How the eye's lens affects measurements of eye length
Official title: Investigation of the effect of lens refractive index on the measurement of axial length of the human eye for accommodation and cataract surgery
Funded at New England College of Optometry · NIH-11189681 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses new, non-contact imaging to measure each person's lens refractive index and eye length to improve accuracy for things like myopia research and cataract surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New England College of Optometry NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $194,787 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY035830-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11189681 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults—particularly young adults—who can sit for non-contact eye imaging and follow instructions to focus at near and far targets.
✕Less likely to help
People with dense cataracts, severe corneal scarring, or who cannot reliably fixate or cooperate with imaging are unlikely to benefit from this study's measurements.
What this research studies
You'll have quick, non-contact scans that combine ray-traceable Scheimpflug imaging and whole-eye OCT to measure your lens's refractive index and the full length of your eye at the same time. The team will record measurements while you look at distant and near targets to see how the lens and eye length change during focusing (accommodation). The study will test these measurements in a group of young adults and compare them to standard axial length methods. If successful, the technique could be translated into clinical use to make eye-length measurements more accurate for treatment planning.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve the accuracy of eye-length measurements for individual patients, helping with myopia research and lens power choices in cataract surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Parts of the technology (lens refractive index measurement and whole-eye OCT) have been used previously, but combining them for simultaneous in‑vivo lens-index and axial length measurement is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
New England College of Optometry
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: He, Ji Chang — New England College of Optometry
- Study coordinator: He, Ji Chang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How the aging lens affects vision and what we can do about it
This grant studies how aging changes lens water and ion balance to cause cataracts and presbyopia, with the goal of better preserving vision for aging adults.
-
Glutaredoxin and aging: how it affects cataracts and new treatment ideas
A research project explores how aging affects the lens of the eye and tests new ways to prevent or treat cataracts by studying antioxidant repair and inflammation.
-
Cataracts and Work Exposures in Denmark
A large Danish study will look at whether job-related exposures, both chemical and non-chemical, are linked to developing cataracts.
-
Tele-mentoring with an ultra-portable surgical microscope to treat cataracts in underserved communities
A portable medical microscope with remote mentoring helps doctors in underserved areas perform cataract surgery more safely and effectively for people who need it.
-
Cataract Surgery and its Possible Impact on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
This project explores whether fixing vision through cataract surgery could influence the progression and onset of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
-
Role of S100 Proteins in the Eye Lens and Cataract
A study at Duke University will explore how S100 family proteins affect lens clarity and shape to understand why cataracts develop.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.