AI and virtual reality to help reduce drug deaths

The UK Government has invested £12m in technology designed to reduce the number of drug deaths.

Eleven projects, several of which are based in Scotland, have secured a part of the funding to develop innovative solutions which could “save thousands of lives” and “inspire” healthcare companies to invest in the country,  the government said.

Funded through the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, which is run by the Office for Life Sciences, the research will look into how cutting-edge technology can prevent deaths and help those with addictions manage triggers.

The research could also help tackle impacts of addiction in society, including the “pattern prison relapse and rebound”, Professor Mike Lewis, National Institute for Health and Care Research’s scientific director for innovation, said.

The cash boost comes two months after statistics showed 1,172 people, had died from drug misuse in Scotland, a rise of 121 compared to the year before.

Minister for public health Andrew Gwynne said: “Drug addiction devastates lives and rips apart families, and this government is committed to gripping this problem.
“We’re determined to harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to save thousands of lives across the country. I want the UK to lead the way in championing innovation to end the harmful effects of addiction.”

The University of Edinburgh, in partnership with NHS Fife, is developing an AI-powered wristband device, named “Saving Dam”. By monitoring vital signs such as heart rate, the device could send a message to a trusted contact if it detected a potential overdose.  

Similarly, Glasgow University is developing a soften sensor, designed for seamless body integration, which provides live respiratory monitoring to identify early signs of overdose. With support from the West of Scotland NHS Innovation Hub, researchers will now test the prototype with people who have experienced or are living with addiction.

NHS Fife will also help tech firm Mesox design acceptability studies for its wearable patch of the antidotes Naloxone and Flumazenil, which can rapidly reverse heroin and opioid overdose. The skin patch is designed for wide application by non-professionals, avoiding challenges posed by injections or nasal sprays.

Chief scientific advisor for health to the Scottish Government Professor Anna Dominiczak said: “Tackling drug-related deaths is a priority for the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and we are committed to tackling these issues through targeted research, innovation and support.”

She added: “By harnessing the expertise we have in Scotland and across the rest of the UK, we can continue to develop new technologies to drive prevention initiatives.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Ambulance Services has helped Wales-based company Scienap, design a  low-cost alert and responder pathway to create effective responses to potentially fatal overdose events. The project includes a new Alert App for self-monitoring by drug users, automatically raising an alarm if they become unresponsive, and a Care & Respond App for trusted supporters to provide coordinated help, administer life-saving drugs

Other studies will look at using virtual reality to help people overcome their triggers for addiction while King’s College London is looking into naloxone wafers which can fit into a wallet and melt in people’s mouth.

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 National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).