Abstract:
The present invention provides a fixture for supporting a two optic accommodating intraocular lens device. The fixture is capable of holding the device while taking measurements or performing manufacturing process steps on the device. In a preferred embodiment, the fixture supports the device along the periphery of the posterior optic thereof such that the haptics and anterior optic extend freely therefrom. As such, testing and/or processing of the optics during their accommodative and unaccomodative positions may be taken.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to optical lens holders used for performing tests or other processes on the lens. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holder for supporting an accommodating intraocular lens device having at least two optics interconnected by one or more haptics.  
         [0002]     Intraocular lenses having a single optic have been known and used for many years. More recently, accommodating intraocular lens devices having two optics interconnected by one or more haptics have been disclosed in the following U.S. patents and applications to Faezeh Sarfarazi, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference: 
    U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,623 “Elliptical Accommodative Intraocular Lens For Small Incision Surgery”;     U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,094 “Accommodative Lens Formed From Sheet Material”;     U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,708 “Open Chamber Elliptical Accommodative Intraocular Lens System”;     U.S. Ser. No. 10/445,762 filed on May 27, 2003 entitled “Mold for Intraocular Lens”.    
 
         [0007]     The Sarfarazi accommodating lens device includes two optics, one negative and the other positive for placing in the evacuated lens capsule of an eye. The optics are interconnected along their peripheries by one or more haptics which space the optics from each other and assist in properly positioning the device in the eye. The haptics are formed from a flexible material such that they may flex in response to forces exerted by the eye&#39;s ciliary muscles which control accommodation. The haptics will thus flex and bow further radially outwardly upon a compressive force being applied to the device, whereby the two optics are drawn closer together to achieve an accommodative effect in the eye. When the ciliary muscles relax, the haptics flex in the opposite direction (toward a straightened positioned) causing the optics to space further apart and the lens device returns the eye to its natural, unaccommodative state.  
         [0008]     As stated above, single optic intraocular lenses have been known and used for decades while the two lens accommodative intraocular lens device is new and not yet seen on the market. It will be appreciated that manufacturing a two optic lens device presents issues not present in the manufacture of single optic intraocular lenses. During design and manufacture of intraocular lenses, certain measurements must be taken of the device to ensure the device achieves its design parameters. Certain measurements require not only that the device be held stationary, but also not interfere with the optic pathway. Furthermore, in a two optic device, the optics must be able to be moved in a manner simulating their accommodative movements in the eye. The holder for such a device must therefore be able to hold the device stationary while also allowing relative movement of the optics. Besides the taking of measurements, manufacturing process steps may need to be carried out such as polishing, for example. The holder should therefore also be able to support the device during manufacturing process steps without damage to the device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention provides a holder for supporting a two optic accommodating intraocular lens device. The holder is capable of holding the device while taking measurements or performing manufacturing process steps on the device. In a preferred embodiment, the holder supports the posterior optic periphery with the haptics and anterior optic extending freely therefrom and untouched by the holder. As such, testing and/or processing of the optics during their accommodative and unaccomodative positions may be taken.  
         [0010]     The holder includes a fixture having at least one but preferably three lens holding elements attached to the fixture, whereby the intraocular lens device may be removably attached to the holder by engaging the periphery of the posterior optic on the lens holding elements of the fixture. The lens holding elements may be integrally formed with the fixture or attached separately to the fixture. The lens holding elements each include a radial inward projection which together at their inward edges define an opening having a diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the lens optic. As such, the optic periphery may be pressed past the projections onto the fixture and thereby allow the intraocular lens device to be alternately mounted and dismounted from the holder. The amount of deformation required for the optic periphery to pass the projections is small enough so as to not damage the lens. When the intraocular lens device is supported on the holder, the posterior optic rests on the fixture with the anterior optic thereof spaced above and parallel to the posterior optic whereby the anterior optic may be moved relative to the posterior optic when performing tests thereon. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an accommodative intraocular lens which may be supported by the holder of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 1B  is a plan view thereof;  
         [0013]      FIG. 1C  is a side elevational view thereof;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the inventive fixture;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line  2 B- 2 B in  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the fixture of FIGS.  2 A,B positioned in a horizontal fixture holder;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the fixture of FIGS.  2 A,B positioned in a vertical fixture holder;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is perspective view an a second embodiment of the inventive fixture; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is the view of  FIG. 5  showing an accommodating IOL positioned on the fixture in the intended manner. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Referring now to the drawing, there is seen in FIGS.  1 A-C a representative embodiment of an accommodative intraocular device  10  which may be supported by the present invention. Briefly, lens device  10  includes first and second optics  12 ,  14  interconnected by one or more, but preferably three haptics  16   a,    16   b  and  16   c  defining three open spaces  18   a,    18   b,    18   c  therebetween, respectively. Haptics  16   a - c  bow outwardly past the optic perimeters  12   p,    14   p  and are flexible whereby the optics may move alternately toward and away from each other generally along the optical axis x-x. Optics  12 ,  14  are preferably flexible and may be made of any suitable IOL lens material.  FIGS. 1A and 1C  show the space “S” between the optics  12 ,  14  which gets smaller as the optics move toward one another and larger as the optics move away from one another. It is understood that the present invention is a holder for a lens device and therefore the particular optic and haptic configurations of a lens device which may be supported by the inventive holder may vary from that shown and described herein.  
