Smart bandage zaps chronic wounds to speed healing
NCT ID NCT04887688
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study tests a new flexible bandage called exciflex that delivers mild electrical stimulation to chronic wounds that won't heal normally. The study includes 16 veterans with diabetes or spinal cord injury who have lower leg wounds. The bandage is designed to work for up to seven days without needing to be changed, potentially making wound care easier and more effective than standard treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- exciflex bandage (a flexible electronic bandage that delivers surface electrotherapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a new way to help chronic wounds heal faster without disturbing the dressing for up to a week.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 16 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The device is still in early testing and may not prove effective.
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
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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
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About 16 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2022
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * All participants with chronic wounds treated at LSCVAMC will be potentially eligible for the study * Primary target populations will include Veterans with SCI who are inpatients or residents of the on-site Long-Term Care Unit and Veterans with diabetes being followed by the Podiatry Service for wound care Exclusion Criteria: In addition to meeting the general inclusion criteria noted above, further exclusion criteria relating to clinical factors include: * Pregnancy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
RECRUITINGCleveland, Ohio, 44106-1702, United States
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