360 results about "Ciliary muscle" patented technology

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided having optical parameters that are altered in-situ, wherein an optic portion of the lens includes a lens piston that alters the shape of a lens element of the lens to alter the optical power of the lens, responsive to forces applied to a haptic portion to the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles. Forces applied to the haptic portion are transferred hydraulically to cause the lens to become more or less accommodated. The haptic portion is retained in a fixed unaccommodated state during an initial healing period following implantation to facilitate affixation of the haptic portion to the capsule.

A new lens design and method of implantation uses the change in pupil diameter of the eye concurrent with the changes induced by a contraction of the ciliary muscle during the accommodative reflex, in order to assist in focusing of nearby objects. This new intraocular lens consists of two parts. The posterior part or haptic part is inserted behind the iris and in front of the natural lens or artificial implant. Its main purpose is to participate in the accommodative mechanism and to prevent excessive lateral movement and luxation of the lens. An anterior or optical part is made of flexible material and is placed before the iris. Its diameter is variable but should be large enough to cover the pupillary margins to some degree under various conditions of natural dilation. The anterior and posterior part of the lens are separated by a compressible circular groove in which the iris will settle. The diameter of this groove is slightly larger than the pupillary diameter measured under normal photopic daylight conditions and for distance vision. Since the pupil becomes smaller in near vision, the iris will exert a slight pressure at the level of the groove of the lens which will cause a progressive and evenly distributed flexing of the anterior part of the intraocular lens, as the diameter of the compressible circular groove slightly decreases. This flexing will induce an increase in refractive power which corresponds to a variable part of the amount necessary for focusing nearby objects.

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided that having optical parameters that are altered in-situ using forces applied by the ciliary muscles, in which a lens body carries an actuator separating two fluid-filled chambers having either the same index of diffraction or different indices of refraction, actuation of the actuator changing the relative volumes of fluid within an optic element of the lens and altering the optical power of the lens.

A two-optic accommodative lens system. The first lens has a negative power and is located posteriorly against the posterior capsule. The periphery of the first optic contains a pair of clasps. The second optic is located anteriorly to the first optic and is of a positive power. The peripheral edge of the second optic contains a pair of locking arms that fit into the clasps contained on the periphery of the first optic to lock the second optic onto the first optic, but allow for rotation of the arms within the clasps. Hinge structures on the locking arms allow the second optic to move relative to the first optic along the optical axis of the lens system in reaction to movement of the ciliary muscle.

Presbyopia is treated by implanting within a plurality of elongated pockets formed in the tissue of the sclera of the eye transverse to a meridian of the eye, a prosthesis having an elongated body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface to contact the base and flap of the scleral pocket. The first and second surfaces are spaced apart a distance so that the implanted prosthesis exerts an outward force on the flap of the scleral pocket which results in an outward traction on at least the anterior margin of the scleral pocket. The combined effect of the implanted prostheses is to exert a radially outward traction on the sclera in the region overlying the ciliary body which expands the sclera in the affected region together with the underlying ciliary body. The expansion of the ciliary body restores the effective working distance of the ciliary muscle in the presbyopic eye and thereby increases the amplitude of accommodation. Hyperopia, primary open angle glaucoma and / or ocular hypertension can be treated by increasing the effective working distance of the ciliary muscle according to the invention. A preferred embodiment of the scleral prosthesis has a major surface adapted to contact the base or flap of the pocket and an opposite surface or ridge spaced from the major surface.

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided in which a deflectable lens element is anchored to a substrate along its optical axis to define a fluid filled space. Fluid-filled haptics disposed in fluid communication with the space vary the fluid volume in the space responsive to forces applied by the ciliary muscles, thereby causing the periphery of the lens element to deflect relative to the substrate and changing the optical power of the intraocular lens.

An accommodating intraocular lens includes an optic portion, a haptic portion. The optic portion of the lens includes an actuator that deflects a lens element to alter the optical power of the lens responsive to forces applied to the haptic portion of the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles and a secondary deflection mechanism. Movement of the lens element by the actuator causes the lens element to deform and the secondary deflection mechanism causes the lens to further deform.

An accommodating intraocular lens implantable in an eye. The lens comprises an anterior portion having an anterior biasing element and an anterior optic having refractive power. The lens further comprises a posterior portion having a posterior biasing element and a posterior optic having refractive power. The anterior optic and the posterior optic are relatively moveable in response to action of the ciliary muscle to change the separation between the optics and the refractive power of the lens. The lens has an aberration-inducing force characteristic of about 70 mg to about 115 mg to allow aberration-inducing relative movement of the optics when the lens is in the eye, thereby adding optical aberration to the lens which increases depth of focus of the lens. In one variation, the lens has an aberration-inducing force characteristic of 70 mg to 115 mg. Related methods are also disclosed.

