Mitigating Medication Tampering and Diversion via Real-Time Intravenous Opioid Quantification

IEEE Trans Biomed Circuits Syst. 2024 Aug;18(4):756-770. doi: 10.1109/TBCAS.2024.3405815. Epub 2024 Aug 21.

Abstract

Opioid tampering and diversion pose a serious problem for hospital patients with potentially life-threatening consequences. The ongoing opioid crisis has resulted in medications used for pain management and anesthesia, such as fentanyl and morphine, being stolen, substituted with a different substance, and abused. This work aims to mitigate tampering and diversion through analytical verification of the administered drug before it enters the patient. We present an electrochemical-based sensor and miniaturized wireless potentiostat that enable real-time intravenous (IV) monitoring of opioids, specifically fentanyl and morphine. The proposed system is connected to an IV drip system during surgery or post-operation recovery. Measurement results of two opioids are presented, including calibration curves and data on the sensor performance concerning pH, temperature, interference, reproducibility, and long-term stability. Finally, we demonstrate real-time fluidic measurements connected to a flow cell to simulate IV administration and a blind study classified using a machine-learning algorithm. The system achieves limits of detection (LODs) of 1.26 µg/mL and 2.75 µg/mL for fentanyl and morphine, respectively, while operating with >1-month battery lifetime due to an optimized ultra-low power 36 µA sleep mode.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intravenous
  • Analgesics, Opioid* / administration & dosage
  • Equipment Design
  • Fentanyl* / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Morphine* / administration & dosage
  • Wireless Technology / instrumentation

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Fentanyl
  • Morphine