Patent ID: 8236052

Claim:
In a system comprising intrascleral prostheses, the improvement comprising: a plurality of incrementally adjustable intrascleral prostheses for implantation in the sclera of an eye to improve the accommodative ability of the eye, said prostheses having a first arcuate layer comprising a synthetic resin and a second arcuate layer comprising a synthetic resin, said layers being attached to each other and substantially coextensive and having different shrinkage characteristics when heated, one of which layers is a shrinking layer and the other of which is a bending layer such that said shrinking layer is capable of bending said bending layer upon the application of energy, the curvature of said layers being substantially similar to the curvature of a human sclera and having a convex surface and a concave surface such that said convex surface is adapted to face in the anterior direction of the eye and said concave surface is adapted to face in the posterior direction of the eye when said prostheses are implanted in the eye; and a source of energy capable of causing said prostheses to change shape, the source of energy selected from the group consisting of laser energy, UV sources, IR sources, radio frequency emitters, heat, and low voltage DC and low voltage high frequency sources; wherein said prostheses are operable to assume a first radius of curvature at a selected temperature, and to bend upon the application of energy in a manner which causes them to assume a second radius of curvature which will increase the effectiveness of the accommodative apparatus of the eye when the prostheses are implanted with their convex surfaces facing anteriorly and their concave surfaces facing posteriorly, said second radius of curvature being different than said first radius of curvature.