Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
  • A61F2/1613—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
  • A61F2/1624—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
  • A61F2/1613—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
  • A61F2/1613—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
  • A61F2/1624—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside
  • A61F2/1629—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside for changing longitudinal position, i.e. along the visual axis when implanted
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
  • A61F2/1613—Intraocular lenses having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
  • A61F2/1648—Multipart lenses
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2210/00—Particular material properties of prostheses classified in groups A61F2/00 - A61F2/26 or A61F2/82 or A61F9/00 or A61F11/00 or subgroups thereof
  • A61F2210/0014—Particular material properties of prostheses classified in groups A61F2/00 - A61F2/26 or A61F2/82 or A61F9/00 or A61F11/00 or subgroups thereof using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol

Definitions

• the invention relates to an intraocular lens implant, a method for manufacturing an intraocular lens implant, and a kit for manufacturing an intraocular lens implant .
• Replacing the lens of a human eye by means of an intraocular lens implant may be indicated when due to aging processes the natural lens hardens and accommodation may no longer be achievable.
• lens implants allowing accommodation include a replacement of the natural lens mass of the human eye by means of a synthetic lens mass.
• the materials to manufacture such lens implant from are difficult to elect in view of the diverging needs of the lens implant being ac- commodatable on the one hand and persistent and long- living on the other hand.
• the lens implant comprises an anterior portion including an anterior viewing element and an anterior biasing element.
• the lens further comprises a posterior portion including a posterior viewing element and a posterior biasing element.
• the anterior portion and the posterior portion meet at first and second apices of the intraocular lens.
• the anterior portion and the posterior portion and/or the apices are responsive to force the separation between the viewing elements to change.
• the lens implant is designed for being implanted into a lens capsule of the eye.
• this lens implant takes a shape in which the viewing elements are at their maximum separation along the optical axis.
• the viewing elements may be moved towards each other in response to a ciliary muscle relaxation in order to reach a shape corresponding to a state of the lens implant suitable for distant vision, which is also denoted in this document as unaccommodated state.
• a relaxation of the ciliary muscle makes the zonule fibres become tense and pull the lens capsule radially outwards which invokes a force against the spring element of the lens implant in the lens capsule and compresses the viewing elements.
• the lens capsule including the lens implant takes a flatter shape.
• the ciliary muscle contracts such that the zonule fibres relax.
• the lens implant and in particular its spring element extends from its tense state into its relaxed state such that the viewing elements are moved away from each other.
• the lens implant takes a spherical shape corresponding to a state for near vision which is also denoted as accommodated state .
• the lens implant provides next to the two viewing elements two biasing elements dimensioned such that their apices abut the zonule fibres and the ciliary muscle when in the unaccommodated state.
• the lens implant is configured such that it will remain in the unaccommodated state in the absence of external forces.
• the ciliary muscle contracts it pushes the apices closer together causing the biasing elements to bow out and the viewing elements to separate and attain the accommodated state.
• the ciliary muscle relaxes, in turn, the force applied to the apices is reduced and the viewing elements approach each other again and convert the lens implant to the unaccommodated state.
• the relaxed state of the lens implant provides spaced apart viewing elements resulting in a shape representing the accommodated state of the lens implant suited for near vision. This does not reflect the shape of the natural lens mass without its capsule when not being exposed to any external forces: The natural lens mass rather takes a flattened shape representing the unaccommodated state suited for distant vision.
• the relaxed state of the lens implant seems to be reversed with respect to the first variant and the shape of the lens implant represents an unaccommodated state of the lens suitable for distant vision.
• the actuation of such lens implant as well as the shape of such lens implant is not considered to be a best fit in terms of adaptability of such lens implant to its environment.
• One of the reasons is that in the human eye the ciliary muscle typically does not directly drive and engage with the lens .
• the problem to be solved by the invention is to provide an intraocular lens implant which is adapted to the physiology of the eye, and which is suited for a long term deployment in the lens capsule.
• an intraocular lens implant comprising a first viewing element and a second viewing element, and a spring element for varying a distance be- tween the first and the second viewing element along an optical axis of the lens implant for varying the focal length of the lens implant.
