| Multi-mechanistic accommodating intraocular lenses -> Monitor Keywords |
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Multi-mechanistic accommodating intraocular lensesRelated Patent Categories: Prosthesis (i.e., Artificial Body Members), Parts Thereof, Or Aids And Accessories Therefor, Eye Prosthesis (e.g., Lens Or Corneal Implant, Or Artificial Eye, Etc.), Intraocular Lens, Focal Power Of Lens Can Be Continuously Varied By Movement Of Body Part (e.g., Head, Eyes, Ciliary Muscles, Etc.)Multi-mechanistic accommodating intraocular lenses description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070043437, Multi-mechanistic accommodating intraocular lenses. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/341,701, filed Jan. 14, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,783, which claimed the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/348,705, filed Jan. 14, 2002, and provisional application Ser. No. 60/372,309, filed Apr. 12, 2002. The disclosures of the aforementioned application and each of the provisional applications are incorporated in their entireties herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to intraocular lenses (IOLs). More particularly, the present invention relates to IOLs that provide accommodating movement in the eye. [0003] The human visual system includes the eyes, the extraocular muscles which control eye position within the eye socket, the optic and other nerves that connect the eyes to the brain, and particular areas of the brain that are in neural communication with the eyes. Each eye forms an image upon a vast array of light sensitive photoreceptors of the retina. The cornea is the primary refracting surface which admits light through the anterior part of the outer surface of the eye. The iris contains muscles which alter the size of the entrance port of the eye, or pupil. The crystalline lens has a variable shape within the capsular bag, under the indirect control of the ciliary muscle. Having a refractive index higher than the surrounding media, the crystalline lens gives the eye a variable focal length, allowing accommodation to objects at varying distances from the eye. [0004] Much of the remainder of the eye is filled with fluids and materials under pressure which help the eye maintain its shape. For example, the aqueous humor fills the anterior chamber between the cornea and the iris, and the vitreous humor fills the majority of the volume of the eye in the vitreous chamber behind the lens. The crystalline lens is contained within a third chamber of the eye, the posterior chamber, which is positioned between the anterior and vitreous chambers. [0005] The human eye is susceptible to numerous disorders and diseases, a number of which attack the crystalline lens. For example, cataracts mar vision through cloudy or opaque discoloration of the lens of the eye. Cataracts often result in partial or complete blindness. If this is the case, the crystalline lens can be removed and replaced with an intraocular lens, or IOL. [0006] While restoring vision, conventional IOLs have limited ability for accommodation (i.e., the focusing on near objects). This condition is known as presbyopia. To overcome presbyopia of an IOL, a patient may be prescribed eyeglasses. Alternative attempts in the art to overcome presbyopia focus on providing IOLs with accommodation ability. Accommodation may be accomplished by either changing the shape of the IOL, e.g., to become more convex to focus on near objects, or by moving the IOL along its optical axis. [0007] IOLs which achieve accommodation by changing shale generally fall into one of two categories. In the first category, external means, such as magnetic or electric fields, inflation devices, or micromotors, are used to change the curvature of a deformable optic. In the second category, a force transfer assembly is provided for transferring the natural forces exerted by the eye to a composite optic including two or more portions with differing mechanical and/or optical properties. [0008] Examples of the first category (i.e. externally actuated) shape-changing accommodating IOLs are found in Schachar U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,218, Kern U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,545, Pfoff U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,031, Wiley U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,066,301, 5,108,429, and 5,203,788, and Wiley et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,266. The disclosures of each of these patents are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. [0009] Examples of the second category of shape-changing (i.e. naturally actuated) accommodating IOLs are found in Sulc et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,083 and Turley U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,543. The disclosures of each of these patents are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. Other examples of naturally actuated, shape-changing accommodating IOLs are described in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/656,661, 09/657,251, and 09/657,325, all filed on Sep. 7, 2000, and in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/855,331, filed May 15, 2001. The disclosures of each of these applications are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. [0010] Examples of axially movable accommodating IOLs are disclosed in Gwon et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,878 and Laguette et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,494. The disclosures of both these patents are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. [0011] IOLs which use primarily only one of the above mechanisms for accommodation have not been able to achieve the full add power required for a typical patient. [0012] In view of the foregoing, it would be beneficial in the art, and there continues to be a need, to provide new IOLs with enhanced accommodation ability. