Medical Need:
Due to the stigma towards alcohol abuse, the raw data to support research into it has been historically difficult to come by, relying heavily on short term studies and patient questionnaires that rely on human nature for accuracy. Communities, law enforcement agencies, and researchers have a vested interest in the ability to monitor blood alcohol concentration to assess the user’s state of inebriation, as well as to understand the side effects and consequences of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Wearable
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Monitor
Vivonics is developing a wearable and discreet device for monitoring blood alcohol levels. Using near-infrared light, the system can noninvasively measure the concentration of alcohol in the wearer’s blood, allowing for continuous tracking of blood alcohol in a user without the inconvenience or public stigma of technologies like breathalyzers or ankle monitors.
With this novel system, researchers, doctors, and other individuals who have a need to monitor alcohol use will be provided with an invaluable tool that can be worn comfortably and discreetly by the user and continuously measure and record their blood alcohol concentration without interfering with their daily activities.
Disclaimer: This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N94023C00012. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
(Award 75N94023C00012 is titled Clinical Verification and Validation of a Wearable Near-Infrared Blood Alcohol Content Monitor)
Product under development, not yet FDA approved