Improving lead placement for bladder and bowel control treatments
Official title: Photoacoustic Tool to Improve Visualization and Success Rates in Sacral Neural Modulation Lead Placement
Funded at Actuated Medical, INC. · NIH-10930716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new tool that helps doctors see better while placing special wires to treat bladder and bowel issues, aiming to make these procedures more successful for people who struggle with incontinence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Actuated Medical, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bellefonte, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $331,416 |
| NIH project number | 1R43DK139914-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10930716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals experiencing bladder or bowel incontinence who may benefit from sacral neurostimulation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not suffer from bladder or bowel incontinence are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a Photoacoustic Visualizer (PAV) system to enhance the accuracy of placing sacral neurostimulation (SNS) leads, which are used to treat bladder and bowel incontinence. By enabling visualization through the needle during the implantation process, the system aims to improve the success rates of these procedures. The project will culminate in a preclinical demonstration to assess the feasibility of this innovative approach at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This technology addresses a significant unmet need for individuals suffering from incontinence, which affects millions and can severely impact quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and reliable treatments for patients with bladder and bowel incontinence.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches in neurostimulation have shown promise in improving treatment outcomes for incontinence, suggesting potential success for this novel method.
Where this research is happening
-
Actuated Medical, INC.
Bellefonte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bagwell, Roger Brooks — Actuated Medical, INC.
- Study coordinator: Bagwell, Roger Brooks
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Oscillated delivery tool to place brain injections for addiction therapy
A new device helps place tiny delivery cannulas in the brain more accurately and gently to support potential addiction therapies.
-
Vibration-based Heel Sticks to Reduce Pain in Newborns
A tiny, vibration-enabled tool helps lessen pain and stress from heel sticks in newborns during blood draws.
-
A New Device for Precise Delivery of Addiction Treatments
This project is developing a special device to accurately deliver new gene-based treatments for alcohol addiction.
-
A new device to improve endoscopic procedures for removing large polyps
This study is testing a new device called GripTract that helps doctors remove large and tricky polyps from the gut more easily and safely, aiming to make the procedure quicker and better for patients.
-
Improving the longevity of neural implants using acoustic technology
This study is testing a new system that uses sound waves to help keep brain implants working better and longer, which could really help people with chronic neural implants by reducing problems that can cause them to fail.
-
Creating a tool to improve brain imaging for aging and dementia research
This study is testing a new, gentle way to place tiny light probes in the brain to help scientists better understand aging and diseases like Alzheimer's, which could lead to improved treatments for memory and thinking problems.
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.