Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Eye prosthesis – Intraocular lens
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-10
2003-03-25
Nguyen, Dinh X. (Department: 3626)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Eye prosthesis
Intraocular lens
C623S006110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06537316
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an intraocular lens having frosted haptic portions. The present invention is particularly suitable for one-piece plate-type intraocular lenses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The concept of a deformable intraocular lens (IOL) was invented and developed in the early 1980's by Dr. Mazzacco who became a founder of Staar Surgical Company of Monrovia, Calif. Staar Surgical Company has been an innovator of deformable IOLs, and is a leading manufacturer and marketer of deformable IOLs in the United States and throughout the world.
There exists two main types of deformable intraocular lenses having different types of configurations for attaching the lens in the eye. Specifically, there exists a three (3) piece lens, including a lens portion and two separate loop-type haptics each having one end embedded in the lens portion of the lens. The other main type is a plate-type intraocular lens having a pair of opposed haptics extending from the lens portion and molded together as a one-piece integral construction.
Further, intraocular lenses can be differentiated by cataract lens replacement-type in which the natural crystalline lens is removed and replaced by an intraocular lens, and a refractive type of intraocular lens to be added in front of the natural crystalline lens without removal thereof
Currently, the haptic portions of both three (3) piece type IOLs and one-piece plate-type IOLs have substantially smooth surface textures due to the various methods of manufacturing these types of lenses. In particular, plate-type intraocular lenses are tumble polished so that the entire surface is very smooth and highly transparent.
Further, one-piece plate-type IOLs currently being marketed and sold are uniformly optically clear and have no appreciable coloration. Specifically, currently marketed one-piece plate-type IOLs are made from virgin silicon or acrylic based materials that are optically clear and not colored before and after molding thereof. Any appreciable coloring (e.g. clouding or browning) of this material is considered defective, and such lenses are typically discarded under quality control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved deformable intraocular lens.
A second object according to the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens having one or more frosted and/or textured surface portions.
A third object according to the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens having haptic portions having one or more frosted and/or textured surface portions.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a three (3) piece type intraocular lens having haptic portions with one or more textured surface portions.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece plate-type intraocular lens having plate-type haptics with one or more frosted and/or textured surface portions.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a deformable one-piece plate-type deformable intraocular lens having plate-type haptics with frosted and/or textured surface end portions.
The present invention is directed to various types of deformable intraocular lenses having frosted and/or textured haptic portions. These surface finishes alter the optical and physical characteristics (e.g. optical clarity, surface friction, surface adhesion, surface tension, porosity, surface hardness, etc.) of the surfaces of the haptic portions of the deformable IOLs. For example, the haptic portions can be provided with a frosted finish that effects the transmission of light through the haptic portions, the haptic portions can be provided with a matte finish that scatters reflected light in all directions; and/or the haptic portions can be provided with an etched finish that provides a roughened surface texture finish to increase frictional contact with the inner eye tissue.
The present invention encompasses all types of deformable intraocular lenses, however, one-piece plate-type deformable intraocular lenses are of particular interest with respect to the present invention. The deformable intraocular lenses include three (3) piece type IOLs, one-piece plate-type intraocular IOLs, deformable refractive correction IOLs (e.g. Staar Surgical Company's Intraocular Contact Lens) and other types of anterior chamber and/or posterior chamber type IOLs. Further, the present invention is directed to providing one-piece plate-type IOLs with colored haptic portions. Specifically, limited portions or the entire haptics portions of one-piece plate-type IOLs are colored.
The deformable IOLs according to the present invention are provided with haptic portions that include frosted and/or textured surfaces. Specifically, portions of the surfaces or the entire surfaces of the haptic portions are frosted and/or textured. The frosted surface portions can be continuous or non-continuous with other portions. Various designs of the frosted surface portions, for example, can include stripes, checkerboard, dots, circles, triangles, squares, pentagons, octagons, lattice or virtually any other type of design including potentially art work. The frosting can be provided on the front, back and/or edge surfaces.
The frosted and/or textured surface portions can be applied to the deformable IOLs by various methods including molding or surface texturing. Specifically, surfaces of the mold can be frosted or textured (e.g. sandblasting, electrode discharge machining (EDM), shot peening, laser etching chemical etching, sputtering, vapor depositing, etc.). Alternatively or in addition, the surfaces of the haptic portions of the deformable IOLs can be frosted or textured by, for example, sandblasting or shot peening haptic portion of the lens, chemically etching frosted surface portions, irradiating portions to become frosted or non-frosted, chemically etching portions to become frosted or non-frosted, masking techniques, irradiating, surface modifying or other various techniques to make portions of the haptic transparent, lightly frosted or textured, medium frosted or textured, highly frosted or textured, or frosted or textured to any degree therebetween.
The frosted and/or textured surface portions of the haptic portions increase friction in the interface between tissue and haptic portion to increase the extent of anchoring the IOL within the eye. It is highly desirable to anchor and minimize movement of the IOL and prevent any relevant movement (e.g. rotation) between the IOL and inner structure of the eye. Typically, there only exists the possibility of some movement, post operatively prior to healing of the tissue in the eye (i.e. up to several weeks). It is during this time period that it would be highly desirable to prevent any relative movement and/or rotation of the implanted IOL within the eye structure.
Based on mechanics, it is highly desirable that tip portions of the haptic portions are frosted and/or textured to provide the greatest moment arm for frictional forces applied from the eye tissue on the haptic portions to prevent relative movement and/or rotation of the IOL within the eye structure. Further, both sides and the edges of the haptics portions are preferably frosted and/or textured to increase the total surface area that is frosted, and thus increase the amount of frictional resistance to movement of the IOL within the eye structure.
The frosted and/or textured surfaces of the haptic portions will also decrease the amount of light being transmitted through the haptic portions.
In the context of a one-piece plate-type IOL according to the present invention, a portion of one or both haptic portions can be intentionally colored. The coloration can render the haptics opaque, or partially transmissive (i.e. translucent). The coloration can be used independent of any surface frosting, or in combination therewith. For example, the same surface portions can be both frosted and colored, or different portions can be frosted and not colored while other portions are not frosted, but col
Klima William L.
Nguyen Dinh X.
Staar Surgical Co., Inc.
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