Since 1999, the opioid epidemic has killed around 645,000 people in America--a number that would no doubt be even higher were it not for naloxone, an opioid antagonist that can effectively reverse the effects of an overdose. However, time is critical: if naloxone is not administered promptly, the victim's chances of survival diminish rapidly. In a paper published August 14 in Device, a team of researchers describe a device designed to detect the signs of an overdose and automatically deliver a dose of naloxone in as little as 10 seconds. The device–which researchers describe as a "robotic first responder"–is named the "implantable system for opioid safety" (iSOS). It's implanted under the user's skin, in the same way as a heart loop recorder.

A smart ring designed exclusively for women will do what no husband would ever dream of – tell them how to snap out of their mood. The Evie ring will monitor the wearer's menstrual cycles, sleep patterns, and other vital statistics in a bid to help her'learn how to feel her best'. Rather than provide the data in complex graphs and charts, the results will instead be simplified into'actionable insights' for the user to change their lifestyle. The Californian-based firm behind the smart ring, Movano, is aiming for it to become the first wearable to also be approved as a medical device. The Evie ring will monitor the wearer's menstrual cycles, sleep patterns, and other vital statistics in a bid to help her'learn how to feel her best' Alongside monitoring heart rate, respiration rate, and skin temperature, the ring will also track users' ovulation, periods, and menstrual symptoms.

From asthma to Covid-19, several conditions can require regular blood oxygen measurements. Currently, these measurements are taken using a pulse oximeter – a device that clips onto your fingertip or ear – although this can make testing tricky on the go. In the hopes of making the process easier, scientists have developed a smartphone app that uses the device's camera and flash to measure blood oxygen levels. During testing, researchers from the University of Washington and University of California San Diego showed that smartphone can detect blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70 per cent – the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure. Scientists have developed a smartphone app that uses the device's camera and flash to measure blood oxygen levels A pulse oximeter measures how much light is absorbed by your blood.

"You had to decide for every single patient how you're going to provide care for them in a way you never had before," he recalls. That prompted him to ponder the role of the physical itself: "What would happen if I delayed it three months, or didn't do it at all?" For Dr. Hyman and many other physicians and their patients, the pandemic triggered a disruption in one of medicine's most common encounters--and, through virtual visits, provided an early glimpse of the physical of the future. A look at how innovation and technology are transforming the way we live, work and play. An explosion of advances in digital technology, imaging, gene sequencing and artificial intelligence will likely transform the physical into an even more virtual experience.