Canadian Study to Explore Retinal Oxygenation in Vascular Eye Disease Using Zilia Ocular

Quebec City, February 20, 2026 – Zilia announced today that its Zilia Ocular device will be used in a new clinical study at St. Michael’s Hospital, a leading institution within Unity Health Toronto healthcare network. Led by Principal Investigator Dr. David Wong, vitreoretinal surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, the research will evaluate how non-invasive measurement of retinal oxygen saturation may improve the understanding and management of vision-threatening retinal vascular diseases.

Zilia Ocular device used in retinal oxygen saturation study at Unity Health Toronto

A Need for Better Insight Into Retinal Health

Conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion remain major causes of vision loss. Traditional imaging tools reveal blood flow and structural changes, but they cannot assess how much oxygen reaches the retina — a critical factor influencing tissue health and visual prognosis.

The study will compare established imaging methods with ocular oximetry captured by the Zilia Ocular. The device, which recently received its Health Canada medical device licence, will also be used to monitor how retinal oxygen levels change following anti-VEGF therapy, the current standard of care for many vascular retinal disorders.

“Current imaging tells us where blood is flowing, but oxygenation may give us a clearer picture of which retinal areas are healthy, at risk, or beyond recovery,” said Dr. David Wong. “This study aims to help refine how we assess disease severity and treatment response.”

A Canadian Contribution to Advancing Eye-Care

“Seeing the Zilia Ocular included in a study led by Canadian clinicians is something our whole team cares deeply about,” said Dr. Patrick Sauvageau, optometrist, CEO and Co-founder of Zilia. “Our technology was developed here, and contributing to research within our own healthcare system is meaningful to us. We hope this work helps move clinical care forward for patients across the country.”

About Zilia

Zilia is a health technology company developing a groundbreaking platform to non-invasively measure biomarkers in the eye, with an initial focus on ocular oximetry. By integrating advanced photonics and artificial intelligence, Zilia’s first-of-kind technology is intended to leverage the eye’s optical properties and its direct connections to the vascular system and the brain, capturing critical information on ocular and overall health.

For Further Information

Zilia: https://ziliahealth.com/

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