Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Rackground of Invention
This invention relates to an intraocular lens and in
particular to such a lens which is surgically i~planted into
the eye to substitute for the natural lens.
The natural lens of the eye frequently becomes opaque
with age so that ~ision is severely impaired. This condition
~f opacity is commonly referred to as catarac~. When the opaque
natural lens is removed an aphakic correction is needed.
Corrections reported in the prior art have included
spect~cles, remo~able contact lenses and surgically implanted
intrac.cular lenses. The choice of which correction to use is a
medical decision. However, optically they are different in what !
they accomplish. Spectacles provide disturbed peripheral vision.
A contact lens does provide normal peripheral vision but because ¦
it must be removable ~oes not provide the permanence and the
precision of optical correction and often i.s difficult for the
older patient to remove or insert~ The implanted intraocular
lens requires surgery but provides the most precise optical
correction including peripheral vision of these three app-roaches ¦
to correction,
The prior art in the ~ield of artificial intraocular
lenses is found primarily in Class 3, Sub-class 13 oÇ the United j
States Patent classification system. Prior art relating to intra~
ocular lenses which are implanted in the anterior chamber of the
~ye or the chamber in front of the iris include United States
Patents 3,673,616, 3J906,551, 3~922,728, 3,925,825, 3,971,073,
3 J 979,780, 3~996 9 626. Prior art patents relating to intraocular ¦
lenses in the chamber behind the iris, or the posterior chamber
include United States Patents 3,711,870l 3,866,2499 3~913,148.
In the prior art as exemplified by United S~ates Patent
3,906~551 the lens has a suppor~ por~ivn which is inserted
221 posteriorly or behind the iris. Fixation of this lens is made
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; ! with a suture through the less movable portion o the iris.
¦ One object of the present invention is to provide a novel
¦ intraocular lens whose entire structure is in the anterior
¦ chamber or n front of the iris~ but may also be fixated pos~erior
I ly.
¦ A further object of this invention is to provide a novel
I intr~ocular lens whlch requires no sutures or capsule fixationO
¦ Other objects and advantages of this invention will be
¦ apparent from the description and claims which follow taken
togethe with the appended drawings.
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113455Zi
Summary of Invention
The invention comprises broadly an intraocular lens having
a first support portion on one side and a second support portion
on the other. The first support portion comprises two flexible
arms which act as a ~air of pincers for an exterior portion of
the iris. Th3 second support portion comprises either two
similar flexible arms, an elongated portion having a haptic
portion registerable with the non-movable portion of the iris at
the edge or a loop which will extend through the pupillary aper-
ture and extend posteriorly to the iris but with no suture at all.
It is preferred that all varieties of the invention be made of
a clinical quality clear plastic such as polymethylemethacrylate~
The pincer portions achieve fixatiol1 by grasping some iris
tissue and in some cases also grasp the original ]ens capsule
membr~ne if this capsule is permitted to remain a~ter surgery.
In one form of this invention one fixation point is a suture
place~ through the iris at the upper portion, which ordinarily
does not move when the pupil dilates or contracts. This suture
is passed aro-1nd a haptic part in the manner described in IJnited
States Patent Number 3,9069551~ In another form of the invention
one fixation point involves the use of a support loop which goes
through the pupil and behind the 1ris, for capsule fixation. In ;
this latter form of the inventio~ there is no need for a suture
and hence less skill is required. In the form of this invention
where each support portion comprises flexible pincer arms, ~here
is likewise no need for a suture.
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! Blief Descript~on of Drawings
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¦ Fig. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of this
invention implanted in an eye.
! Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embocliment o this
invention illustrate~ in Fig. 1.
Fig 3 is an elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 2.
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Fig. 4 is an end eleva~lon of ~he embodiment of Fig 2. ~.
showing the grasping of iris tissue.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a seeond embodi-
ment of this inventicn shown implanted in tlie eye.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment illustrated
in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the embo iment f Flg. 5.
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Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 there is illustra-
ted therein an embodiment of khis invention which comprises
an ocular portion 21, a pair of cooperaking pincer-like
support portions 22 and 23, and a support loop 24 attached
to the optical portion at points 21a and 21b. The support
loop 24 has short legs 24a extending through the pupillary
aperture with the loop 24 extending and contacting the
back of the iris 12. The optical portion 21 is situated
in front of the pupillary aperture in the aqueous humor of
the anterior chamber 17 which is bounded by the cornea 11.
The support portion 22, 23 pinches a portion of the iris
tissue in the anterior chamber 17 whiLe the loop 24 is in
the posterior chamber 15.
The use of this embodiment of the invention pro-
vides the surgeon with sufficient flexibility for posi-
tioning the lens and also avoids the necessity of a suture
by providing the novel pincer-t~pe fixation.
In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs.
~: 5, 6 and 7, the intraocular lens has an optical portion 31,
a pair of cooperating pincer-support arms 32 and 33 and a
support extension 34 having a suturing hole 35 positioned
for suturing to the edge of the iris where substantially
no motion taXes place during the normal movement o~ the
eye This particular intraocular lens is noteworthy in
that its entire structure is located in the anterior cham-
ber 17 of the eye and the only manipulation with the iris
12 is the suturin~ thereto of the suturing hole 35.
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In another orm of this invention not illust~ated in
¦ the drawings, a pair of pincer arms like 22, 23 o~ 32, 33 -replacec
¦ loop 24 or extension 34 50 that the optical portion (21,31)
has a pair of similarly arranged pincer arms on each side as
supp rt9.
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