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Light on the spine: sensor aims to reveal oxygen levels in real time

NCT ID NCT04811235

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of British Columbia Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 23, 2026 · Last updated Sep 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of British Columbia are testing a small optical sensor that rests on the spinal cord and uses near-infrared light to measure oxygen and blood flow. The trial enrolls one adult with an acute traumatic spinal cord injury who is having surgery to stabilize the spine. Doctors place the sensor on the dura, the protective covering of the cord, during the operation and record how well it works and how easily it can be applied and removed. The goal is to see whether this first-in-human device can safely gather real-time information about the injured cord.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a near-infrared spectroscopy sensor placed on the spinal cord to measure oxygen levels
What this could lead to
If the sensor works, doctors could one day watch oxygen levels in an injured spinal cord during surgery and adjust care in real time.
What could go wrong
This is a first-in-human test with a single participant, so it can only show whether the sensor can be used safely and reliably, not whether it improves recovery. Placing a sensor on the spinal cord carries risks of infection, bleeding, or damage to delicate tissue.

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

1 person

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2022

Finished

Apr 2026

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

17 years and older

Sex

Anyone

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 17 years or older * Spinal injury between bony levels C3 and L1 inclusive * Motor complete acute traumatic SCI (AIS A or B) or motor incomplete SCI (AIS C) with a total lower extremity motor score of less than 5 * Blunt (non-penetrating) SCI requiring posterior laminectomy with stabilization/fusion surgery within 72 hours of injury * Able to communicate in English and provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Isolated radiculopathy or cauda equina injury * Spinal cord impairment secondary to tumour, infection, epidural bleeding, or ischemia (in * Any condition or injury (e.g. Morel-Lavellee lesion) that would interfere with the application or readings of the NIRS sensor * Associated traumatic condition that would interfere with the informed consent process or outcome assessments (e.g. traumatic brain injury, pelvic, abdominal, or thoracic injuries) * Any other medical condition that, in the investigator's opinion, would render the protocol procedures dangerous * Female patients who are pregnant

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Acute spinal cord injury Spinal cord injuries

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Vancouver General Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1M9, Canada

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