ArticleClinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)2020
Comparison of the iLUX and the LipiFlow for the Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Article in Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- LipiFlow for the treatment of dry eye disease: A Cochrane systematic review summary.Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association · 2025Pooled it
- LipiFlow for the treatment of dry eye disease.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy of intense pulsed light therapy on signs and symptoms of dry eye disease: A meta-analysis and systematic review.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2023Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of a vectored thermal pulsation system (Lipiflow®) in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2022Pooled it
- Clinical efficacy of portable, cost-effective manual thermal pulsation for obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction and factors associated with therapeutic efficacy.BMJ open ophthalmology · 2026Trial
- Durability of the TearCare treatment effect in subjects with dry eye disease: Stage 3 of the Sahara randomized controlled trial.Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry · 2025Trial
- Systane iLux Thermal Pulsation System in the Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Post-Hoc Analysis of a 12-Month, Randomized, Multicenter Study.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Trial
- Performance of a Translucent Activator for LipiFlow Vectored Thermal Pulse (VTP) Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Trial
- Direct Correlation of Levels of Meibum Cholesteryl Esters, Hydrocarbon Chain Saturation, and Protein With Lipid Structure, in Relation to Age and Dry Eye.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2026Article
- Advances in Pharmacotherapy and Physiotherapy for Dry Eye Disease: Molecular Mechanisms and Future Directions-A Narrative Literature Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Article
- Effects of Lotilaner Ophthalmic Solution, 0.25% onClinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Article
- Advances in the Medical Management of Pediatric Blepharokeratoconjunctivitis.Advances in therapy · 2026Review
- Impact of lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0.25% on disease severity in patients withFrontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Eyelid heat pain sensitivity in healthy participants.Pain reports · 2025Article
- Dry Eye Disease Management Via Technological Methods: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.Ophthalmology and therapy · 2025Article
- Navigating the Dry Eye Therapeutic Puzzle: A Mechanism-Based Overview of Current Treatments.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Is Thermal Pulsation Therapy Effective for Dry Eyes Before and After Cataract Surgery? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Review
- Effectiveness and safety of a thermo-mechanical action device versus thermal pulsation device in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction.Journal of cataract and refractive surgery · 2024Article
- Comparison of manual versus automated thermal lid therapy with expression for meibomian gland dysfunction in patients with dry eye disease.Scientific reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo compare the effects of eyelid treatment with the iLUX MGD Treatment System and the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System on objective and subjective parameters of meibomian gland function and symptoms. PATIENTS AND
methodsIn this randomized, open-label, controlled, multicenter clinical trial, both eyes of 142 patients aged ≥18 years with Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores ≥23, total meibomian gland scores (MGS) ≤12 in the lower eyelid of each eye, and tear break-up time (TBUT) <10 s were randomized 1:1 to iLUX or LipiFlow treatment, with stratification by test center. The primary effectiveness endpoints were changes in total MGS (masked) and TBUT from baseline to 4 weeks. The secondary effectiveness endpoint was changed in OSDI score from baseline to 4 weeks.
resultsBoth devices significantly improved effectiveness outcomes, with no differences between the two devices. At the 4-week visit, mean MGS, TBUT, and OSDI scores improved at least 16.9 ± 11.5, 2.6 ± 3.2 s, and 28.0 ± 22.8, respectively, across treatment groups and treated eyes. Four device/procedure-related events occurred in the iLUX group, compared with none in the LipiFlow group, but there were no device-related adverse events that involved changes in lid margins, eyelids, or lash integrity. Corneal staining, intraocular pressure, and visual acuity did not differ in the two groups.
conclusionBoth treatments produced significant improvements in meibomian gland function and symptoms. For all effectiveness measures, there were no statistically significant differences between the two treatments.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.