Key Milestones

Visible Light with a Powerful Story

Red light therapy in eye care has a fascinating history. What began as an accidental discovery in the 1960s has grown into a promising new approach for conditions ranging from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to myopia. Over the decades, scientists and clinicians around the world have uncovered how gentle, visible red light (620–700 nm) can protect, energize, and even reshape the eye.

Key Milestones

1967

Hungary

Dr. Endre Mester discovers that low-power red lasers stimulate healing instead of causing damage – the birth of “laser biostimulation.”
Late1960s–1970s

India & China

Ophthalmologist applied red light in amblyopia treatment for children. Unexpectedly to notice the AL shortening in nearsighted patients.
2003

USA

Researchers from University of Wisconsin showed that 670 nm red light protects rat retinas from toxic injury, proving the retina can respond positively to red light.
2000s

Early Clinical Studies

Doctors in Europe and U.S. start using red light in treatment of retinal diseases such as dry AMD, with reduced inflammation and signs of improved vision.
2010s

LIGHTSITE Trials

Large-scale multi-center clinical trials launch in North America and Europe, using multi-wavelength devices (including 660–670 nm red light) in AMD patients with encouraging results
2018-2021

Breakthrough Lab & Human Studies

Prof. Glen Jeffery (UCL, UK) shows that weekly deep red light (670 nm) improves vision in older adults, attracting public and scientific attention
2020s

Myopia Control Advances

Repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy trials in China and elsewhere show reduced myopia progression and even slight AL shortening in children.
Late2024

FDA Approval

The Valeda Light Delivery System becomes the first red light therapy device authorized in the U.S. for dry AMD, marking global recognition of photobiomodulation on ophthalmology.
2025

Growing Global Adoption

Red light therapy is now used in clinics worldwide for myopia control and retinal disease research, with ongoing trials in AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and etc.