         [0021]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , a first embodiment of the fixture is indicated generally by reference numeral  20 . Fixture  20  includes a central support surface  22   a  surrounded by at least one, but preferably three annularly spaced lens holding elements  24   a,    24   b  and  24   c.  In the preferred embodiment, support surface  22   a  is circular and may be raised relative to outlying subsurface  22   b.  The lens holding elements  24   a - c  thus define three spaces Sa, Sb and Sc therebetween wherein the haptics  16   a - c  of lens element  10  are positioned. In this regard, it is noted that the width W 1  ( FIG. 2B ) of spaces Sa-c needs to be slightly larger than the haptic width W 2  ( FIG. 1B ) to allow the haptics  16   a - c  to pass freely within the spaces Sa-c defined between the lens holding elements  24   a - c,  respectively.  
         [0022]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 2A, 2B , each lens holding element  24   a - c  is itself annularly curved about support surface  22   a  with the outermost ends  24   a ′- c ′ thereof having a dovetail shape. Diametrically opposed inner-most tips “T” of the lens holding elements define a diameter D 1  ( FIG. 2A ) which is slightly smaller than the outermost diameter D 2  ( FIG. 1C ) of the posterior optic  14 . As such, the peripheral edge  14   a  of posterior optic  14  may be safely pressed past the inner most tips “T” of the dovetail until the posterior optic  14  is seated upon surface  22   a.  The dovetail shape of the lens holding elements secure the optic  14  to the fixture and thus the entire lens device  10  is held securely thereby as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In this secured condition, the haptics  16   a - c  and anterior optic  12  extend freely upward from the captured posterior optic  14 . It is noted that although it is preferred to secure the posterior optic on surface  22   a,  the lens device  10  may be inverted with the anterior optic  12  instead secured thereby.  
         [0023]     Referring still to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , fixture  20  may further include means for removably mounting fixture  20  to a fixture holder  30  which itself may be removably mounted to other testing and/or processing equipment such as an optical bench, for example (not shown). The fixture holder  30  includes a circular recess  32  wherein the circumference of fixture support side wall  22   c  may fit. Cooperative flats  22   d  and  34  ( FIGS. 2A and 3 ) on the fixture  20  and fixture holder  30 , respectively, may be provided for establishing the correct rotational position of the fixture within the holder. A slot  36  may extend from recess  32  for access by a tweezer or other tool to assist in loading and unloading the fixture  20  from the fixture holder  30 . It will be appreciated that by making the fixture  20  and fixture holder  30  removably mountable to other equipment, the fixture  20  may be conveniently moved from one work station to another when performing different tests or processes on the lens device  10 .  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , another embodiment of fixture holder is indicated by reference numeral  40 . The main difference between fixture holder  30  and fixture holder  40  is that holder  30  is designed to hold the lens device in a horizontal orientation while holder  40  is designed to hold the lens device  10  in a vertical orientation. The vertical positioning of fixture  20  and lens device  10  is achieved in holder  40  by a pair of side arms  42  which engage the top surface of outlying support surface  22   b.  In the horizontal orientation of  FIG. 3 a  vertical compression force may be applied to anterior optic  12  (normal to anterior optic  12 ) to flex the haptics  16   a - c  and thereby mimic accommodation of the device  10  for testing purposes. In the vertical orientation of  FIG. 4 , a horizontal compression force may be applied against anterior optic  12  (again normal to anterior optic  14 ) to flex haptics  16   a - c  and thereby mimic accommodation of the device  10  for testing purposes.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show another embodiment of the fixture indicated by the reference numeral  50 . Fixture  50  is similar to fixture  20  with the difference being the shape of the lens holding elements. In fixture  50 , the lens holding elements are shaped as pinions  52   a - c  each having a top cap  52   a ′- c ′. The periphery  14   a  of the posterior optic  14  may be safely pressed past the caps  52   a ′- c ′ to seat posterior optic  14  on support surface  54  with the haptics  16   a - c  extending in between the pinions  52   a - c  as seen in  FIG. 6 . It is thus understood that the fixture holder may take a variety of configurations and the invention is not to be limited to the exact configuration shown and described herein.