Safety Evaluation of 4 Red Light Therapy Devices for Myopia

Are commercially available red light therapy devices for myopia considered safe under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ophthalmic instrument standards?In this quality improvement study of 4 instruments, the widely used EyeRising and the Sky-n1201 reached ANSI safety limits for exposure times below the recommended 180-second treatment duration, whereas the tested light-emitting diode–based device remained within limits for extended exposures.These findings suggest that laser-based red light devices exceed established safety limits and may pose ocular safety risks when used as recommended, highlighting the need for independent validation to balance clinical effectiveness with retinal safety before widespread pediatric use.

Corresponding Author: Lisa A. Ostrin, OD, PhD, University of Houston College of Optometry, 4401 Martin Luther King Blvd, Houston, TX 77204 (lostrin@central.uh.edu).

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