Stanford tests ultrasound patch to zap nerve pain without needles or pills
NCT ID NCT07572591
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Stanford University is testing a wearable ultrasound device that targets peripheral nerves to reduce chronic pain. The device is placed on the skin over the painful area and delivers focused ultrasound waves. In this early study, 90 adults with nerve-related pain will attend a single visit to test safety and pain relief. The goal is to see if this non-invasive approach could become a practical, drug-free pain management tool.
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 it works, this could offer a non-invasive, drug-free option for managing chronic nerve pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early study with only 90 participants and a single visit. It primarily checks safety, not long-term effectiveness, and may not work for everyone.
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 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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 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: 1. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study 2. Persons aged 18 and older. 3. In good general health as evidenced by medical history 4. Chronic pain located in the distribution of any of the target nerves of interest, including the occipital, suprascapular, median, femoral/leg, stellate ganglion/vagus nerves, neuroma, or amputees. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with compromised skin integrity for whom device placement would result in increased risk of harm (such as those with extensive burns, active dermatologic conditions, or wounds that would prevent safe device placement) * Pregnant patients, as the devices have not been validated in this population * Additionally, the treating clinician may exclude any patient if they determine that study participation would be inappropriate for the patient's clinical condition.
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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. 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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Stanford University
Stanford, California, 94305, United States
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