# Smart sensor for guiding safe delivery of anesthetic and pain drugs through epidurals

> **NIH NIH R43** · PHYSICAL SCIENCES, INC · 2022 · $258,541

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI), in collaboration with anesthesiologists from Beth Israel Deaconess (BID)
Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), who will act as consultants in Phase I and clinical
investigators in Phase II, proposes to develop a novel approach for guiding safer delivery of pain and/or
anesthetic drugs during epidural procedures (EPs). Epidural injections are typically used to treat pain from
herniated discs, spinal stenosis, chemical discs, chronic pain secondary to post-cervical surgery syndrome,
and chronic neck pain of discogenic origin. They are also regularly used to alleviate pain related to birth.
However, when not properly performed, the epidural injections can have negative side effects, such as
severe headache, infection, and even nerve damage. Serious side effects may also occur, including stroke,
paralysis, or loss of vision.
 A new technology based on a novel optical sensing technique is proposed to assess tissue composition
and optimize the force applied to the needle to guide its safe insertion into the epidural space, while the
monitoring of the pulsatile pressure in the epidermal space is proposed for evaluating proper positioning of
the drug delivery catheter. The Phase I effort will focus on development of a laboratory prototype that will be
initially tested and optimized ex vivo on animal tissue specimens, and then preliminarily evaluating its efficacy
in vivo in swine. Based on the Phase I findings, the technology will be further improved during Phase II and
validated on humans at BWH.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10545953
- **Project number:** 1R43GM148082-01
- **Recipient organization:** PHYSICAL SCIENCES, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** NICUSOR IFTIMIA
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $258,541
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10545953

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10545953, Smart sensor for guiding safe delivery of anesthetic and pain drugs through epidurals (1R43GM148082-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10545953. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*