Methods and apparatus are provided that prevent or inhibit functional regression caused by the stromal remodeling resulting from epithelial or fibroblastic apoptosis or necrosis in patients who will undergo or have undergone a thermal ciliary muscle tendinoplasty or scleral collagen shrinkage procedures. Methods and compositions are provided that prevent apoptosis in epithelial cells by stromal cooling during thermal tendinoplasty procedures; that create or restore stabilizing molecular cross-links between scleral stromal lamellar fibers; and that interrupt at least one step in the stromal remodeling response including inhibition of apoptosis, fibroblastic proliferation and migration, and inhibition of collagenesis.

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided having optical parameters that are altered in-situ, wherein an optic portion of the lens includes an actuator that deflects a lens element to alter the optical power of the lens, responsive to forces applied to a haptic portion to the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles. Forces applied to the haptic portion may result in fluid displacements from or to the haptic portion from the actuator. Displacement of fluid to the actuator may either increase or reduce the degree of deflection imposed on the lens element by the actuator.

A two-optic accommodative lens system. The first lens has a negative power and is located posteriorly within the capsular bag and laying against the posterior capsule. The periphery of the first lens contains a pair of generally T-shaped haptics oriented along a vertical meridian of the capsular bag and having a generally rectangular slot within the top portion of the “T”. The first lens further having a plurality of elongated haptics oriented along a horizontal meridian of the capsular bag. The second lens is located anteriorly to the first lens outside of the capsular bag and is of a positive power. The peripheral edge of the second lens contains a pair of encircling haptics having a notched tab sized and shape to fit within the slots in the haptics on the first lens to lock the second lens onto the first lens. Hinge structures on the encircling haptics allow the second lens to move relative to the first lens along the optical axis of the lens system in reaction to movement of the ciliary muscle.

This invention relates to intraocular lenses. More particularly, this invention relates to intraocular lenses that have the ability to alter the light refractive power in response to changes in the tension of the ciliary muscle or ciliary body of the eye or any other accommodative forces. Lenses of this invention are generally referred to as interfacial, i.e., lens properties being defined as the interface of two liquids having different refractive indices, refractive accommodating lenses (IRAL).

The present invention relates to a fluidic intraocular lens inserted into a capsular bag of an eye to replace a crystalline lens. The fluidic intraocular lens may be shaped by elastic membranes bonded to a support ring. The space inside the device may be filled with optically transparent fluid or gel having an index of refraction greater than the index of vitreous humor. The device may be such designed so that the focusing power of the lens can be changed by the deformation of the capsular bag, which may be subsequently controlled by a ciliary muscle.

An accommodating intraocular lens is provided having optical parameters that are altered in-situ, wherein an optic portion of the lens includes an actuator that deflects a lens element to alter the optical power of the lens, responsive to forces applied to a haptic portion to the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles. Forces applied to the haptic portion may result in fluid displacements from or to the haptic portion from the actuator. Displacement of fluid to the actuator may either increase or reduce the degree of deflection imposed on the lens element by the actuator.

Surgical correction of presbyopia and hyperopia by a circularly distributed assembly of mini-bridges implanted between the interior surfaces of the ciliary muscle and the exterior surface of the lens capsule, for augmenting the transmission of the contraction force of the ciliary muscle / zonule assembly to the lens capsule. The lens is symmetrically squeezed by mini-bridges acting in concert with the ciliary muscle thus changing the curvature of the lens. The mini-bridges are composite synthetic muscles comprising either passive biocompatible mini-bridges made with polymeric gels, silicone polymers or a composite, electromagnetically or mechanically deployable mini-bridges, inflatable balloons or synthetic muscles. The surgical procedure comprises using a ciliary muscle relaxant to stretch the lens / zonules / ciliary muscle assembly. An ultrasonic biomicroscope (UBM) is then used to enable the surgeon to see the area for implantation and the mini-bridges and thus perform endoscopic or incisional surgery to implant the mini-bridges in and around zonular cavities.

Presbyopia is treated by implanting within a plurality of elongated pockets formed in the tissue of the sclera of the eye transverse to a meridian of the eye, a prosthesis having an elongated base member having an inward surface adapted to be placed against the inward wall of the pocket and having a ridge on the inward surface of the base extending along at least a major portion of the major dimension of the base. The combined effect of the implanted prostheses is to exert a radially outward traction on the sclera in the region overlying the ciliary body which expands the sclera in the affected region together with the underlying ciliary body. The expansion of the ciliary body restores the effective working distance of the ciliary muscle in the presbyopic eye and thereby increases the amplitude of accommodation. Hyperopia, primary open angle glaucoma and / or ocular hypertension can be treated by increasing the effective working distance of the ciliary muscle according to the invention.

