Bionic Breast: Restoring touch and reducing pain after mastectomy
Official title: Bionic Breast Project: A Neuroprosthesis to Restore Touch Sensation and Reduce Chronic Pain After Mastectomy
Funded at University of Chicago · NIH-11394424 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small study tests a neural prosthesis to bring back touch and ease chronic pain for women who have had a mastectomy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $783,980 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA281301-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394424 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women who recently underwent mastectomy and reconstruction and are eligible for implantation of the BBD.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with contraindications to surgery or those unable or unwilling to undergo implant anesthesia may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to deliver a small implant called the Bionic Breast Device to women who recently had mastectomy and reconstruction. By stimulating intercostal nerves and using a stretchable sensor on the breast area, the device hopes to recreate a natural touch sensation. The study will carefully implant cuff electrodes and monitor sensory changes and pain levels to understand how patients perceive touch after surgery. It builds on successes from limb prosthetics that restore touch by electrical stimulation, adapted for the breast region.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could restore a natural sense of touch and reduce chronic neuropathic pain for mastectomy patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior neural prosthetics have restored touch in limbs; this study extends the concept to the breast with a novel sensor.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lindau, Stacy Tessler — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Lindau, Stacy Tessler
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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.