Clinical Efficacy of Implementing an AI-SaMD for Funduscopy Analysis in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus (SAFE-DM)

April 8, 2026 updated by: VUNO Inc.

Clinical Efficacy of Implementing an AI-Driven Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) for Funduscopy Analysis in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of implementing the AI-SaMD(VUNO Med®-Fundus AI™) alongside routine clinical practice for the detection of diabetic retinopathy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this study is to compare the true referral rate between patients with VUNO Med®-Fundus AI™-assisted screening (intervention group) and those receiving usual clinical care without AI assistance (control group) among patients with diabetes mellitus.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
340

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • South Korea
    • Gyeonggi-do
      • Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 22332
        • Recruiting
        • Inha University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 19 years or older.
  • A documented diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • Ability to communicate adequately and provide written informed consent for participation in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A prior diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy at the time of screening.
  • A history of ophthalmic surgery within 6 months prior to the screening date.
  • A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
  • Pregnancy at the time of screening.
  • Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make participation in the study infeasible or inappropriate.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention group
For participants assigned to the intervention group, VUNO Med®-Fundus AI™ will be applied to the acquired fundus images, and the AI-generated outputs will be shown to clinicians during routine care.
Device: VUNO Med®-Fundus AI™
VUNO Med®-Fundus AI™ is an artificial intelligence-based fundus image detection and diagnostic support software. The software automatically identifies abnormal retinal findings and provides information on the type and location of detected abnormalities to aid clinical decision-making.
No Intervention: Control group
For participants assigned to the control group, fundus images will be interpreted according to usual clinical care without AI assistance.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
True Referral Rate
Time Frame: within 6 months
The true referral rate is defined as the proportion of subjects who were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy by an ophthalmologist among those referred to ophthalmology with suspected diabetic retinopathy. The true referral rate will be compared between the intervention and control groups.
within 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) Diagnosis Rate
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Proportion of subjects diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy among all enrolled subjects will be compared between the intervention group and the control group.
Within 6 months
Odds Ratio
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Odds ratio between the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and the application of the AI system among subjects referred to ophthalmology will be calculated.
Within 6 months
Referral Rate
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Proportion of subjects referred to ophthalmology for suspected diabetic retinopathy among all enrolled subjects will be compared between the intervention group and the control group.
Within 6 months
Time to Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Time interval from the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus to confirmed diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy based on ophthalmologic evaluation among referred subjects will be compared between the intervention group and the control group.
Within 6 months
Performance of the AI System in Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the AI system will be calculated in comparison with ophthalmologist-confirmed diagnoses.
Within 6 months
Accuracy of Referral for Diabetic Retinopathy
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Proportion of subjects whose referral decisions (referral or non-referral) are concordant with ophthalmologist-confirmed DR status will be compared between the intervention group and the control group.
Within 6 months
Adherence Rate
Time Frame: Within 6 months
Proportion of referred subjects who attend an ophthalmology department will be compared between the intervention group and the control group.
Within 6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Interim Analysis
Time Frame: Within 6 months
One interim analysis will be conducted when 50% of subjects have completed all study visits. The purpose of this analysis is to review the status of subject dropouts and the reasons for dropout in each group. This procedure will be conducted by a statistician who is independent of the study conduct.
Within 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VUNO Inc.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 7, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • VN-M-03 PR

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The institutional dataset used in this study, along with de-identified results, is available upon reasonable request for purposes such as systematic review or meta-analysis, only with approval from the corresponding author and the official approval of local IRB.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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