Patent ID: 6197059
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: A61F,B29D

Abstract:
An accommodating intraocular lens to be implanted in a human eye within a natural capsular bag in the posterior chamber of the eye attached about its perimeter to the ciliary muscle of the eye and having a certain inner diameter when the ciliary muscle is in its relaxed state, the bag including an elastic posterior capsule which is urged anteriorly by vitreous pressure in the eye and an anterior capsule opening bounded by an anterior capsular remnant that fuses to the posterior capsule by fibrosis during a postoperative fibrosis period in which said bag and remnant shrink, and said remnant being tautly stretched by relaxation of the ciliary muscle and relaxed by contraction of the ciliary muscle after fibrosis is complete, said intraocular lens comprising:a lens body having normally anterior and posterior sides and including an optic and haptics having inner ends joined to diametrically opposite sides of said optic and opposite outer ends, and said haptics being movable anteriorly and posteriorly relative to said optic and through a certain position wherein said lens has a length approximating said inner diameter of said capsular bag, and whereinsaid lens is adapted to be implanted in said bag while said ciliary muscle is in its relaxed state and in an implanted position wherein (a) said haptics are in said certain position relative to said optic and situated between said remnant and said posterior capsule, whereby fibrosis will occur about the haptics, (b) said optic is aligned with said anterior capsule opening, and (c) shrinking of said bag and remnant during fibrosis will exert endwise compression and posterior forces on the lens and haptics, respectively, andsaid optic is deflected posteriorly relative to the outer ends of said haptics with resultant anterior deflection of said haptics relative to said optic by endwise compression and posterior forces applied to said lens and haptics, respectively, when said haptics are in said certain position relative to the optic, whereby when said lens is implanted in said bag, relaxation of the ciliary muscle after completion of fibrosis effects posterior deflection of the implanted lens against the posterior capsule of the bag by the taut remnant, and contraction of the ciliary muscle effects anterior accommodation of the implanted lens by the posterior capsule, vitreous pressure, and endwise compression of the lens.