Intraocular Lens with Accommodation

Abstract

An accommodating intraocular implant apparatus is disclosed for implantation in the human eye. The apparatus includes an optic portion having a periphery and an optic axis, said optic portion lying substantially within an optic plane transverse to said optic axis; at least one flexible haptic extending from a point on or near the periphery of the optic portion; at least one flexible haptic having a fixation anchor portion distal to the periphery of the optic portion; and at least one flexible haptic having a centering anchor portion. The fixation anchor portion and the centering anchor portion are adapted to couple to a portion of the eye.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An accommodating intraocular implant apparatus for implantation in the human eye, comprising:
 an optic portion having a periphery and an optic axis, said optic portion lying substantially within an optic plane transverse to said optic axis;   at least one flexible haptic extending from a point on or near the periphery of the optic portion;   at least one flexible haptic having a fixation anchor portion distal to the periphery of the optic portion; and   at least one flexible haptic having a centering anchor portion distal to the periphery of the optic portion,   wherein the fixation anchor portion and the centering anchor portion are adapted to couple to a portion of the eye.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the optic axis is adapted for coaxial alignment with a vision axis of the eye;   at least one centering anchor portion is adapted to couple to the ciliary sulcus of the eye;   at least one fixation anchor portion is adapted to couple to one of: a ciliary body, a ciliary muscle, or a ciliary zonule of the eye;   at least one flexible haptic is adapted to connect the optic portion to the at least one centering anchor portion to maintain the coaxial alignment of the optic axis with the vision axis, and   at least one haptic is configured to connect the optic portion to the at least one fixation anchor portion and, in response to ciliary muscle action in the eye, move the optic portion along the vision axis to provide accommodation.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises at least one centering anchor portion and a least one fixation anchor portion. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one flexible haptic comprises a first connecting portion extending from the periphery of the optic portion to one of: the at least one fixation anchor portion, the at least one centering anchor point. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one flexible haptic comprises a second connecting portion extending between at least one fixation anchor portion and at least one centering anchor portion. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the periphery of the optic portion comprises a circumferential edge which lies substantially in the optic plane, and the first connecting portion extends from the circumferential edge to at least one fixation anchor portion at an angle to the optic plane. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first connecting portion extends away from the optic plane on a side of the optic plane adapted to face towards the posterior of the eye. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one centering anchor portion lies substantially within the optic plane. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises a closed loop type haptic extending from the periphery of the optic portion. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises an open loop type haptic extending from the periphery of the optic portion. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises a straight type haptic extending from the periphery of the optic portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises a paddle type haptic extending from the periphery of the optic portion. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises at least one fixation anchor portion, said anchor portion extending from a surface of the at least one flexible haptic adapted to face the anterior portion of the human eye. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic comprises the at least one fixation anchor portion, said anchor portion extending from a surface of the at least one flexible haptic adapted to face the posterior portion of the human eye. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising
 M centering anchoring portions, where M is a positive integer: and   N fixation anchor portions, where N is a positive integer.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  where M is greater than 1 and N is greater than 1. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  where N is greater than 3. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , where N is greater than 7. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising multiple flexible haptics, each of said multiple flexible haptics configured to connect at least one centering anchor portion or at least one fixation anchor portion to the periphery of the optic portion. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one flexible haptic is integral with the optic portion. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the intraocular implant is foldable. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: hydrogel, collagen, collamar, collagel, acrylate polymers, methacrylate polymers, silicone polymers, and composites thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a first flexible haptic and a second flexible haptic, each of said haptics including:
 a first connecting portion extending between the periphery of the optic portion and a first fixation anchor portion, 
 a second connecting portion extending between the first fixation anchor portion and a centering anchor portion, 
 a third connecting portion extending between the centering anchor portion and a second fixation anchor point; 
 a fourth connecting portion extending between the second fixation anchor portion and the periphery of the optic portion. 
 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the periphery of the optic portion comprises a circumferential edge which lies substantially in the optic plane, and the first and fourth connecting portions extend from the circumferential edge at an angle to the optic plane. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first and fourth connecting portion extend away from the optic plane on a side of the optic plane adapted to face towards the posterior of the eye when the intraocular implant is implanted. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fixation anchor portion comprises one of: a serrated portion, a wedge shaped portion, a cylindrical portion, multiple connected wedge shaped portions, multiple connected cylindrical portions, a bar shaped portion. 
     
     
         27 . A method for correcting vision in a human eye comprising:
 implanting an accommodating intraocular implant in the eye, said intraocular implant including:
 an optic portion having a periphery and an optic axis, said optic portion lying substantially within an optic plane transverse to said optic axis; 
 at least one flexible haptic extending from a point on or near the periphery of the optic portion; 
 at least one flexible haptic having a fixation anchor portion distal to the periphery of the optic portion; and 
 at least one flexible haptic having a centering anchor portion, 
 wherein the fixation anchor portion and the centering anchor portion are adapted to couple to a portion of the eye. 
   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the implanting comprises:
 coupling at least one centering anchor portion to the ciliary sulcus of the eye;   coupling at least one fixation anchor portion to one of: a ciliary body, a ciliary muscle, a ciliary zonule of the eye.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the implanting further comprises:
 making an incision in the eye;   folding the accommodating intraocular implant into a folded state small enough to pass through said incision;   passing the accommodating intraocular implant through the incision to a desired position within the eye;   unfolding the accommodating intraocular implant to an unfolded state suitable for coupling to the eye.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising removing the natural crystalline lens of the eye.