New device aims to take the guesswork out of epidurals
NCT ID NCT06281249
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will test a device called Accuro 3S that uses real-time ultrasound to help doctors place epidural needles more accurately. Researchers hope it will reduce the number of failed blocks and needle sticks in women receiving labor epidurals or spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. The study will enroll 100 adults who are already scheduled for these procedures.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Accuro 3S ultrasound device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this device could make epidural placement safer and more reliable, especially for patients with difficult anatomy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early data-collection study with no results yet. The device may not improve outcomes over standard methods, and technical issues could arise.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- 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: * Aged 18 years or older * The patient is eligible for placement of neuraxial anesthesia, and the patient has agreed to the procedure. * Patient skin is intact in the area of placement of the epidural or spinal anesthesia. Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindication to epidural catheter placement including bleeding diathesis (essential thrombocythemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, von Willebrand disease, and hemophilia A or B), neurological dysfunction (multiple sclerosis, subacute myeloopticoneuropathy or preexisting lower limb neurological deficit), prior extensive spinal surgery or major spinal deformity, pre-operative use of anti-coagulant with planned use of therapeutic dose of anti-coagulant in post-operatively, documented pre-operative coagulopathy (INR greater than 1.3 not on Coumadin or PTT greater than 42), platelets less than 70,000/μL, or evidence of infection at potential epidural site. * Presence of orthopedic implants in the spine. * Skin dyscrasias or allergies to the ultrasound procedure. * Unable to assume sitting position. * Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 20 kg/m2. * Known allergies to ultrasound gel. * Known history of allergic reactions to adhesives used in standard epidural placement
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Stanford University
Stanford, California, 94305, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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