An observational study in Pulmonary Embolism, Right Ventricular Dysfunction and Right Ventricular Failure, sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital. Suspended at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-21.
Sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital · Observational
SONIC-PE is a multicenter, prospective, single-arm study of 10 patients with bilateral PE treated with ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolysis (total dose 8 mg tPA given as 2 mg/hour/catheter over 2 hours) followed by 50 patients (total dose 6 mg tPA given as 3 mg/hour/catheter given over 1 hour) with the EKOS+™ system to determine its impact on the change in RV-to-LV diameter, refined Modified Miller Score, and distal pulmonary vascular blood volume as well as to assess International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding.
Patients with intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism (PE) comprise a population at increased risk for clinical deterioration despite initially stable hemodynamics. The pathophysiology of hemodynamic deterioration in intermediate-high risk PE includes an abrupt increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, due to proximal as well as distal pulmonary artery occlusion, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular (RV) pressure overload, and, ultimately, RV failure. While full-dose systemic fibrinolysis for PE has demonstrated efficacy for prevention of early morbidity and mortality, its net clinical benefit is attenuated by the risk of major bleeding, in particular intracranial hemorrhage. Catheter-directed therapies have been demonstrated to facilitate RV recovery while reducing the risk of major bleeding through use of lower-dose fibrinolysis or avoiding it altogether. Specifically, lower-dose regimens for ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed fibrinolysis result in sustained recovery of echocardiographically-determined RV function, reduction in Modified Miller Score (large-vessel pulmonary angiographic obstruction), functional status, and quality of life over the year following ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed fibrinolysis.
Recently, an upgrade to the output of the ultrasonic core catheter of the EKOS™ Endovascular System (EKOS+™) has demonstrated the ability to enhance fibrinolysis within a lower fibrinolytic dose range in preliminary studies (Boston Scientific Corporation, Maple Grove, MN). Compared with current EkoSonic™ system, a 50% increase in ultrasound power (measured in watts) with EKOS+™ resulted in a 130% increase in in vitro clot lysis compared with conventional catheter-directed fibrinolysis using the same dose of fibrinolytic drug.
SONIC-PE is multicenter, prospective single-arm study of 10 patients with bilateral PE treated with ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolysis (total dose 8 mg tPA given as 2 mg/hour/catheter over 2 hours) followed by 50 patients (total dose 6 mg tPA given as 3 mg/hour/catheter given over 1 hour) with the EKOS+™ system to determine its impact on the change in RV-to-LV diameter, refined Modified Miller Score, and distal pulmonary vascular blood volume as well as assess International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding. The study will have an adaptive design component with transition to 8 mg tPA/2 hours if there is an excess of bleeding or observed lack of efficacy, as determined by an Independent Study Safety Monitor.
832 studies on the registry are indexed under Pulmonary Embolism; 171 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is below the median of 361 across 366 observational studies indexed under Pulmonary Embolism.
Browse Pulmonary Embolism studies →Brigham and Women's Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,267 studies on the registry; 228 are open to participants now.
Of its 116 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 65 (56%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients who present for evaluation and treatment of PE and in whom the decision to proceed with the EKOS+™ ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolytic procedure will be screened for inclusion in the study.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.
Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
TIA (transient ischaemic attack)
A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.
Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Excipients
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
10 patients with bilateral PE will be treated with ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolysis (total dose 8 mg tPA given as 2 mg/hour/catheter over 2 hours) followed by 50 patients (total dose 6 mg tPA given as 3 mg/hour/catheter given over 1 hour) with the EKOS+™ system
Device: Ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolysis · Drug: Tissue Plasminogen Activator
Ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed lower-dose fibrinolysis (treated with a total dose 8 mg tPA given as 2 mg/hour/catheter over 2 hours for first 10 patients followed by 50 patients treated with total dose 6 mg tPA given as 3 mg/hour/catheter given over 1 hour) with the EKOS+™ system
total dose 8 mg tPA given as 2 mg/hour/catheter over 2 hours for first 10 patients followed by 50 patients treated with total dose 6 mg tPA given as 3 mg/hour/catheter given over 1 hour
Change in RV-to-LV diameter ratio as measured by chest CT from baseline to 48 ± 6 hours
Change in RV-to-LV ratio will be determined by a dedicated core imaging laboratory, blinded to clinical data and timing of the CT studies
Time frame: 48 ± 6 hours
Frequency of ISTH major bleeding at 72 hours
Adjudicated independently using ISTH criteria
Time frame: 72 hours
Change in chest CT-measured blood volume in the distal pulmonary vasculature from baseline to 48 ± 6 hours
Baseline and 48 ± 6 hours CT scans will be analyzed offline using 3D volumetric analysis
Time frame: 48 ± 6 hours
Change in refined Modified Miller Score as measured by chest CT from baseline to 48 ± 6 hours as measured by chest CT from baseline to 48 ± 6 hours
Determined by a dedicated core imaging laboratory, blinded to clinical data and timing of the CT studies. Scores range from 0-40 with 0 meaning no obstruction.
Time frame: 48 ± 6 hours
Plan to share: Undecided — Will consider requests of scientific merit
This study is suspended, as verified in Jan 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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