Accommodating intraocular lens

Abstract

An accommodating intraocular lens to be implanted within the natural capsular bag of a human eye from which the natural lens matrix has been removed through an anterior capsule opening in the bag circumferentially surrounded by an anterior capsular remnant. During a postoperative healing period following surgery, the anterior capsular remnant fuses to the posterior capsule of the bag by fibrosis about haptics on the implanted lens while the ciliary muscle is maintained in its relaxed state by a cycloplegic to prevent dislocation of the lens, and the lens is deflected rearwardly by the fibrosing anterior capsular remnant to a distant vision position against the elastic posterior capsule of the bag in which the posterior capsule is stretched rearwardly. After fibrosis is complete, natural brain-induced contraction and relaxation of the ciliary muscle relaxes and stretches the fibrosed anterior remnant and increases and reduces vitreous pressure in the eye to effect vision accommodation by the remnant, the posterior capsule, and vitreous pressure.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 09 / 740,679 filed Dec. 19, 2000 which was a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 08 / 987,531 filed Dec. 9, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,059 which is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08 / 640,118, filed Apr. 30, 1996, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08 / 500,010 filed Jul. 10, 1995, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08 / 113,215, filed Aug. 27, 1993, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08 / 020,630 now U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,514, 5,672,282, and 5,496,366, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07 / 515,636, now abandoned.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates generally to intraocular lenses and more particularly to novel accommodating intraocular lenses for implantation within the capsular bag of a human eye from which the natural lens matrix has been removed by an, extraction procedure which l...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] The presently preferred lens embodiments of the invention have round optics and haptics joined at their inner ends to opposite edges of the optic by relatively narrow junctions. These junctions occupy only relatively small diametrically opposite edge portions of the optics and leave unobstructed the remaining major circular edge portions of the optic between the junctions. In the preferred lenses described herein, these junctions are hinge junctions about which the haptics are movable anteriorly and posteriorly relative to the optic. These flexible or hinged junctions form a bridge between the optic and the plate haptic which is fixed in position within the anterior and posterior capsules by fibrosis. The bridges are tapered, the widest end being adjacent to the optic. This allows the bridge to slide in and out of the pocket formed by the fibrosed anterior capsular rim and the posterior capsule, and enables the optic to move anteriorly when the plate haptics are subjected to end to end compression.

[0030] Another advantage of the plate haptic spring lenses over the simple plate haptic lenses of the invention resides in the fact that the haptic spring lenses permit an optic of larger diameter than those of simple plate haptic lenses whose optic diameters will normally be restricted to the range of 4-7 mm. Thus, the haptic spring lenses rely on the haptic springs rather than the capsular remnant or rim to retain the lenses in position during fibrosis. As a consequence, these lenses may be used with a capsular remnant or rim of reduced radial width or a capsular rim which is slit or torn, both of which rim types provide an anterior capsule opening of larger effective size than those possible with a simple plate haptic lens. A larger anterior capsule opening, in turn, permits a larger optic diameter which offers certain opthalmological benefits. According to one aspect of this invention, such a large opening is provided after fibrosis is complete by using a laser to slit the anterior capsular rim radially or cut the rim circumferentially to enlarge the opening.

Problems solved by technology

This shrinkage combined with shrink-wrapping of the haptics causes endwise compression of the lens in a manner which tends to deflect the center of the lens along the axis of the eye relative to the fixated outer haptic ends.

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