Real-World Use of an iPad-Based Light Therapy App, With Optional Biomarker Collection

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Circadian OS iPad-based light app: Software-based light-delivery platform running on an off-the-shelf iPad. The app uses the display to deliver light targeting a specified circadian stimulus (CS ≥ 0.3), integrating spectrum and intensity at the eye. It runs closed-loop: screen luminance is calibrated in advance, the iPad camera tracks viewing distance and gaze direction, and the app computes the dose reaching the eye in real time, signaling whether the user is positioned to receive it. Session start-time recommendations are anchored to each participant's habitual wake time, derived from the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire. Onboarding presents a recommended envelope of approximately 60 minutes per day within approximately 2 hours of habitual wake. Use is not enforced and the app does not lock out off-envelope use. Participants use the app while streaming, reading, or browsing as they normally would.

Study summary

This study looks at how adults use an iPad-based light app in everyday life.

Light is the main signal that sets the body's internal clock, which controls daily rhythms in sleep, alertness, and many other body systems. Indoor living means many people do not get bright light at a consistent time each day.

The app uses the iPad screen to deliver light while people watch videos, read, or browse. It suggests about one hour of use per day, started within about two hours of waking. It does not require anyone to follow that schedule, and no one is locked out for using it more, less, or at other times. The app shows people when they are positioned to receive the intended light, records how the app is used, and asks short questions about sleep.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

1. How often, how long, and at what time of day do people use the app?
2. What do people mostly do during light-delivery sessions?
3. What do people think of the app, and how easy is it to use?

Participants will use the app on an iPad for up to eight weeks, answer short questions about their sleep and how they feel, and share feedback about their experience.

Participants may also choose to take part in optional sub-studies. They can wear a device the sponsor provides to record movement, light exposure, and skin temperature, or share data from a wearable device they already use. They can also give blood, saliva, or urine samples, which researchers will use to describe daily patterns in clock-related genes and other markers. These sub-studies are entirely exploratory and voluntary, and participants can take part in the main study without them.

Participants will not receive results from any samples they give. This study does not provide medical treatment, and it is not designed to determine whether the app treats or improves any medical condition.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Frequency of Circadian OS app (KairOS) use — From initiation of app use through the end of the app-exposure period, up to eight weeks
  Number of light-delivery sessions completed per participant per week, captured by in-app telemetry.
• Duration of app use: minutes of light exposure per session — From initiation of app use through the end of the app-exposure period, up to eight weeks
  Duration in minutes of each light-delivery session, captured by in-app telemetry.
• Timing of app use relative to habitual wake time — From initiation of app use through the end of the app-exposure period, up to eight weeks
  Start time of each light-delivery session, expressed as hours elapsed since the participant's habitual wake time, as measured by the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire completed at baseline.
• Context of app use — From initiation of app use through the end of the app-exposure period, up to eight weeks
  Concurrent on-screen activity during light-delivery sessions, captured by in-app telemetry.

Trial sites (1)