Transnasal esophageal heart ultrasound to reduce sedation
Official title: Trans Nasal Transesophageal Echocardiography
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11306730 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new method to get detailed heart ultrasound through the nose for adults that may avoid heavy sedation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $385,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R33HL171790-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306730 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) who need transesophageal echocardiography for conditions like valve disease, endocarditis, or perioperative cardiac evaluation and who can tolerate a transnasal procedure are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with severe nasal obstruction, active nasal or esophageal bleeding, uncorrected coagulopathy, or other contraindications to transnasal or transesophageal probes may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Right now, the usual esophageal heart ultrasound (TEE) goes down the throat and often requires sedation, which raises risks and delays care. This project is adapting the probe to pass through the nose (anterior nares) so images of posterior heart structures like the mitral valve and left atrial appendage can be obtained without general sedation. Doctors will use a smaller, transnasal approach and compare image quality, patient comfort, and safety to standard TEE. The goal is to make high-quality heart imaging faster, safer, and more available to adults who need it.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let patients get high-quality TEE images with less or no sedation, lowering risk, cost, and delays.
How similar studies have gone: Small feasibility reports and pilot work with smaller probes suggest transnasal TEE can work, but it is not widely adopted and larger clinical testing is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tumarkin, Ethan — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Tumarkin, Ethan
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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.