Accommodating Intraocular Lens with Articulating Haptics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intraocular lenses primarily designed for distance vision fail to correct presbyopia, requiring patients to use reading glasses, and existing refractive surgeries like LASIK do not effectively address presbyopia, leaving an unmet need for a surgical intervention to address both cataracts and presbyopia in the aging population.
Innovation Solution
An accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) with an articulating member comprising anterior and posterior arms and flex regions, allowing the lens to change curvature in response to ciliary muscle contraction and relaxation, enabling focus adjustment between near and far distances by altering the radius of curvature of the posterior surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional intraocular lens is implanted to treat cataracts, then the lens clouding is removed and distance vision is restored, but the patient loses the ability to accommodate and requires reading glasses for presbyopia
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by designing an intraocular lens with movable components that can change position and curvature dynamically. The haptic members connect the anterior and posterior lens surfaces and can articulate relative to each other, allowing the lens to transition between different focal states. This dynamic structure enables the lens to accommodate for both distance and near vision, resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliable distance vision and restoring accommodation capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the posterior surface is made flexible to enable curvature change, then accommodation is possible, but the structural stability and positioning precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the intraocular lens into distinct components: an anterior lens surface, a posterior lens surface, and haptic members connecting them. The posterior surface is made flexible to enable curvature change, while the haptic members provide structural support and stability. This segmented design allows the flexible posterior surface to articulate relative to the haptics, enabling curvature adjustment for accommodation while maintaining overall structural stability through the rigid haptic framework.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the peripheral portions move toward each other to decrease the radius of curvature for near focus, then near vision is improved, but the lens thickness and potential for optical aberrations may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by implementing articulation in multiple dimensions. The haptic members connect to the posterior surface at specific points and can articulate in angular dimensions, allowing the peripheral portions to move toward each other to decrease the radius of curvature for near focus. This multi-dimensional articulation mechanism enables focus adjustment while controlling lens thickness changes, as the curvature change is achieved through angular articulation rather than simple compression that would increase thickness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The IOL device allows for dynamic focus adjustment, mimicking the eye's natural accommodation mechanism, thereby eliminating the need for reading glasses and effectively treating presbyopia in cataract patients, enhancing visual functionality without the limitations of conventional IOLs.
Implementation Method 1
The anterior lens, the posterior surface and the articulating member define an enclosed cavity and the outer surface of the anterior lens and the posterior surface form a substantially biconvex shape when the enclosed cavity is filled with a fluid
Data Source
AI summary
An accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) comprises an anterior lens, a posterior surface and an articulating member joining the anterior lens and the posterior surface to define an enclosed cavity. The articulating member comprises anterior and posterior arms coupling the anterior lens and the posterior surface, respectively. The articulating member further comprising a peripheral portion. A posterior flex region is disposed about the posterior arm and at a distance from the peripheral portion. The posterior flex region permits the flexible posterior surface to articulate relative to the posterior arm, to decrease the radius of curvature of the posterior surface as the peripheral portions on opposing sides of the IOL move toward one another in a first state and to increase the radius of curvature of the posterior surface as the peripheral portions on opposite sides of the IOL move away from one another in a second state.