A Wearable Continuous Polydrug Monitor (CPM) for Personalized SUD Treatment

About This Grant

Project Summary/Abstract Substance Use Disorder (SUD) remains a pressing public health crisis in the United States, with synthetic substance like fentanyl driving unprecedented overdose fatalities. Treatment barriers including cost, logistics, and stigma, combined with alarmingly high relapse rates, highlight the urgent need for innovative tools that improve accessibility, adherence, and clinical responsiveness. Current drug monitoring approaches are episodic, vulnerable to tampering, and lack real-time data, resulting in critical gaps in relapse detection and timely intervention. While wearable technology offers promise for personalized behavioral monitoring, it has been limited by inadequate substance-specific detection capabilities. The continuous polydrug monitor (CPM) addresses this gap through a novel, wearable electrochemical sensor that continuously tracks fentanyl and other high-risk substances in interstitial fluid. The proprietary sensor interface leverages computationally designed anchor molecules for drug recognition, conductive polymers for signal amplification, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for transducer. Using the sensor interface, CPM achieves high sensitivity and specificity while maintaining the electrode a low-power, compact form factor suitable for long-term outpatient wear. By a real-time drug monitoring system integration, the device supports timely, evidence-based decision- making and streamlines operational workflows, allowing providers to expand access, deliver timely interventions, and improve patient outcomes. Phase I research demonstrates technical feasibility through a wearable prototype; Phase II advances laboratory validation, regulatory alignment, and system integration for preclinical deployment. In the short term, CPM enhances patient compliance for outpatient SUD psychiatrists who prioritize accessibility. Long-term, CPM aims to integrate with telehealth platforms and cloud-based tools to support dynamic medication adjustments, reduce substance use as a treatment endpoint, lower overdose fatalities, and improve overall patient well-being. Broadly, CPM has the potential to reduce healthcare burdens, strengthen institutional trust, and foster healthier communities.