Test of QLS Device to Detect Early Cataracts

March 3, 2008 updated by: National Eye Institute (NEI)

Feasibility Study - Use of Quasielastic Light Scattering (QLS) Device in a Study of the Human Lens and Lens Opacities

This study will test the reliability of an instrument called the Quasi Elastic Laser Scattering Device (QLS) in detecting early changes in cataract formation.

Surgery is currently the only treatment for cataracts. Many laboratories, however, are researching drugs to reverse, delay or prevent cataract formation. Anti-cataract drugs presumably would be most effective given early in the course of disease. When clinical trials of these drugs are begun, dependable and standardized methods for documenting and monitoring lens opacities will be needed to test their effectiveness. The QLS was designed to detect the earliest molecular changes in cataract development. This study will evaluate the usefulness and reliability of this instrument in measuring these changes.

Normal volunteers and patients with cataracts in this study will have a standard eye examination, including a vision test and eye pressure measurement. The pupils will be dilated for QLS testing and for examination of the retina. Photographs of the retina may be taken. The QLS test uses a very dim laser light similar to that used to scan grocery items in the supermarket. The laser beam is projected into the lens of the eye, and the scattered light is collected and analyzed to determine normal and abnormal molecular interactions in the lens. Two measurements will be done for each eye. The test will be repeated in 6 months to determine reproducibility of the system.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Recently, a device has been created to determine molecular interactions that occur in the nucleus of the lens, called Quasi Elastic Laser Scattering Device (QLS). Preliminary studies have shown its potential in the detection of the earliest changes occurring in cataract, at the stage where anticataract treatment would theoretically be most effective in reversing, delaying or preventing cataracts. A new miniaturized version of this device has been developed by NASA using low energy lasers and offered for further development and testing at the NEI. We therefore propose to conduct a preliminary study to evaluate the usefulness and reproducibility of this instrument for quantitating lens changes.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment

10

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Eye Institute (NEI)

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Patients 18 years or older will be admitted to this study. There will be no gender or sex bias in the recruitment.

Three subjects who are normal volunteers below age 40 and three subjects who are normal volunteers above age 40 will be recruited. These normal volunteers should have clear lenses with LOCS II clinical score for nuclear opalescence of 0.5 or less.

In addition, 3 subjects who have early nuclear cataract (LOCS II/Nuclear opalescence -2) will also be recruited for the study.

QLS data will be obtained on each eye of the normal and cataractous subjects in the nuclear region.

No patients who have uveitis, glaucoma and who are thought to be at risk for an adverse reaction to pupil dilation, or have a history of allergic reaction to one of the dilating agents that will be used.

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?

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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

September 1, 1997

Study Completion

August 1, 2000

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 9, 2002

First Posted (Estimate)

December 10, 2002

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 4, 2008

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2008

Last Verified

November 1, 1999

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 970183
  • 97-EI-0183

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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