Intraocular lenses
First Claim
1. An intraocular lens suitable for use as an artificial lens implant,(A) the lens having(1) a medial, light-focusing lens body, and(2) a pair of lateral position fixation elements connected with said lens body,(B) one of said position fixation elements having(1) a first portion contiguous to and extending generally laterally outwardly from a first region of the periphery of said lens body, and(2) a second portion extending from said first portion generally transversely thereto and at least partly peripherally of said lens body, said second portion having that part of its peripheral edge which faces said lens body spaced from the periphery of said lens body,(C) and the other of said position fixation elements extending generally laterally outwardly(1) from a second region of the periphery of said lens body spaced from and generally opposite said first region and(2) in a direction generally opposite to that of said first portion of said one position fixation element,(D) said pair of position fixation elements cooperating to effect proper positioning and immobilization of the lens with respect to the iris of an eye of a lens implant patient,(E) the configurations of said position fixation elements and their location with respect to said lens body being such that(1) the minimum length(a) of a projection of the entire lens onto a plane parallel to the optical axis of said lens body in a direction perpendicular to a projection of said optical axis on such plane(b) which can be achieved by rotating the lens 360°
- about said optical axis,(2) is greater than the minimum length(a) of a projection of said lens body onto said plane in a direction perpendicular to a projection of said optical axis on such plane(b) which can be achieved by rotating said lens body 360°
about said optical axis,(3) to an extent sufficient that insertion of the lens, through an incision in the eye, by a movement which is generally radial with respect to said optical axis would require the length of such incision to be greater than the minimum possible length of the incision which, as a function of the thickness and lateral dimensions of said lens body, would accommodate and permit passage therethrough of said lens body alone, and(F) the maximum width of each of said position fixation elements at any part thereof for a given thickness thereof being such that that element can be accommodated in and pass longitudinally through said minimum length incision in the eye,(G) whereby the entire lens is capable of being snaked into the eye of a lens implant patient through said minimum length incision.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A new intraocular lens construction, suitable for use in artifical lens implantations and having a medial light-focusing lens body and two lateral position fixation elements therefor, is disclosed. One of the position fixation elements has a first portion extending generally laterally from a first region of the periphery of the lens body, and a second portion extending from the first portion generally transversely thereto and at least partly peripherally of the lens body. The other position fixation element extends generally laterally from a second region of the periphery of the lens body spaced from the first region. By virtue of the special construction of the first position fixation element, the lens can be introduced into the eye by being in effect snaked through the corneo-scleral incision. The length of the incision thus can be the minimum required, as a function of the diameter of the lens body for a given thickness thereof, to accommodate the lens body and can be considerably less than is required in cases of lens implantations utilizing currently available intraocular lenses. By virtue of the location and orientation of the transverse second portion of the first position fixation element relative to the second position fixation element, the two elements coact to provide a three-point support for the lens in the eye so as to maintain proper lens positioning relative to the pupil of the eye.
82 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. An intraocular lens suitable for use as an artificial lens implant,
(A) the lens having (1) a medial, light-focusing lens body, and (2) a pair of lateral position fixation elements connected with said lens body, (B) one of said position fixation elements having (1) a first portion contiguous to and extending generally laterally outwardly from a first region of the periphery of said lens body, and (2) a second portion extending from said first portion generally transversely thereto and at least partly peripherally of said lens body, said second portion having that part of its peripheral edge which faces said lens body spaced from the periphery of said lens body, (C) and the other of said position fixation elements extending generally laterally outwardly (1) from a second region of the periphery of said lens body spaced from and generally opposite said first region and (2) in a direction generally opposite to that of said first portion of said one position fixation element, (D) said pair of position fixation elements cooperating to effect proper positioning and immobilization of the lens with respect to the iris of an eye of a lens implant patient, (E) the configurations of said position fixation elements and their location with respect to said lens body being such that (1) the minimum length (a) of a projection of the entire lens onto a plane parallel to the optical axis of said lens body in a direction perpendicular to a projection of said optical axis on such plane (b) which can be achieved by rotating the lens 360° - about said optical axis,
(2) is greater than the minimum length (a) of a projection of said lens body onto said plane in a direction perpendicular to a projection of said optical axis on such plane (b) which can be achieved by rotating said lens body 360°
about said optical axis,(3) to an extent sufficient that insertion of the lens, through an incision in the eye, by a movement which is generally radial with respect to said optical axis would require the length of such incision to be greater than the minimum possible length of the incision which, as a function of the thickness and lateral dimensions of said lens body, would accommodate and permit passage therethrough of said lens body alone, and (F) the maximum width of each of said position fixation elements at any part thereof for a given thickness thereof being such that that element can be accommodated in and pass longitudinally through said minimum length incision in the eye, (G) whereby the entire lens is capable of being snaked into the eye of a lens implant patient through said minimum length incision. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- about said optical axis,
-
19. An intraocular lens suitable for use as an artificial lens implant,
(A) the lens having (1) a medial, light-focusing lens body, and (2) a pair of lateral position fixation elements connected with said lens body, (B) one of said position fixation elements having (1) a first portion contiguous to and extending generally laterally outwardly from a first region of the periphery of said lens body, and (2) a second portion extending from said first portion generally transversely thereto and at least partly peripherally of said lens body, said second portion having that part of its peripheral edge which faces said lens body spaced from the periphery of said lens body, (C) and the other of said position fixation elements extending generally laterally outwardly (1) from a second region of the periphery of said lens body spaced from and generally opposite said first region and (2) in a direction generally opposite to that of said first portion of said one position fixation element, (D) the oppositely lateral extremities of said one position fixation element as viewed peripherally of said lens body being, respectively, located on two imaginary lines which are substantially tangent to said lens body at opposite sides thereof and intersect at a point spaced from said lens body on the side thereof where said other position fixation element is located, and (E) the maximum width of each of said position fixation elements at any part thereof for a given thickness thereof being such that that element can be accommodated in and pass longitudinally through the minimum length incision in the eye which is required as a function of the diameter and thickness of said lens body to accommodate and permit passage of said lens body, (F) whereby the entire lens is capable of being snaked into the eye of a lens implant patient through said minimum length incision, and (G) the two position fixation elements, upon implantation of the lens, cooperate to maintain proper disposition of the lens relative to the pupil of the eye.
-
25. An intraocular lens suitable for use as an artificial lens implant,
(A) the lens having (1) a medial, light-focusing lens body, and (2) a pair of lateral position fixation elements connected with said lens body, (B) one of said position fixation elements having (1) a first portion contiguous to and extending generally laterally outwardly from a first region of the periphery of said lens body, and (2) a second portion extending from said first portion generally transversely thereto and at least partly peripherally of said lens body, said second portion having that part of its peripheral edge which faces said lens body spaced from the periphery of said lens body, (C) and the other of said position fixation elements extending generally laterally outwardly (1) from a second region of the periphery of said lens body spaced from and generally opposite said first region and (2) in a direction generally opposite to that of said first portion of said one position fixation element, (D) said second portion of said one position fixation element having the middle region of that part of its peripheral edge which faces away from said lens body disposed closer to said lens body than the opposite end regions of that edge, the ends of said second portion of said one position fixation element and the tip end region of said other position fixation element providing three-point support for, and cooperating to effect proper positioning and immobilization of, the lens with respect to the iris of an eye of a lens implant patient.
Specification