• the lens implant is designed to take a shape suitable for distant vision when the spring element is in its relaxed state.
• a spring constant of the spring element is dimensioned such that a force produced by a lens capsule of the eye for holding the lens implant transforms the spring element from its relaxed state into a stretched state.
• Such lens implant is designed to reflect properties of the natural lens and its actuation mechanism as much as possible and respects the physiology of the eye.
• the lens implant although being designed by several components comprising two or more viewing elements and a spring element between the viewing elements is designed to - absent any external forces - take a flattened shape, which shape represents the shape of a natural lens enabling distant vision, i.e. what also sometimes is referred to as the lens being in an unaccommodated state.
• This shape reflects the shape of the natural lens and as such serves best for any accommodation processes as well as for any other physiological processes .
• the lens implant in its relaxed state takes a shape suitable for distant vision it needs to be convertible from there into a shape suitable for near vision. While in the state of the art this is achieved by members protruding from the viewing elements of the lens implant trying to directly engage with the ciliary muscle such actuation does not reflect the actuation used by the human eye.
• the ciliary muscle is not itself pushing the lens implant or the lens capsule for the reason that such actuation is not conform with the natural accommodation and may only be achieved by training of the ciliary muscle and the human brain in order to switch to such actuation mechanism different to the one used for the natural eye.
• the zonule fibres relax and no longer stretch the lens capsula which stretching held the lens capsule in a flattened elongated state before.
• the lens capsule itself which causes the lens mass transitioning from the flat shape representing distant vision into the more spherical shape representing near vision.
• the lens capsule is formed by a basement membrane which was built during the growth of the lens mass at its periphery by building subcapsular epithelium cells.
• the lens capsule encompassing the lens is elastic, and without any other external forces its surface tends to take a shape of lowest surface per volume which is a sphere. This is why absent any external forces the combination of lens mass and lens capsule takes a sphere-like shape which is the desired one for near vision.
• the tension built by the lens capsule needs to overcome the spring force generated by the spring element of the lens implant.
• the spring constant of the spring element of the lens implant is dimensioned such that a force produced by the lens capsule transforms the spring element from its relaxed state into a stretched state.
• the direction of transition is determined by means of the action direction of the spring element which typically is the optical axis of the lens implant.
• the spring constant is not only dimensioned such that it enables the lens capsule to stretch the spring element and by this enlarges the distance between the viewing elements along the optical axis, but is dimensioned such that the lens capsule is enabled to separate the viewing elements up to a distance which represents a state for near vision.
• the transition shall preferably be effected solely by means of tensions in the lens capsule.
• the present lens although comprising two spaced apart viewing elements may be closely aligned to the shape and the dimension of the natural lens mass and the lens implant as well as its ac- tuation may be conform to the natural lens and its actuation.
• actuation being the same as with the natural lens, i.e. in particular without the ciliary muscle directly acting on the lens implant, a lens implanted person is not needed to experience, learn and adapt a different way of actuation / accommodation whereas a direct engagement of the ciliary muscle with a clamp of the lens implant may be irritating.
• the basement membrane forming the lens capsule will likely better engage with the lens implant for the reason of a better fit and which may better prevent from corrosion and clouding. It is believed that the subcapsular epithelium from which the basement membrane is built will show a better sustainability when engaged with an aligned lens implant which follows the natural lens in the shape and actuation.
• a method for manufacturing a lens implant according to any one of the previous embodiments.
• the natural lens is measured.
• its shape and dimensions are measured, e.g. by any imaging technique.
• the data derived from such measurement may be used for forming the lens implant in accordance with dimension and shape of the natural lens.
• Such kit may comprise multiple viewing elements with different focal lengths and/or different shapes, and a spring element for holding the viewing elements .
• Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal cut of a schematic intraocular lens implant according to an embodiment of the present invention, in Fig la in its relaxed state, and in Fig. lb in its stretched state;
• Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal cut of a schematic intraocular lens implant according to an embodiment of the present invention, implanted in a lens capsule, in Fig. 2a in the stretched state of the lens capsule, and in Fig, 2b in the relaxed state of the capsule;
• Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal cut of a front portion of the human eye;
• Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal cut of a front portion of an eye with an implant according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state accommodated to distant vision
• Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal cut of a front portion of an eye with an implant according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state accommodated to near vision.
