AccelBand: a wearable leg device for bowel problems after spinal cord injury
AccelBand, a leg-worn transcutaneous neuromodulation device for treating neurogenic bowel dysfunction in individuals with spinal cord injury
This project offers a wearable leg device that uses gentle electrical pulses to help people with spinal cord injury have faster, easier bowel movements.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Transtimulation Research, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11064916 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a spinal cord injury and struggle with slow colon movement or constipation, this work is developing a band worn on the lower leg that delivers painless, surface electrical stimulation at an acupuncture-related spot below the kneecap (ST36). The device is designed to activate sacral nerves to speed colonic transit, improve rectal sensation, and restore coordination with the anal sphincter. Participants will wear the device, attend clinic visits, and keep symptom and bowel diaries while researchers measure bowel transit, sensitivity, function, and safety. This builds on earlier findings that similar skin-applied stimulation helped people after stroke and with chronic constipation and adapts the approach specifically for people with spinal cord injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with spinal cord injury who have neurogenic bowel dysfunction marked by slow transit, constipation, or difficulty with bowel emptying are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People without spinal cord injury, those whose bowel problems are from non-neurologic causes, or individuals with contraindications to surface electrical stimulation (such as certain implanted cardiac devices or active skin infections) are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could reduce constipation, lower reliance on laxatives, and shorten or simplify time-consuming and stigmatizing bowel care routines for people with spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier clinical studies using transcutaneous stimulation at the ST36 location reported improved bowel transit and symptoms in stroke patients and people with chronic constipation, but applying a wearable band to people with spinal cord injury is a newer application.
Where this research is happening
Oklahoma City, United States
- Transtimulation Research, INC. — Oklahoma City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pikov, Victor — Transtimulation Research, INC.
- Study coordinator: Pikov, Victor
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 below.