Bag-in-the-lens intraocular lens with removable optic and capsular accommodation ring

Abstract

This invention describes an intraocular lens (IOL) design with a removable optic, which can be inserted in and removed from a haptic device. In this haptic the anterior and posterior capsules are sealed in order to have a perfect control over the lens epithelial cell proliferation which is thereby restricted to the peripheral part of the capsular bag. Additionally, a ring caliper is described as new surgical device to allow a precise sizing and centration of the anterior capsulorhexis. The removable optic allows repeatable correction of the eye focusing over time in case the optical parameters of the eye have changed due to a variety of factors. By separating the optic part from the haptic part, the optic part can easily be manufactured in any shape matching the optical errors of the eye, including the optical aberrations. The optic part can be manufactured out of any biomaterial restoring ocular accommodation. The optic part may include prismatic, astigmatic or magnification correction to improve visual performance. The optic part may consist of or include an electronic device for the purpose of artificial vision. In order to further assist the accommodative capabilities of the implant a capsular accommodation ring of specific biomechanical properties is inserted in the capsular equator.

Description

RELATED US PATENTS AND APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 110,463 filed on Apr. 20, 2005. The background of the invention is in the general field of intra-ocular lenses, in particular lenses with accommodative properties.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In our U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,531 a description is made of a new concept of intraocular lens, implantable in the eye to replace the natural crystalline lens. This IOL is inserted in a calibrated, circular and continuous anterior and posterior capsulorhexis, of which the diameters are slightly smaller than the optical diameter of the lens in order to fit tightly in the groove defined at the periphery of the optical part by two flanges (one flange is the continuation of the anterior part of the optic and the other flange is the continuation of the posterior part of the optic). The perpendicularly oriented axes of the flanges facilitate the insertion of both anterior and posteri...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Since the publication of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,531, other authors have used the idea to fixate the IOL using the posterior capsule (Okada Kiyashi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,225), but the design is very complicated an the implantation is based on the lens-in-the-bag technique having the permanent risk that lens epithelial cells will encapsulate the IOL with proliferative tissue.

However, these IOLs are composed of two optic portions that still have the risk of cellular deposits and proliferation between the parts.

This elaborated IOL also has the risk of cellular deposits at the level of the interfaces causing visual impairment with over time.

Images