Evaluating How Well Different Types of Light-sensitive Cells in the Eye Contribute to Its Focusing Ability

July 15, 2026 updated by: Benjamin Chin, Rochester Institute of Technology

A Randomized, Repeated-measures Study to Evaluate the Contributions of Different Cone Photoreceptor Classes to a Step Ocular Accommodation Task

In this experiment, subjects will view shapes on a screen with varying colors and be asked to focus their eyes on the shapes. The shapes will look as though they are jumping to random distances away from the eye. As the subjects focus their eyes on the shapes, the investigators will measure the focus of their eyes using a device called a wavefront sensor. This device uses infrared light to measure the optical properties of the eye in real time. Our goal is to find out how well the eye focuses on different colors. Our broad goal is to better understand how the eye focuses because that process is a major part of having clear and good vision.

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

In this experiment, subjects will view Gabor patterns on a display through a Badal relay. The Gabor patterns will vary in their color. The colors will be picked to selectively modulate cone photoreceptor activity in different directions in cone contrast space. Subjects will be instructed to accommodate to the patterns while the virtual distance of the screen is manipulated with a focus-adjustable lens. As they do so, the investigators will measure the wavefronts of their eyes using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor.

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.
20

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.
  • Name: Benjamin M Chin, Doctorate
  • Phone Number: 8454534320
  • Email: bmccis@rit.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Rochester, New York, United States, 14623
        • Recruiting
        • Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
        • Contact:
          • Benjamin M Chin, Doctorate
          • Phone Number: 8454534320
          • Email: bmccis@rit.edu
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Benjamin M Chin, Doctorate

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Between 18-35 years of age
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal (glasses/contact lenses) vision.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Vision worse than 20/20 while wearing glasses / contact lenses.
  • Fragile or loose teeth (participants need to bite a piece of dental clay to stabilize their heads so that measurements can be taken from their eyes)
  • Current pregnancy (experiment requires sitting down without moving for stretches of time)
  • Heart disease
  • Personal/familial history of epilepsy

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group 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: Color variation in visual stimulus
Each participant undergoes all experimental conditions, in a within-subjects design. Each intervention corresponds to a different stimulus color. The 4 colors are: 1) grayscale (L, M, and S-cone modulation), 2) L and S cone modulation only, 3) L and M cone modulation only, and 4) M and S cone modulation only.
Other: Color
Each intervention involves showing a participant a stimulus with a particular color on a screen display, and asking the participant to focus their eyes on the stimulus. The 4 colors are: 1) grayscale (L, M, and S-cone modulation), 2) L and S cone modulation only, 3) L and M cone modulation only, and 4) M and S cone modulation only.

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
Accuracy of ocular accommodation
Time Frame: Because this is a basic science experiment, each measurement takes place at the same time as the intervention. There will be two sessions, each lasting approximately 1 hour, on separate days (day 1 and day 2).
Ocular accommodation is the focusing response of the lens in the eye. When the stimulus viewed by the participant changes in distance, the eye automatically refocuses. The investigators measure this refocusing using a device called a wavefront sensor. The investigators are particularly interested in how accurate this refocusing is, which is measured in units of diopters.
Because this is a basic science experiment, each measurement takes place at the same time as the intervention. There will be two sessions, each lasting approximately 1 hour, on separate days (day 1 and day 2).
Speed of ocular accommodation
Time Frame: Because this is a basic science experiment, each measurement takes place at the same time as the intervention. There will be two sessions, each lasting approximately 1 hour, on separate days (day 1 and day 2).
The investigators are interested in how quickly the eye refocuses when a near object moves farther away. Typically, this process takes around 1 second, but it can take longer or shorter depending on the individual and on the object being viewed. By analyzing data collected by the wavefront sensor, the investigators will calculate how long it took for the eye to refocus during each measurement.
Because this is a basic science experiment, each measurement takes place at the same time as the intervention. There will be two sessions, each lasting approximately 1 hour, on separate days (day 1 and day 2).

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.
Rochester Institute of Technology

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Eye Institute (NEI)

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.
July 2, 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.
December 15, 2026

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.
December 15, 2026

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).
June 30, 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.
July 6, 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.
July 9, 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.
July 17, 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.
July 15, 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.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • IRB0000131-Exp1
  • 4R00EY036497-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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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