Active monitoring to guide pain and nerve block care during surgery and recovery
Official title: Embedded Entrepreneur to Commercialize Active Stimulation/Monitoring Technologies to Optimize Pain and Nociception Management During Regional Anesthesia, General Anesthesia, and Post-Operative Care
Funded at Pascall Systems, Incorporated · NIH-11314661 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new method using brain-wave signals could help doctors tailor pain relief during surgery and after, improving comfort and reducing opioid use.
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 | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $199,806 |
| NIH project number | 1SB1NS147475-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314661 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients undergoing surgery who receive general or regional anesthesia and are at risk for post-operative pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing surgery or not receiving anesthesia-related pain management may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to bring a wearable or bedside technology into the operating room and recovery area to track how much pain a patient is experiencing as anesthesia and nerve blocks are given. By using event-related potentials measured from the scalp, clinicians may get real-time feedback on whether analgesia is working during general or regional anesthesia and in the immediate post-operative period. The goal is to reduce under- or over-treating pain, improve patient comfort, and potentially lower opioid needs after surgery. The work will involve developing and testing the technology in clinical settings to ensure it is practical, reliable, and safe for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better pain control with fewer opioids and smoother recoveries.
How similar studies have gone: Prior efforts explored neural signals for pain, but there is no market-approved solution for real-time intraoperative nociception monitoring yet.
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
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A device to detect hidden pain signals during and after surgery
This project uses a scalp sensor to find pain-related brain signals so anesthesiologists can better manage pain during and after surgery.
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Creating new technologies to better manage pain during and after surgery
This study is testing new ways to help doctors better manage pain during and after surgery, especially for patients getting regional anesthesia, so they can provide more personalized care and help prevent long-term pain and reliance on pain medications.
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Elderly-friendly, interpretable brain-monitoring to guide anesthesia with a FDA-cleared EEG device
A small FDA-cleared brain-monitoring system and new, easy-to-understand brain-state markers will help tailor anesthesia doses for older adults, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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How common anesthetics affect Alzheimer-related brain changes in men and women
This project looks at whether common anesthetics cause Alzheimer-related brain changes differently in men and women and whether sex hormones might protect older adults who need surgery.
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Neural signals in surgical wound healing and how regional anesthesia changes them
Researchers are studying how nerve signals and the immune system interact after surgery and how regional anesthesia might improve healing.
-
Understanding how people wake up from general anesthesia
This grant studies why people wake up from anesthesia and what happens in the brain when they emerge, aiming to reduce confusion and agitation after surgery.
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.