Creating new technologies to better manage pain and opioid use during surgery
Official title: Developing novel technologies to monitor nociception and opioid administration during surgery and general anesthesia in order to minimize post-operative opioid requirements
Funded at Pascall Systems, Incorporated · NIH-10875550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at new ways to track how much pain you feel during surgery and how much medicine you need to feel better, with the hope of making sure you get just the right amount of pain relief and reducing the chances of needing opioids later on.
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 15, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $987,966 |
| NIH project number | 5R42DA053075-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10875550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are surgical patients who are undergoing procedures requiring general anesthesia and may benefit from improved pain management.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing surgery or those who do not require anesthesia will likely not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing advanced technologies to monitor pain responses and opioid administration during surgical procedures and anesthesia. By utilizing innovative sensors and algorithms, the project aims to create a more accurate measure of pain control, which can lead to better management of opioid use. The goal is to reduce postoperative pain and the risk of chronic opioid dependency by ensuring that patients receive the appropriate amount of pain relief during surgery. This approach involves analyzing autonomic and neurophysiological markers to improve the effectiveness of pain management strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce postoperative pain and lower the need for opioids, thereby decreasing the risk of opioid dependency in surgical patients.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of integrating advanced monitoring technologies is innovative, similar research has shown promise in improving pain management and reducing opioid use in surgical settings.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Personalized brain-monitoring system to guide anesthesia in older adults
This project is building a user-friendly EEG system to help tailor propofol anesthesia for older adults, including people with Alzheimer's and related dementias.
-
How different anesthesia drugs and sleep affect brain cells during slow waves
This project tests how various anesthesia drugs and natural sleep cause slow brain waves and whether they involve the same brain circuits in people like you.
-
Active monitoring to guide pain and nerve block care during surgery and recovery
A new method using brain-wave signals could help doctors tailor pain relief during surgery and after, improving comfort and reducing opioid use.
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.