Robot arm steadies eye surgery for bleeding behind the retina
NCT ID NCT06347107
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested a robotic stabilizer to help surgeons inject a clot-busting drug (tPA) under the retina in 20 patients with bleeding from age-related macular degeneration. The robot held the needle steady for up to 3 minutes during standard surgery. The main goals were to see if the needle could be placed correctly and stay still, and to check for device-related side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this robotic approach could make subretinal injections more precise and stable, potentially improving outcomes for people with bleeding under the retina.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early-stage study with only 20 participants and no control group. The device is a prototype, and results may not apply to all patients or settings.
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
-
20 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jun 2024
- Finished
-
Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- 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: 1. Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures 2. Patients that are scheduled for vitrectomy surgery to treat a submacular hemorrhage with subretinal injection of tPA. 3. Both vitrectomy-only and combined phaco-vitrectomy surgeries 4. General anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients aged \< 18 years 2. Any disorder, which in the investigator's opinion might jeopardise participant's safety or compliance with the study protocol. 3. Vitrectomy surgery for other indication than mentioned above 4. No post-operative week 8 visit is anticipated 5. General anesthesia not possible
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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
-
UZ Leuven
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, 3000, Belgium
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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