Anterior chamber intraocular lens having fixation members attached to the cornea and methods of implantation

Abstract

An intraocular lens configured to be implanted in the cornea from the posterior aspect. The lens has an optic and a pair fixation members extending outward therefrom. One of the fixation members includes a single enlarged foot, while the other fixation member has two bifurcated feet. The fixation members are sized and shaped to fix within tunnels formed in the cornea. A method of the invention includes forming tunnels in the stroma layer of the cornea, and positioning the fixation members in the tunnels. The tunnels may be formed from outside or inside the cornea. The method may include inserting the folded intraocular lens into the anterior chamber, permitting the lens to unfold, inserting the fixation member with the enlarged foot in one of the tunnels, and bending the two bifurcated feet of the other fixation member together so as to fit within the other tunnel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of implanting an intraocular lens in an eye having a cornea, an optical axis, and an anterior chamber, comprising: 
 introducing the intraocular lens into the anterior chamber of the eye, and suspending the intraocular lens from the cornea.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intraocular lens has at least one fixation member extending outward from an optic, and wherein the method includes implanting the fixation member in the cornea from the posterior aspect.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method includes implanting the fixation member in a stroma of the cornea.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further including creating an elongate tunnel in the cornea into which the fixation member is inserted.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of creating an elongate tunnel is formed from the exterior of the eye.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the intraocular lens has two fixation members.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , including forming two incisions in the cornea disposed generally diametrically across the optical axis, introducing the intraocular lens through one of the incisions, and suspending the intraocular lens from the cornea by positioning each of the two fixation members in a respective incision.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the incisions comprise tunnels in a stroma layer of the cornea, and wherein the fixation members extend outward from the optic into the tunnels.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein one of the fixation members has multiple feet that are implanted in the cornea.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein two of the multiple feet define terminal ends of divergent struts, the feet pointed away from one another, and wherein the method includes forming an incision in the cornea and bending the struts toward one another so that the feet fit within the incision.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each foot has approximately the same thickness as the associated strut, the method including causing the feet to embed within a stroma layer of the cornea.  
     
     
         12 . A method of implanting an intraocular lens in an eye having a cornea defining an anterior aspect and a posterior aspect, an optical axis, and an anterior chamber, comprising: 
 forming at least two incisions in the cornea open to the anterior chamber and suspending the intraocular lens in the anterior chamber from the incisions.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , including forming at least two of the incisions disposed generally diametrically across the optical axis, and suspending the intraocular lens from the cornea by positioning each of two generally diametrically oppositely-directed fixation members of the intraocular lens in a respective incision.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further including forming at least one of the incisions from the posterior aspect.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein there are two incisions and further including forming both of the incisions from the anterior aspect.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the incisions is sized to permit introduction of the intraocular lens in a folded configuration therethrough, the method including introducing the intraocular lens through said incision.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the incisions has a tunnel portion that extends within the stroma layer of the cornea.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tunnel portion extends for a distance of about 2 mm in the stroma.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the incision that extends within the stroma layer further includes a second portion that connects to the tunnel portion and opens to the anterior chamber generally perpendicularly with respect to the posterior aspect.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the incision that extends within the stroma layer further includes a third portion that connects to the tunnel portion and opens to the exterior of the cornea generally perpendicularly with respect to the anterior aspect.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tunnel portion has a width of about 1 mm.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tunnel portion has a width of about 3 mm.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the incision that extends within the stroma layer further includes pockets in the stroma layer that widen the tunnel portion beyond 3 mm.  
     
     
         24 . An intraocular lens for corneal implantation in the anterior chamber of an eye, comprising: 
 an optic having an optical axis and an outer edge; and    at least a pair of fixation members extending outward from the optic outer edge, wherein a first fixation member comprises an elongate, curved strut terminating in an enlarged foot, and wherein a second fixation member comprises an elongate, curved strut bifurcated into two outer struts each terminating in a foot that is approximately the same thickness as the associated outer strut, and    wherein at least the fixation members are made of an acrylic polymeric material.    
     
     
         25 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 24 , wherein, as viewed from the front and using a clock perspective centered about the optical axis, the elongate, curved strut of the first fixation member attaches to the optic at a reinforced region at about a 10:00 position on the outer edge of the optic, and extends in a clockwise direction a small distance away from and conforming to the outer edge of the optic until a U-bend at approximately the 2:00 position, the strut then reverses in a counter-clockwise direction to a 90 degree bend at the 12:00 position and continues directly radially outward therefrom to the enlarged foot.  
     
     
         26 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 25 , wherein, as viewed from the front and using a clock perspective centered about the optical axis, the elongate, curved strut of the second fixation member attaches to the optic at a reinforced region at about the 4:00 position on the outer edge of the optic and extends in a clockwise direction a small distance away from and conforming to the outer edge of the optic until a three-way junction portion at approximately the 6:00 position, the strut then continues in the two outer struts diverging outward from the junction portion and each terminating in one of the feet.  
     
     
         27 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 24 , wherein, as viewed from the front and using a clock perspective centered about the optical axis, the elongate, curved strut of the second fixation member attaches-to the optic at a reinforced region at about the 4:00 position on the outer edge of the optic and extends in a clockwise direction a small distance away from and conforming to the outer edge of the optic until a three-way junction portion at approximately the 6:00 position, the strut then continues in the two outer struts diverging outward from the junction portion and each terminating in one of the feet.  
     
     
         28 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 27 , wherein each of the feet is angled with respect to the associated outer strut so that the feet point away from one another.  
     
     
         29 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 24 , wherein each of the pair of fixation members is angled with respect to the optical axis in an anterior direction.  
     
     
         30 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 29 , wherein the angle is between about 15 and about 65 degrees.  
     
     
         31 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 24  wherein both the optic and fixation members are made of an acrylic polymeric material.  
     
     
         32 . An intraocular lens for corneal implantation in the anterior chamber of an eye, comprising: 
 an optic having an optical axis and an outer edge; and    at least a pair of fixation members extending outward from the optic outer edge, wherein each of the pair of fixation members is angled with respect to the optical axis in an anterior direction.    
     
     
         33 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 32 , wherein the angle of the fixation members with respect to the optical axis is between about 15 and about 65 degrees.  
     
     
         34 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 32  wherein at least one of the fixation members comprises an elongate, curved strut bifurcated into two outer struts each terminating in a foot that is approximately the same thickness as the associated outer strut.  
     
     
         35 . The intraocular lens as in  claim 34  wherein at least the fixation member having the curved strut bifurcated into two outer struts is made of an acrylic polymeric material.