching in the School of Medicine focuses on the application of discovery, knowledge transfer, research and innovation, improving our understanding and treatment of disease and the maintenance of health. Our shared vision is to develop a vibrant community where the interconnected activities of research and teaching are uniformly respected, discussed and valued, and where we train the next generation of clinical and non-clinical academics. We will promote inter-disciplinary activity, encouraging cross-division and cross-school collaboration, work in partnership with the NHS, our local and the global community.
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/medicine
For further information on the project, contact:
Dr Bruce Henderson
PneumoWave Limited
Suites 3 and 4
Second Floor, Maxim 3
Maxim Office Park
Parklands Avenue
Eurocentral,
ML1 4WQ
UK
Email: enquiries@pneumowave.com