Clever OpiTrack Smartwatch Sensor Can Detect Opioid Cravings — and Automatically Intervene

A research team from the Universities of Massachusetts Ahmherst and Medical School, Syracuse University, and SUNY Upstate Medical University are working on further developing a smartwatch sensor and machine learning model, jointly dubbed OpiTrack, capable of monitoring opioid use — triggering an alert in the case of addiction relapse, dependency, or overdose.

"We have the technology to detect [opioid] craving moments and incorporate an intervention to avoid scenarios of drug use," claims Tauhidur Rahman, assistant professor, of the OpiTrack technology. "Nothing like this exists today, and we believe that mobile technologies can provide an effective mechanism for people with addiction to monitor their condition and manage their cravings better."

The idea behind the wireless sensor, an off-the-shelf Empatica E4 quad-sensor research wearable: Monitoring respiration and electrocardiogram (ECG) data for the psychophysiological signs of addiction — specifically, a craving for opioids. Once detected, the sensor sends the user an alert with mindfulness-based interventions designed to encourage them away from drug use.

The device itself traces its origins back to research into cocaine cravings published in 2019, and uses machine learning for predictive models based on data gathered by the sensor. "Once we run convolution, we extract features of the raw data and then train neural networks that can automatically learn to see the physical characteristics and physiological trends that indicate opioid use," says Rahman. "So, just by looking at a watch and monitoring a few parameters, we can tell when someone has taken an opioid. We have 80 percent accuracy on a high level with our current form of technology."

Rahman and colleagues aren't the only ones looking into wearables to help counter the opioid epidemic: Late last month University of Washington researchers showed off a device designed to monitor for an overdose and automatically inject Naloxone to reverse the process — saving the wearer's life.

"The doctor can ask the patient to wear the smartwatch," lead author Bhanu Teja Gullapalli explains of how the OpiTrack system could be used, "and the system will track how frequently the patient is using the drug, how the patient’s physiology is changing and determine if the patient is developing a dependence on opioids."

The OpiTrack project has been given a $1.1 million grant for further development by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Smart and Connected Health Program. A paper on the topic has been published as part of the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, under closed-access terms, with a PDF copy available under open-access terms from the University of Massachusetts.