• Figure 3 it is referred to a simplified cross section of a front part of the human eye which comprises a cornea 5, an iris 4 and a lens 1 comprising a lens mass 3 arranged in a lens capsule 2.
• the lens 1 is connected via zonule fibres 7 to a ciliary muscle 6.
• the ciliary muscle 6 takes the form of a ring that may contract and relax.
• a contraction of the ciliary muscle 6 shall lead to accommodation which is understood as the eye focusing to an object in the near vision.
• Relaxation of the ciliary muscle 6 shall lead to a less accommodated state also referred to as unaccommodated state in which the eye is prepared for distant vision.
• the lens capsule 2 In a state in which the lens 1 is adapted for distant vision, the ciliary muscle 6 is relaxed as shown in Figure 3. In such state the zonule fibres 7 are tense and pull the edge of the lens capsule 2 radially outwards such that the lens 1 takes a rather flat shape in view of the drag force generated by the ciliary muscle 6 and transmitted by the zonule fibres 7 to the lens capsule 2. Hence, the lens capsule 2 itself is not in a relaxed state but is radially pulled such that it takes a rather flat shape instead of a spherical shape.
• Such configura- tion with a rather flat shape of the lens 1 enables for distant vision for the reason that the lens 1 is not shaped as to provide a focal length in the near field.
• the ciliary muscle 6 contracts such that a diameter of the ciliary muscle 6 around the lens 1 decreases.
• the tension in the zonule fibres 7 drops and the zonule fibres 7 may only hold the lens 1 but not add any additional radial forces to the lens 1.
• the lens 1 relaxes from its flat shape and returns to the near spherical shape for near vision in which the focal length of the lens 1 is much smaller than for distant vision.
• the lens mass 3 takes a rather flat shape suited for distant vision.
• the lens mass 3 will be encapsulated in the lens capsule 2 it will be deformed and transform from the flat shape into a more spherical shape suited for near vision, again, absent any external forces.
• the lens capsule contains fibres built during the building of the lens mass Absent any external forces these fibres make the lens capsule to take a shape of lowest energy which results in a form with the smallest surface per volume which pres- ently is a sphere - or better a sphere-like - structure.
• the lens mass / lens capsule combination will take a rather spherical form representing a lens suited for near vision.
• the forces generated by the lens capsule are sufficient for effecting such deformation of the lens mass 3 as the zonule fibres 7 are effete with the cilicary muscle 6 being contracted.
• the surface tension paradigm prevailing for the near view will be overridden by zonula fibres 7 pulling the edge of the lens capsule 2 outwards in response to the ciliary muscle 6 relax which makes the zonula fibres 7 become tense.
• the lens capsule 2 is radially stretched and takes a rather flat form suitable for distant vision.
• a lens implant in the present context is understood as an implant for replacing the lens mass but not the lens capsule. Accordingly, the lens implant is meant to be inserted into the lens capsule.
• Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal cut of a schematic intraocular lens implant 11.
• the lens implant 11 includes two viewing elements 12 and 13 and a spring element 14 between the viewing elements 12 and 13.
• the present lens implant 11 is a simplified version as the person skilled may easily comprehend that other shapes of the viewing elements, different forms of spring elements etc. may be encompassed by such lens impl-ant 11, too.
• Axis A - A * denotes the optical axis of the lens implant 1.
• Axis B - B denotes the longitudinal axis of the lens implant 1.
• the spring element 14 is connected to both viewing elements 13 and 14 and is arranged such that a distance between the viewing elements 12, 13 along the optical axis can be varied subject to the force applied to the viewing elements 12, 13.
• a sample focal point on the optical axis is denoted as FP.
• Fig. la the spring element 14 is in its relaxed state, i.e. no external forces are acting on the spring element 14 or the viewing elements 12, 13.
• Fig. la represents a lens implant 1 e.g. after manufacture and prior to implantation.
