Project Grant R44DA063251

The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded $403,307 to Altrumed LLC on September 1, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to develop and clinically validate the DOVE device, a wearable opioid overdose detection and alert system.

DOVE is a shoulder-worn device smaller than a smartwatch that uses next-generation pulse oximetry and shoulder-based reflectance optical spectroscopy to detect opioid-induced respiratory suppression. Upon detecting an overdose, the device automatically alerts first responders and nearby bystanders. Altrumed has completed a 100-patient user preference study and sensor feasibility study demonstrating high acceptance and effectiveness; 71 percent of surveyed high-risk opioid users expressed strong interest in a sense-and-alert system. The award funds optimization and clinical testing of the sensor across diverse populations, with technical refinements to enhance optical penetration depth, sensor arrangement, and luminosity while normalizing biomarker readings across skin tones.

Altrumed LLC, a for-profit medical device company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the recipient. The performance period runs through August 31, 2027, with work occurring in Philadelphia.

The project addresses the gap in current overdose response: approximately 52 percent of opioid overdose deaths occur when patients are alone, and fatal outcomes often result when naloxone administration does not occur within five minutes. The device aims to reduce brain damage and mortality by enabling rapid autonomous alert and intervention independent of bystander presence or action.