Smart Phone App Detects Overdoses

January 9, 2019

A smart phone app, named Second Chance, that detects overdoses has been developed by researchers at the University of Washington. The app works by using a smart phone’s speaker and microphone to create high pitch sound waves that cannot be heard by humans, but create a sonar system that detects whether the user’s breathing has slowed or stopped. If a breathing change is detected, the app can contact emergency services or contacts the user has customized (such as friends or family). The app is currently in testing and researchers hope to have it released this year. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s March 2018 update, more than 115 people die everyday in the United States from opioid overdose.

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