Monitoring lung changes from prone positioning in ARDS with 3D electrical impedance tomography

Prone Position Assessment by 3D EIT in ARDS Patients

Peking Union Medical College Hospital · NCT07083973

This will see if turning adults on ventilators with ARDS onto their stomachs changes lung air distribution and blood flow as measured by 3D electrical impedance tomography, and it will compare 3D to 2D EIT for monitoring.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment30 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorPeking Union Medical College Hospital (other)
Locations1 site (Beijing, Beijing Municipality)
Trial IDNCT07083973 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational study will record global and regional lung ventilation and perfusion changes when mechanically ventilated ARDS patients are placed in the prone position using 3D electrical impedance tomography (3D-EIT). Patients who are clinically judged to need prone positioning will be monitored before, during, and after proning without changing standard care. The study will directly compare measurements from conventional 2D-EIT with those from 3D-EIT to identify differences in monitoring performance. The work is conducted at the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing and excludes patients with implanted devices, ribcage malformations, pregnancy, or age under 18.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adult patients with ARDS on mechanical ventilation who require prone positioning and have no contraindications to EIT (for example, no implantable cardiac devices, pumps, ribcage malformations, or pregnancy).

Not a fit: Patients not on mechanical ventilation, those with contraindications to EIT, pregnant patients, or those with chest wall deformities or implanted devices are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians better tailor prone positioning and monitor regional lung function noninvasively, potentially improving oxygenation and reducing ventilator-related injury.

How similar studies have performed: Prone positioning has been shown in prior trials to improve outcomes in moderate–severe ARDS, while electrical impedance tomography has been used for bedside monitoring and 3D-EIT is a newer, less-tested extension compared with established 2D-EIT.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* patients on mechanical ventilation.
* Diagnosis of ARDS was based on the Berlin definition
* Patients in need of prone position because of clinical condition

Exclusion Criteria:

* Under 18 years of age.
* Pregnant women;
* Ribcage malformation
* Any contraindication to the use of EIT (e.g. automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and implantable pumps).

Where this trial is running

Beijing, Beijing Municipality

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: ARDS, Respiratory Failure

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.