Experimental app might spot drug overdoses in time to help

This image from video provided by the University of Washington in January 2019 shows a demonstration of the smartphone app developed by Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, Shyamnath Gollakota and Jacob E. Sunshine that uses sound waves to measure breathing. In first-step testing reported Wednesday, Jan. 9 the device detected early breathing problems in some people who’d just injected illegal drugs. (Mark Stone/University of Washington via AP)

WASHINGTON: Too often people die of an opioid overdose because no one’s around to notice they’re in trouble. Now scientists are creating a smartphone app that beams sound waves to measure breathing – and summon help if it stops. 

The app is still experimental. But in a novel test, the Second Chance app detected early signs of overdose in the critical minutes after people injected heroin or other illegal drugs, researchers reported Jan 9.