Posterior IOL Support Platform for Iris-Safe Lens Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraocular lenses (IOLs) face challenges in secure placement without posterior capsular support, leading to complications such as iris chafing, glaucoma, and decreased vision due to decentering, especially with one-piece designs like toric, multifocal, and trifocal lenses, and current solutions like ACIOLs and iris suturing IOLs have their own drawbacks.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device with a posterior platform and awnings that supports IOLs posterior to the iris, using radially extending structures for stabilization and sutureless positioning, preventing contact with the sclera and minimizing tissue damage, allowing for secure placement of various IOL designs, including one-piece and multi-piece lenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IOL is placed on top of the anterior capsule with haptics directed toward the ciliary sulcus to overcome posterior capsule rupture, then IOL can be positioned without posterior capsular support, but this causes iris chafing, inflammation, pigment release, and glaucoma due to non-ideal sizing and surface contours
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the IOL support function from the capsular bag, using a distinct posterior platform with awnings that segments the support structure away from the anterior capsule and iris, eliminating direct contact between IOL haptics and iris tissue
Solution Approach 2:
The posterior platform with awnings acts as an intermediary structure between the IOL and the eye's natural structures, providing a mediating support surface that prevents direct harmful contact between the IOL haptics and the iris while maintaining stable positioning
2Reliability
If three-piece IOLs with square-edged optics are used for sulcus placement, then IOL can be positioned without posterior capsular support, but this causes iris chafe, inflammation, pigment release, and glaucoma
Solution Approach 1:
The awnings provide localized protective coverage over specific areas where IOL haptics would otherwise contact the iris, creating a localized quality difference that protects vulnerable tissues while maintaining overall device functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The awnings serve as an intermediary protective barrier between the IOL haptics and the iris, preventing direct harmful interaction while allowing the IOL to maintain its sulcus placement position
3Reliability
If ACIOL is used as the only FDA approved solution for secondary IOL placement, then IOL can be positioned anterior to the iris, but this causes UGH syndrome, endothelial cell loss, and corneal decompensation over time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the IOL anterior to the iris (ACIOL approach), the device inverts the approach by providing support posterior to the iris, allowing the IOL to be positioned in the sulcus without anterior chamber complications
4Ease of operation
If sulcus placed IOL is used without special maneuvers, then IOL can be positioned easily, but it decenteres causing decreased vision and photopsias, frequently requiring additional surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The awnings are pre-positioned and configured to engage with the IOL haptics during implantation, providing preliminary centration and stabilization forces that prevent decentering without requiring complex additional surgical maneuvers
5Device complexity
If one-piece IOLs are used for sulcus placement, then IOL design is simplified, but sizing and surface contours are not ideal for placement between anterior capsular and iris causing chafing complications
Solution Approach 1:
The awnings serve as an intermediary protective structure that allows one-piece IOLs with simplified designs to be used in sulcus placement without causing iris chafing, as the awnings prevent direct contact between the IOL haptics and iris tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable device for supporting an artificial intraocular lens in an eye having an anterior segment of a capsular bag, an iris, and a sclera. The device includes a posterior platform having an anterior-facing surface and an inner wall defining, at least in part, a central aperture. When the device is implanted in the eye, light passes through the intraocular lens and the central aperture of the posterior platform towards the retina. The device includes at least one awning positioned over the anterior-facing surface of the posterior platform forming at least one recess anterior to the posterior platform. The device is configured to be deployed in the eye posterior of the iris so that no portion of the device rests in contact with the sclera after implantation. Related tools, systems, and methods are provided.