Robotic pet companionship during breathing trials in the ICU
Official title: Effectiveness of Using Pet-Robotic Intervention to Enhance Spontaneous Breathing Trial Success in Intensive Care Unit Patients
Run by National Taiwan University Hospital · NCT07163247 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test whether a robotic pet companion can lower anxiety and help adults on ventilators succeed in spontaneous breathing trials in the ICU.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 24 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | National Taiwan University Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Taipei) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 2025 |
| Main results expected | November 2025 |
| Study ends | January 2026 |
| Registry record updated | September 9, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07163247 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults in the medical ICU who have been ventilated >72 hours, are awake and clinically ready for a second spontaneous breathing trial after a failed first attempt, and do not meet exclusion criteria.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with a tracheostomy, active multidrug-resistant or airborne infection requiring isolation, severe immunodeficiency, implanted cardiac devices, or a known allergy to the robotic pet's fur would be ineligible and unlikely to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
In adult medical ICU patients who have been mechanically ventilated for more than 72 hours and failed a first spontaneous breathing trial, nurses will introduce the PARO robotic pet as bedside companionship during a subsequent breathing trial. The intervention is delivered during the weaning attempt while researchers record patient-reported anxiety and physiologic stress markers. Primary outcomes include anxiety levels, success of the spontaneous breathing trial, and progression to extubation, with safety monitored for exclusion-related risks. Eligible patients must be conscious and meet clinical readiness criteria while those with specific infections, severe immunosuppression, implanted cardiac devices, tracheostomy, or fur allergy are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the robotic pet could reduce anxiety during weaning and increase the likelihood of successful breathing trials and earlier extubation.
How similar studies have gone: Robotic pet therapy like PARO has shown anxiety reduction in dementia and long-term care settings, but its application specifically during ICU spontaneous breathing trials is novel with limited prior data.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 years or older with clear consciousness. * Mechanical ventilation for more than 72 hours. * Previously failed the first spontaneous breathing trial and is clinically ready to undergo a second spontaneous breathing trial. Exclusion Criteria: * Multidrug-resistant organism infection. * Requiring airborne infection isolation precautions (e.g., COVID-19). * Immunodeficiency (absolute neutrophil count \< 500 cells/mL). * Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) less than -1. * Patient with a tracheostomy. * Subjects with implanted cardiac devices (e.g., permanent pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillators) * Known allergy to the fur of the robotic pet.
Where it's running
-
National Taiwan University Hospital
Taipei, Taiwan Recruiting
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Monitoring diaphragm electrical activity and breathing effort during ventilator weaning
We will see if surface diaphragm EMG, esophageal pressure, and oxygen use measured during a spontaneous breathing trial can predict who will fail to wean from the ventilator in the ICU.
-
Two ways to support breathing during ventilator weaning in adults
This will test whether automatic tube compensation or pressure support ventilation helps adults on a ventilator for more than 24 hours get their breathing tube removed successfully.
-
Monitoring diaphragm function during breathing trials
This study is testing a new way to monitor how well the diaphragm works in patients trying to breathe on their own without a ventilator.
-
Evaluating Heart Function During Breathing Trials in ICU Patients
This study tests which type of breathing trial is easiest on the heart for ICU patients who are trying to breathe on their own without help from machines.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.