Can a smart device predict whether a labor epidural still works?
NCT ID NCT07720908
First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests a device called the CompuFlo® CathCheck™ System to see if it can accurately assess whether a labor epidural catheter is still functional before it is reactivated for postpartum tubal ligation. Researchers will compare the device's readings with standard clinical checks in 120 women who had a vaginal delivery and still have their epidural catheter in place. The goal is to reduce failed epidural reactivation and improve patient safety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- CompuFlo® CathCheck™ System
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this device could help anesthesiologists quickly tell if a labor epidural catheter is still working, reducing failed blocks and the need for extra procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. The device might not be more accurate than standard checks, and technical issues could limit its use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Age ≥ 18 years * Postpartum women electing to undergo tubal ligation with an indwelling labor epidural catheter * Ability to provide informed consent in English * Vaginal delivery Exclusion Criteria * Parturients not receiving labor epidural analgesia or receiving an alternative anesthetic technique during labor and delivery * Epidural catheter located \>2 cm from the documented insertion depth at initial placement * Planned elective cesarean delivery * Chronic pain conditions (e.g., chronic low back pain, sickle cell disease) * Chronic opioid use disorder * Chronic gabapentin use * Uncontrolled mood disorders that, in the investigator's judgment, may interfere with study participation or interpretation of study outcomes * Prisoners or incarcerated individuals
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anesthesia, epidural are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
The Ohio State University
RECRUITINGColumbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.