Lumenis initiates clinical study into SRT efficacy in DME

Lumenis is to undertake a clinical study into the efficacy of selective retina therapy (SRT) in diabetic macular oedema (DME).

It will be conducted by Dr Anat Loewenstein, an associate professor of ophthalmology & the vice-dean of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at the Tel aviv University in Israel and include 102 patients.

“Ophthalmic lasers have been playing a key role in the treatment and management of various retinal pathologies for many years now – however, not without negative side-effects. In the case of standard lasers, treatments usually result in deleterious thermal damage to neurosensory retinal tissue that is integral to healthy vision. As a retina surgeon, I think Lumenis SRT technology represents significant potential over conventional lasers, as it selectively targets the RPE layer without damaging the highly-sensitive neurosensory retina layer; thereby avoiding scotomata (blind spots) in the treated areas. However, what excites me the most is the potential benefits this primarily represents to our patients; a pain-free treatment that does not further impair vision and that may potentially improve conditions that rob the eyesight of tens of millions of people worldwide. Based on the data we have seen, Lumenis SRT technology appears to have the potential to become that treatment and this is what we are going to investigate,” concluded Prof. Loewenstein.

The study will be run over a two year period with patient follow-up at 4, 8 and 12 months post-op. The patients will be treated with the Lumenis SRT laser.