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Can light therapy dry out a swollen retina?
NCT ID NCT04847869
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether shining near-infrared light on the eye can reduce macular edema—swelling in the central retina—caused by a retinal vein occlusion. Six participants with this condition will receive 12 light treatments over about five weeks. The main goal is to see if the treatment decreases retinal thickness at 12 weeks, with secondary checks on vision changes and the need for standard rescue injections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Near-infrared light delivered via the Ellex Integre NIR laser
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a non-invasive, drug-free option to reduce retinal swelling and improve vision in people with retinal vein occlusion.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 6 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment may not reduce swelling, and there is a risk of no vision improvement or the need for rescue injections.
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
-
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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6 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2021
- Finished
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Jul 2024
- 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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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Diagnosis macular edema secondary to branch or central vein occlusion (BRVO or CRVO) * CMT of \>300 µm and less than 550 µm; * Best corrected visual acuity of 6/6 to 6/24 (letters 87 - 53); * Intraocular pressure \< 25 mmHg; * Written informed consent has been obtained. Exclusion Criteria: * Loss of vision due to other causes (e.g. age-related macular degeneration, myopic macular degeneration, DME); * Known allergy to agents used in the study e.g. fluorescein; * Women who are pregnant, nursing, or planning a pregnancy, or who are of childbearing potential and not using reliable means of contraception; * Only eye (vision in other eye \<6/60); * Study eye is an amblyopic eye; * Macular oedema due to other causes; * Significant diabetic retinopathy; * An ocular condition that would prevent visual acuity improvement despite resolution of oedema (such as foveal atrophy or substantial premacular fibrosis; * Previous treatment with any anti-VEGF therapy or investigational drugs in the study eye at any time prior to baseline. * Previous use of intraocular or periocular steroids in study eye at any time prior to baseline; * Cataract surgery within the last 3 months; * Retinal laser treatment within the last 6 months; * Media opacity including cataract that already precludes adequate macular photography or cataract that is likely to require surgery within 6 months; * Intercurrent severe disease such as septicaemia, any condition which would affect follow-up; * History of chronic renal failure requiring dialysis or renal transplant; * Blood pressure \>180/120; * Participant has a condition or is in a situation that in the investigator's opinion may put the participant at significant risk, may confound the study results, or may interfere significantly with the participant's participation in the study
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Macular Research Group, Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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