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] In accordance with the present invention, various arrangements are provided for providing IOLs with enhanced accommodation ability. The accommodation may be achieved solely through axial movement of the optic, or through a combination of one or more of axial movement, deformation, and multifocal design of the optic. [0014] In a first broad aspect of the invention, an intraocular lens comprises a unitary optic formed of a deformable material, and an accommodation assembly coupled to the optic and structured to cooperate with the eye to effect accommodating axial movement of the optic and accommodating deformation of the optic in response to one or more naturally occurring actions of the eye. The combined axial movement and deformation is effective to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the axial movement alone or the deformation alone. [0015] In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the optic is an aspheric optic having progressive correction powers that vary from a baseline power for distance vision correction to an add power that is reduced relative to a power for full near vision correction, wherein the combined axial movement, deformation, and add power is effective to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the axial movement and the deformation without the add power. [0016] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the optic is a multifocal optic having a first zone configured to provide distance vision correction and a second zone having an add power that is reduced relative to a power for full near vision correction, wherein the combined axial movement, deformation, and add power is effective to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the axial movement and the deformation without the add power. [0017] In a second broad aspect of the invention, an intraocular lens comprises a unitary, deformable multifocal optic including a first zone having a baseline power for distance vision correction and a second zone having an add power, and a force transfer assembly coupled to the optic and structured to cooperate with the eye to effect deformation of the optic so as to change the power of at least one of the first and second zones. Preferably, the force transfer assembly is structured to increase the curvature of at least one of the zones in response to a compressive force exerted by the eye, thereby increasing the power of that zone. More preferably still, the force transfer assembly is also structured to axially move the optic in responsive to the compressive force exerted by the optic, wherein the axial movement of the optic combines with the increased add power obtained through the deformation to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the deformation alone. [0018] In a third broad aspect of the invention, an intraocular lens comprises a deformable optic having progressive correction powers that vary from a baseline power for distance vision correction to a maximum add power that is reduced relative to a power for full near vision correction, and a force transfer assembly coupled to the optic and structured to cooperate with the eye to effect deformation of the optic so as to increase the maximum add power. Preferably, the force transfer assembly is also structured to axially move the optic in responsive to the compressive force exerted by the optic, wherein the axial movement of the optic combines with the increased add power obtained through the deformation to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the deformation alone. More preferably, the force transfer assembly is also structured to axially move the optic in responsive to the compressive force exerted by the optic, wherein the axial movement of the optic combines with the increased add power obtained through the deformation to provide enhanced accommodation relative to the deformation alone. [0019] A preferred embodiment of the movement/force transfer assembly usable with the invention according to any of all of the above broad aspects comprises an outer ring surrounding the optic, and movement assembly including a plurality of intermediate members that extend between the optic and the outer ring and transmit forces therebetween. The optic preferably has a circular periphery centered on an optical axis and is adapted to focus light toward a retina of an eye and to provide a vision correction. The outer ring is spaced from the optic with voids therebetween. [0020] The outer ring may be either circular or ovoid in configuration. In embodiments having a circular outer ring, the intermediate members are preferably distributed asymmetrically about any plane that includes the optical axis. For instance, in one preferred embodiment, three intermediate members are arranged at 120.degree. intervals around the circumference of the ring. In embodiments having an oval outer ring, there are preferably only two diametrically opposed intermediate members. [0021] In the case of an oval outer ring, the ring has a major axis and a minor axis. In one embodiment of the invention, the outer end of each intermediate member is secured to the outer ring at a point on the major axis, and the inner end is secured to the periphery of the optic at a point on the minor axis. In other words, the intermediate members are non-linear, and the inner and outer ends are displaced by 90.degree. with respect to one another. In another embodiment, the inner and outer ends are both aligned with the major axis. [0022] Each intermediate member may have a hinge therein that permits radial forces imparted by the surrounding eye structure, e.g. muscles, to more effectively translate the optic along the optical axis. The hinges may have any suitable structure effective to provide such enhanced translation relative to a substantially identical IOL including intermediate members without hinges, such as an IOL with uniformly structured intermediate members. A typical hinge structure may include a reduced axial or circumferential thickness region along a plate-like intermediate member. Continue reading about Multi-mechanistic accommodating intraocular lenses... 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