Continuous bedside optical monitoring of brain blood flow, oxygen, and inflammation during ECMO for children
Development of quantitative optical tools to continuously monitor cerebral autoregulation, blood flow, oxygenation and inflammation during pediatric extracorporeal life support
Using non-invasive bedside optical sensors to continuously track brain blood flow, oxygen levels, and inflammation in children on ECMO so clinicians can spot early signs of injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11325713 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is building and testing non-invasive optical monitors that sit on the head and continuously measure cerebral blood flow, oxygenation, autoregulation, and signs of neuroinflammation while a child is on ECMO. The team will collect continuous sensor data at the bedside, compare it with routine clinical measures and neurologic events, and refine signal-processing algorithms to produce clear, real-time indicators for clinicians. Device development, laboratory validation, and pilot testing in the ICU are all part of the plan to move toward a point-of-care monitor. The ultimate aim is a continuous monitor that can inform bedside decisions about blood pressure, ECMO settings, and other interventions to protect the brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are critically ill children (infants through 11 years old) who are receiving ECMO support in the intensive care unit.
Not a fit: Children who are not on ECMO or those with established, irreversible brain injury would not be expected to benefit from this monitoring approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these monitors could give clinicians early warnings of dangerous changes and help prevent hemorrhagic or ischemic brain injury in children on ECMO.
How similar studies have performed: Related optical tools like near-infrared spectroscopy are used clinically, but continuous autoregulation and inflammation monitoring during ECMO is largely novel and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Busch, David Richard — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Busch, David Richard
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.