Spark Biomedical has received a $318,875 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to develop an algorithm for opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings detection.
Spark Biomedical, a firm developing wearable neurostimulation technology, is teaming up with Battelle Memorial Institute and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation on this opioid use disorder (OUD) recovery treatment project.
The partnership will develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm that will proactively detect and manage opioid use.
Under the initiative, Hazelden Betty Ford will use two wearable devices with advanced sensors on patients.
These devices measure digital biomarkers like heart rate, accelerometer data, and skin temperature, as well as physical biomarkers from sweat.
As per the trial design, these products will complete gold-standard clinical assessments for opioid withdrawal and cravings.
This includes the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale, Short Opioid Withdrawal Scale-Gossop, and the Opioid Cravings Visual Analog Scale.
On the other hand, the team at Battelle Memorial Institute will combine this sensor and clinical data into an automated algorithm to detect opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Spark Biomedical co-founder, chief science officer and study principal investigator Navid Khodaparast said: “By leveraging the AI expertise of Battelle and substance use disorder treatment expertise of Hazelden Betty Ford, we are strongly positioned to advance our understanding of opioid withdrawal and cravings management.
“For years, the gold standard for assessing OUD symptoms has been ‘paper & pencil’ assessments. Unfortunately, these methods are limited due to subjectivity and lack of physiological markers.”
In Phase 2, the goal is to use the algorithm with Spark Biomedical’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) device, Sparrow Ascent.
The algorithm will trigger the device to deliver treatment at the right moment, addressing withdrawal symptoms and cravings before the patient even notices them.
This approach aims to enhance treatment effectiveness and efficiency, helping patients stick to their plans and reducing the risk of relapse and overdose.
Spark Biomedical has secured funding from federal institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH)and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Recently, the medical technology firm launched Sparrow Link, a research platform for non-invasive neurostimulation.
