New ultrasound tech aims to reduce needle sticks during labor epidurals
NCT ID NCT05909085
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether an automated ultrasound device helps doctors place labor epidurals with fewer needle sticks compared to a traditional ultrasound. Two hundred women receiving epidurals for labor pain will be randomly assigned to one of the two devices. The main goal is to see if the automated device reduces the number of times the needle is moved forward and backward under the skin.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ultrasound device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, automated ultrasound could make labor epidurals faster and less painful by reducing the number of needle sticks.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on a technical outcome (needle passes) rather than patient pain relief. The automated device may not prove superior in real-world 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 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
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 to 45 years
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * ASA-1, ASA-2, and ASA-3 * Patients with no known back deformities * Ability to sit upright for epidural placement * No prior lumbar surgery * No allergies to ultrasound gel Exclusion Criteria: * Coagulopathy * Low platelet count * Allergies to local anesthetics
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Labor analgesia are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Seeing the needle: ultrasound may take the guesswork out of labor pain relief
- Weight matters: study seeks best labor pain relief for heavier moms
- Study aims to perfect epidural dose for faster labor pain relief
- Could unmet pain relief hopes raise postpartum depression risk?
- New epidural technique could make labor safer and more effective
- New study aims to reduce itching from labor pain relief