CA1134552A

CA1134552A - Intraocular lens

Info

Publication number: CA1134552A
Application number: CA000336362A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jan G.F. Worst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-09-26
Filing date: 1979-09-26
Publication date: 1982-11-02

Abstract

Abstract of disclosure An iris fixation intraocular lens comprising an optical portion and a side support portion comprising a pair of pincer-like extensions for holding a portion of iris tissue.

Description

Rackground of Invention This invention relates to an intraocular lens and in particular to such a lens which is surgically i~planted into the eye to substitute for the natural lens.
The natural lens of the eye frequently becomes opaque with age so that ~ision is severely impaired. This condition ~f opacity is commonly referred to as catarac~. When the opaque natural lens is removed an aphakic correction is needed.
Corrections reported in the prior art have included spect~cles, remo~able contact lenses and surgically implanted intrac.cular lenses. The choice of which correction to use is a medical decision. However, optically they are different in what !
they accomplish. Spectacles provide disturbed peripheral vision.
A contact lens does provide normal peripheral vision but because ¦
it must be removable ~oes not provide the permanence and the precision of optical correction and often i.s difficult for the older patient to remove or insert~ The implanted intraocular lens requires surgery but provides the most precise optical correction including peripheral vision of these three app-roaches ¦
to correction, The prior art in the ~ield of artificial intraocular lenses is found primarily in Class 3, Sub-class 13 oÇ the United j States Patent classification system. Prior art relating to intra~
ocular lenses which are implanted in the anterior chamber of the ~ye or the chamber in front of the iris include United States Patents 3,673,616, 3J906,551, 3~922,728, 3,925,825, 3,971,073, 3 J 979,780, 3~996 9 626. Prior art patents relating to intraocular ¦
lenses in the chamber behind the iris, or the posterior chamber include United States Patents 3,711,870l 3,866,2499 3~913,148.
In the prior art as exemplified by United S~ates Patent 3,906~551 the lens has a suppor~ por~ivn which is inserted 221 posteriorly or behind the iris. Fixation of this lens is made ~ I

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; ! with a suture through the less movable portion o the iris.
¦ One object of the present invention is to provide a novel ¦ intraocular lens whose entire structure is in the anterior ¦ chamber or n front of the iris~ but may also be fixated pos~erior I ly.
¦ A further object of this invention is to provide a novel I intr~ocular lens whlch requires no sutures or capsule fixationO
¦ Other objects and advantages of this invention will be ¦ apparent from the description and claims which follow taken togethe with the appended drawings.

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.221 ~ I - 2 113455Zi Summary of Invention The invention comprises broadly an intraocular lens having a first support portion on one side and a second support portion on the other. The first support portion comprises two flexible arms which act as a ~air of pincers for an exterior portion of the iris. Th3 second support portion comprises either two similar flexible arms, an elongated portion having a haptic portion registerable with the non-movable portion of the iris at the edge or a loop which will extend through the pupillary aper-ture and extend posteriorly to the iris but with no suture at all.
It is preferred that all varieties of the invention be made of a clinical quality clear plastic such as polymethylemethacrylate~
The pincer portions achieve fixatiol1 by grasping some iris tissue and in some cases also grasp the original ]ens capsule membr~ne if this capsule is permitted to remain a~ter surgery.
In one form of this invention one fixation point is a suture place~ through the iris at the upper portion, which ordinarily does not move when the pupil dilates or contracts. This suture is passed aro-1nd a haptic part in the manner described in IJnited States Patent Number 3,9069551~ In another form of the invention one fixation point involves the use of a support loop which goes through the pupil and behind the 1ris, for capsule fixation. In ;
this latter form of the inventio~ there is no need for a suture and hence less skill is required. In the form of this invention where each support portion comprises flexible pincer arms, ~here is likewise no need for a suture.

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! Blief Descript~on of Drawings I _ _ ¦ Fig. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of this invention implanted in an eye.

! Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embocliment o this invention illustrate~ in Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is an elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 2.
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Fig. 4 is an end eleva~lon of ~he embodiment of Fig 2. ~.
showing the grasping of iris tissue.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a seeond embodi-ment of this inventicn shown implanted in tlie eye.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the embo iment f Flg. 5.

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Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 there is illustra-ted therein an embodiment of khis invention which comprises an ocular portion 21, a pair of cooperaking pincer-like support portions 22 and 23, and a support loop 24 attached to the optical portion at points 21a and 21b. The support loop 24 has short legs 24a extending through the pupillary aperture with the loop 24 extending and contacting the back of the iris 12. The optical portion 21 is situated in front of the pupillary aperture in the aqueous humor of the anterior chamber 17 which is bounded by the cornea 11.
The support portion 22, 23 pinches a portion of the iris tissue in the anterior chamber 17 whiLe the loop 24 is in the posterior chamber 15.
The use of this embodiment of the invention pro-vides the surgeon with sufficient flexibility for posi-tioning the lens and also avoids the necessity of a suture by providing the novel pincer-t~pe fixation.
In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs.
~: 5, 6 and 7, the intraocular lens has an optical portion 31, a pair of cooperating pincer-support arms 32 and 33 and a support extension 34 having a suturing hole 35 positioned for suturing to the edge of the iris where substantially no motion taXes place during the normal movement o~ the eye This particular intraocular lens is noteworthy in that its entire structure is located in the anterior cham-ber 17 of the eye and the only manipulation with the iris 12 is the suturin~ thereto of the suturing hole 35.

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In another orm of this invention not illust~ated in ¦ the drawings, a pair of pincer arms like 22, 23 o~ 32, 33 -replacec ¦ loop 24 or extension 34 50 that the optical portion (21,31) has a pair of similarly arranged pincer arms on each side as supp rt9.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An iris fixation intraocular lens comprising an optical portion having a support portion on each side adapted to attach to eye tissue, at least one said side support portion comprising a pair of pincer-like extensions adapted to pinch a portion of iris tissue.

2. An iris fixation intraocular lens comprising an optical portion adapted to be positioned in the anterior chamber of the eye, one side support portion comprising a pair of pincer-like extensions adapted to pinch a portion of iris tissue and a second side support portion, adapted to attach to eye tissue.

3. An iris fixation intraocular lens comprising an optical portion adapted to be positioned in the anterior chamber of the eye, one side support portion comprising a pair of pincer-like extensions adapted to pinch a portion of iris tissue and a second side support portion which is an extension having an orifice adapted for suturing to the relatively non-moveable portion of the iris, said lens being characterized in that its entire structure is adapted to be spaced within the anterior chamber.

4. An iris fixation intraocular lens comprising an optical portion adapted to be positioned within the anterior chamber of the eye, one side support portion comprising a pair of pincer-like extensions adapted to pinch a portion of iris tissue and a second side support portion which has a loop adapted to extend through the pupillary aperture so as to be positionable posteriorly to the iris.