Laser scope aims to spot ear fluid better than standard tools
NCT ID NCT07454512
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new laser otoscope to see if it helps doctors find fluid behind the eardrum in children. About 150 kids already scheduled for ear tube surgery will get both a laser and a standard white-light ear exam. The results will be compared to what the surgeon finds during the procedure to see which method is more accurate.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- laser otoscope device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this device could help doctors diagnose ear infections more accurately, reducing unnecessary treatments or missed cases.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage diagnostic study with only 150 participants. The device may not prove more accurate than current methods, and results may not apply to all children.
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.
- Participants
-
About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Pediatric patients ages 6 months to 18 years who are scheduled to undergo unilateral or bilateral myringotomy with ear tube placement (tympanostomy) as part of their standard clinical care. Eligible participants will be identified prior to surgery based on clinical scheduling and medical history.
- Ages
-
6 months to 18 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Scheduled to undergo unilateral or bilateral myringotomy with ear tube placement * Between the ages of 6 months to 18 years at the time of consent * Able to provide assent as judged by the investigator or delegated personnel, and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) has signed the current Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved informed consent form along with the HIPAA Authorization for the use and release of Private Health Information (PHI) or applicable privacy protection Exclusion Criteria: * History of prior ear tube placement * Anatomical abnormalities of the tympanic membrane or ear canal * Presence of excessive cerumen that cannot be removed pre-exam and may interfere with study procedures * Any of the following deformities of the external ear and tympanic membrane: congenital canal stenosis or atresia, severe canal tortuosity or curvature which prevents visualizing the tympanic membrane fully with an otoscope, canal wall exostoses or osteomas, markedly thickened or opaque tympanic membranes such as caused by chronic myringitis, or scarring or fibrosis of the tympanic membrane, tympanosclerosis or other heavy calcification of the tympanic membrane, tympanic membrane perforations, and grafted tympanic membranes.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Middle ear effusion are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
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
-
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Community ear health workers may curb hearing loss in aboriginal kids
- Can a tiny ear tube offer lasting relief for middle ear infections?
- Can smarter surveillance sharpen pneumonia vaccines?
- Infrared eye on ear infections: new device aims to see fluid that white light misses
- Ear drops after tube surgery: do they prevent blockage?
- Parents as ear infection detectives: new study tests home otoscopy