This invention relates to intraocular lenses. More particularly, this invention relates to intraocular lenses that have the ability to alter the light refractive power in response to changes in the tension of the ciliary muscle or ciliary body of the eye or any other accommodative forces. Lenses of this invention are generally referred to as interfacial, i.e., lens properties being defined as the interface of two liquids having different refractive indices, refractive accommodating lenses (IRAL).

An Accommodating Intraocular Lens (AIOL) is disclosed herein, that is comprised of a flexible optic and a flexible haptic rim that conforms to the human eye capsule. The spherical or custom shape of the optic is engineered to be maintained during accommodation through the mechanical / optic design of the implant and the interaction between the implant and the naturally occurring position and actuating forces applied through ciliary muscle / zonules / and capsule as the brain senses the need to increase the diopter change or magnification when an object of fixation approaches the eye. The axial relocation or position of the AIOL may also be further adjusted anatomically to further improve the affect needed to achieve improved accommodation. Optionally, the accommodating intraocular lens is foldable or injectable for delivery of the lens into the eye.

A high gain lens system for implant into the capsular bag after removal of the natural crystalline lens. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a combination of a positive or convex lens and a negative or concave lens. These two lenses are spaced from one another and their relative spacing and respective focal lengths determine their combined focal length. When the lens system is inserted into the capsular bag, two opposed haptic flanges on each side, extend toward the inner radial edge of the bag adjacent the ciliary muscles. When the muscles contract, the bag is stretched thereby compressing the haptic flanges together or at least toward one another. This action cause the two lenses to separate further from each other and the increased spacing between the positive and negative lenses shortens the focal length to permit focusing of objects at near distances. On the other hand, when the muscles relax, the bag relaxes also, the haptic flanges separate and the lenses come closer together. The reduced spacing between the positive and negative lenses, increases the focal length to permit focusing of objects at far distances.

A high gain lens system for implant into the capsular bag after removal of the natural crystalline lens. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a combination of a positive or convex lens and a negative or concave lens. These two lenses are spaced from one another and their relative spacing and respective focal lengths determine their combined focal length. When the lens system is inserted into the capsular bag, two opposed haptic flanges on each side, extend toward the inner radial edge of the bag adjacent the ciliary muscles. When the muscles contract, the bag is stretched thereby compressing the haptic flanges together or at least toward one another. This action cause the two lenses to separate further from each other and the increased spacing between the positive and negative lenses shortens the focal length to permit focusing of objects at near distances. On the other hand, when the muscles relax, the bag relaxes also, the haptic flanges separate and the lenses come closer together. The reduced spacing between the positive and negative lenses, increases the focal length to permit focusing of objects at far distances.

An accommodating intraocular lens includes an optic portion a haptic portion and a backstop. The optic portion of the lens includes an actuator that deflects a lens element to alter the optical power of the lens responsive to forces applied to the haptic portion of the lens by contraction of the ciliary muscles. Forces applied to the haptic portion may result in fluid displacements from or to the haptic portion from the actuator. The backstop provides support to the haptic so that bulk translation of the haptic is prevented in response to the forces applied by the capsular sac.

An intra ocular lens arrangement having positive and negative lens elements which move during the eye's accommodation response in order to improve the image on the retina of objects viewed by the eye over a wide range of distances. The positive and negative lens elements either can be linked mechanically to constrain their relative movements or not linked. The lenses are positioned by an operating surgeon following cataract extraction in either the eye's ciliary sulcus or lens capsule. Alternatively, one of the lenses may be inserted into an eye that already has a lens implanted therein to further improve a person's vision. An improved intra ocular lens has is an optic lens having at least two pairs of haptics that controls the movement of the optic lens along the optical axis of the eye in response to the movement of the ciliary muscle of the eye acting on the haptics during the accommodation response, one pair of haptics having one end hinged to the lower half of the optic lens and the second end connected to an upper portion of the ciliary muscle, and a second pair of haptics hinged to an upper half of the optic lens and to a lower potion of the ciliary muscle.

A lens in accordance with the present invention includes an accommodating cell having two chambers with at least one chamber filled with optical fluid with the refractive index matching the refractive index of the accommodating element separating them. The accommodating element has a diffractive surface with surface relief structure that maintains its period but changes its height due a pressure difference between the chambers to redirect most of light that passes through the lens between different foci of far and near vision. The invention also includes a sensor cell that directly interacts with the ciliary muscle contraction and relaxation to create changes in pressure between the accommodating cell chambers that results in changing surface relief structure height and the lens accommodation.