• the spring element 14 is dimensioned such that in its relaxed state the viewing ele- ments 12, 13 are spaced from each other at a distance which implements a lens implant 1 focusing in the distance .
• the spring element 14 is in a stretched, extended state, i.e.
• the viewing elements 12, 13 are spaced apart at a distance which results in a lens im- plant 1 focusing to the near, e.g. on focal point FP.
• the spring element 14 is under tension in this example.
• Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal cut of a schematic intraocular lens implant 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, now implanted in a lens capsule 2.
• a schematic intraocular lens implant 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, now implanted in a lens capsule 2.
• a lens capsule 2 For illustration purposes it is assumed that (except for gravitation, of course) no other forces than the spring force of the spring element 13 and tension forces inherent in the lens capsule 2 are interacting.
• Fig. 2b the lens capsule 2 is in its re- laxed state and takes a shape of lowest energy. No external forces are assumed to apply to such implant/capsule combination. It is apparent that the relaxed state of the combination of the lens implant 11 and the lens capsule 2 is not equivalent to the relaxed state of the lens im- plant 11 on its own. Rather, the lens implant 11 is in its stretched state is accommodated to the near. The force responsible for transitioning the lens implant 11 from its inherent relaxed state according to Fig. la to its stretched state according to Fig. 2b is evoked by the lens capsule 2.
• the lens capsule 2 - without any external forces applied - is taking a shape of lowest energy which - as far as the spring element 14 of the lens implant 1 is not counteracting - is a spherical-like shape. Tension and in particular surface tension built in the lens cap- sule 2 is responsible for such transition.
• the spring element 14 of the lens implant 1 would have been designed with a very high spring constant such that only for a large force applied the spring element 14 may stretch, the counteracting forces evoked by the lens capsule 2 would not suffice to exceed the spring force and the distance between the viewing elements 12, 13 would not change significantly.
• the spring constant of the spring element 14 is dimensioned such that a force produced by the lens capsule 2 transforms the spring element 14 from its relaxed state into a stretched state.
• the forces generated by the lens capsule 2 need to exceed the counteracting force of the spring element 14.
• the force generated by the lens capsule 2 in such direction needs to overcome the spring force by an amount that allows the two viewing elements 12, 13 travelling away from each other until the lens implant 11 is in a condition that allows viewing to the near which is illustrated in Fig. 2b.
• a force induced by a mass of the order of g or mg may allow to pull the spring in a mm or sub-mm range .
• the lens capsule 2 is far from taking its preferred shape of a spherical-like capsule but is rather lengthy and flattened.
• the lens implant 11 within the lens capsule 2 now is close to its relaxed state which is defined as state where the spring element 14 is in a relaxed state.
• the spring element 14 on its own would traverse from a stretched state as shown in Fig. 2b to a relaxed state as shown in Fig. 2a, it would have to overcome the tension exerted by the lens capsule 1.
• tension may be overcome by forces applied to upper edges of the lens capsule 2, as indicted by arrows E.
• Such forces may be evoked through relaxing of the ciliary muscle 6 which in turn strains the zonule fibres 7.
• a lens implant 11 implanted in the eye is schematically illustrated in the longitudinal cut of Fig. 4.
• the lens capsule 2 encapsulates the lens implant 11.
• Zonule fibres 7 radially attached to the lens capsule 2 are in a stretched state by this pushing the viewing elements 12, 13 of the lens implant 11 together against the force of the spring element 14.
• a rather flat capsule / implant combination is formed (at least flatter than the spherical shaped body of the lens implant 11 of Fig. 5 representing a state of the capsule / implant combination for distant vision) .
• the force applied to the edges of the lens capsule 2 is generated by means of the ciliary muscle 6 upon relaxing. Relaxing the ciliary muscle 6 in turn evokes straining the zonule fibres 7 which in turn stretch the lens capsule 2.
• Fig. 5 in turn shows a longitudinal cut of the eye of Figur 4, however, in a state accommodated to near vision.
• the actor i.e. the ciliary muscle 6 has contracted in order to accommodate to the near.
