Discreet Wearable device for Continuous Real-time Monitoring of Alcohol

Abstract Excessive alcohol use remains a leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 95,158 alcohol-attributable deaths (261 deaths per day) is reported only in the United States, with associated annual costs of $249 billion. The goal of this project is to develop a wearable integrated device capable of continuously measuring, recording, and storing ISF alcohol levels in real-time without the need for external calibrations. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) seeks a wearable alcohol monitoring device that can continuously measure real-time alcohol levels in the blood or interstitial fluid (ISF), and this proposal is highly aligned with the NIAAA’s mission. An accurate wearable alcohol sensor will serve useful purposes in different settings, including research programs, clinics, forensic applications, and consumer use to promote responsible alcohol consumption. The available transdermal alcohol monitoring devices, relying on alcohol detection in sweat or sweat vapor, face significant problems such as long lag times (up to several hours) and tend to be cumbersome. In this context, ActioX, LLC has developed a non-obtrusive wearable sensor platform to enable pain-free analysis few hundred microns under the skin, directly in the ISF. The novel sensing technology relies on a biocompatible array of microneedles, optimized for painless skin penetration, and thus to provide continuous access to constantly revitalizing ISF. This fully integrated wirelessly operated device is composed of two components of a reusable electronics and a disposable microneedle array, along with a successful demonstration of a custom- designed app for data capture and visualization. Our preliminary data using the prototype device showed successful real-time tracking of ISF alcohol in response to alcohol drinking episodes in multiple human subjects, with the results well correlated to those from a breathalyzer. This SBIR Fast-Track project will leverage this innovative technology to develop a discreet, real-time, continuous, and calibration-free continuous alcohol monitoring device toward prolonged on-body operations to enable more comprehensive and accurate clinical studies and allow efficient control and management of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorder. Phase I constitutes in-vitro feasibility studies to find the best chemical modification strategy with optimal sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and extended 3-days stability. We aim in Phase II to execute a series of clinical studies to develop a prospective calibration algorithm that can convert, in real time, the raw electrochemical sensor signals to BAC. The data gathered through this work will support FDA clearance, and subsequently, the commercialization of our real-time, continuous alcohol monitoring wearable system as a reliable and accurate device ready to be used by end users, including hospitals, drug rehabilitation centers, drug testing laboratories, government departments, and others.