A device to detect hidden pain signals during and after surgery
Official title: Developing Active Stimulation and Monitoring Technologies to Optimize Pain and Nociception Management During Regional Anesthesia, General Anesthesia, and Post-Operative Care
Funded at Pascall Systems, Incorporated · NIH-11176849 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a scalp sensor to find pain-related brain signals so anesthesiologists can better manage pain during and after surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pascall Systems, Incorporated NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,255,373 |
| NIH project number | 5R42NS129395-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176849 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults scheduled for surgery under general or regional anesthesia who can have noninvasive scalp sensors applied and agree to brief, controlled stimuli during their procedure.
✕Less likely to help
People not undergoing surgery, those with scalp wounds or implanted cranial devices that prevent scalp recordings, or patients whose care cannot accommodate intraoperative monitoring may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If I join, the team would place small sensors on my scalp to record event-related potentials (ERPs) that occur when brief, controlled stimuli are given during general or regional anesthesia. They plan to use repeated stimuli and averaging plus algorithms to identify brain patterns tied to nociception even when I'm unconscious or numb from a nerve block. The system is designed to separate true pain signals from other influences like blood loss, anesthetic drugs, or blood-pressure medicines. The researchers will refine the sensors and software during surgeries and in recovery to see whether the monitor can help guide more reliable pain control.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians detect and treat hidden intraoperative pain, reduce unexpected severe post-operative pain, and lower reliance on opioids.
How similar studies have gone: Existing monitors that use heart rate or blood-pressure signals are available but often unreliable; using scalp ERPs for intraoperative pain detection is a newer and largely unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Pascall Systems, Incorporated
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Le Mau, Tuan — Pascall Systems, Incorporated
- Study coordinator: Le Mau, Tuan
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.