• the zonule fibres 7 relax and do no longer pull the edges of the lens capsule 2.
• the lens capsule 2 takes the shape of lowest energy which is a spherical like shape to the extent the spring element 14 of the lens implant 11 allows.
• a longitudinal extension of the lens implant along the optical axis in the relaxed state of the spring element is less than a longitudinal extension of the lens implant along the optical axis in the stretched state. This makes the lens implant be suitable for near vision in its excited state rather than to distant vision. In near vision, the focal length as distance between the focal point on the optical axis and the lens implant is less than the focal length in distant vision .
• the lens implant lacks of elements to engage with the ciliary muscle of the eye directly such as protrusions designed to shorten the dis- tance between the viewing elements and the ciliary muscle for an engagement between the cilicary muscle and the protrusions.
• the lens implant lacks of elements exceeding a height of the lens capsule in its 5 relaxed state wherein the height is defined along the
• the lens im ⁇ plant lacks of elements projecting above the height of the viewing elements in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the viewing elements.
• upper edges 0 of the viewing elements may terminate the lens in a di ⁇ rection of a longitudinal axis of the lens.
• the viewing elements and the spring element may advantageously be formed integrally, as a single piece.
• the viewing elements may comprise a lens with pluss power, and a lens with negative power.
• Kits for manufacturing a lens implant accord ⁇ ing to one of the preceding embodiments may be provided such kit comprising multiple viewing elements with different focal lengths and/or different shapes, and ato least one spring element for holding the viewing elements.
• an individual lens implant may be assembled in an ophthalmic clinic where a patients lens is replaced by the lens implant. From the kit lenses are chosen that match the refractive index, dimension and5 shape of the patients needs.
• the lens implant preferably is adapted to the natural lens of the patients eye it shall replace.
• the lens implant preferably comprise outside surfaces for being in contact with the lens capsule in ano implanted state which outside surfaces take the dimension and form of the specific natural lens mass.
• the lens implant may be formed according the5 model and as such according to the dimension and shape of the natural lens as far as the individual viewing elements and spring elements allow.
• the lens capsule 2 is closed after inserting the lens implant 11.
• a circular cut may be generated at the front portion of the lens capsule 2 by means of laser technology which cut is aligned with the optical axis A - A ⁇ such that such cut may not even be closed after inserting the lens implant 11 and may remain open.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Cardiology (AREA)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
• Transplantation (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Prostheses (AREA)

Priority Applications (19)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=44070531

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (17)

Families Citing this family (13)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2010
  • 2010-10-06 WO PCT/CH2010/000246 patent/WO2012045183A1/en not_active Ceased
• 2011
  • 2011-10-03 SG SG2013025036A patent/SG189258A1/en unknown
  • 2011-10-03 BR BR112013008082-5A patent/BR112013008082B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2011-10-03 AU AU2011313795A patent/AU2011313795B2/en active Active
  • 2011-10-03 WO PCT/CH2011/000234 patent/WO2012045186A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2011-10-03 CN CN201180048172.0A patent/CN103153229B/zh active Active
  • 2011-10-03 MX MX2013003604A patent/MX2013003604A/es unknown
  • 2011-10-03 US US13/878,100 patent/US20130197636A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-10-03 ES ES11767602T patent/ES2905953T3/es active Active
  • 2011-10-03 PL PL11767602T patent/PL2624784T3/pl unknown
  • 2011-10-03 RS RS20220226A patent/RS63006B1/sr unknown
  • 2011-10-03 JP JP2013532022A patent/JP5801402B2/ja active Active
  • 2011-10-03 KR KR1020137011509A patent/KR101686841B1/ko active Active
  • 2011-10-03 EP EP11767602.3A patent/EP2624784B1/en active Active
  • 2011-10-03 CA CA2813462A patent/CA2813462C/en active Active
  • 2011-10-03 RU RU2013120348/14A patent/RU2551348C2/ru active
  • 2011-10-03 DK DK11767602.3T patent/DK2624784T3/da active
• 2013
  • 2013-03-26 ZA ZA2013/02262A patent/ZA201302262B/en unknown

Patent Citations (6)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events