Vibrating pill could ease bowel troubles for spinal injury patients
NCT ID NCT07213986
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study is testing a special capsule that vibrates as it moves through the digestive system. The goal is to see if it is safe and helpful for people with spinal cord injuries who have bowel problems. Only 12 participants will be enrolled to check safety and how well they can use the device.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Vibrant Capsule (a vibrating device swallowed to stimulate the colon)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to manage bowel problems in people with spinal cord injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 12 people, so results may not apply widely. The capsule may not work or could cause discomfort.
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 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
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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21 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) of more than one year. * Stable neurological level and function of SCI for at least six months. * Consistent bowel program without changes for at least 3 months. * At least one scheduled bowel movement (BM) every three days. * Use of digital stimulation, suppositories, enemas, or mini enemas, as part of the scheduled bowel program. * Use of oral medications as part of the bowel program. Exclusion Criteria: * Bowel incontinence occurring more than once per week. * Non-English-speaking individuals. * History of bowel obstruction, ileus, diverticulitis, or bowel surgery for a disease (appendix removal is ok). * Persistent autonomic dysreflexia (AD) triggered by bowel movements. * Recent changes to spasticity medications within the past month. * History of significant gastrointestinal disorders * History of Zenker's diverticulum * Dysphagia * Esophageal stricture * Eosinophilic esophagitis or achalasia * Pregnancy. * Presence of implanted devices that could be affected by proximity to a direct current magnetic field.
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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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TIRR Memorial Hermann
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Scientists map the daily rhythms of chronic pain
- Can AI learn to tune spinal cord stimulators?
- Which bowel care tool wins the race? trial pits suppository, enema, and irrigation device
- Robotic exoskeletons go home: can daily wear change life after spinal cord injury?