Intraocular lens systems and related methods

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to intraocular lens systems includes at least one intraocular lens device and methods of using the same. The at least one intraocular lens device includes one or more photodetectors and an intraocular lens exhibiting a modifiable focal length. The one or more photodetectors are configured to detect light that is used to determine a presence of the object or the apparent object distance. The focal length of the intraocular lens can be modified depending on the determined presence of the object or the apparent object distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intraocular lens system, comprising:
 at least one intraocular lens device configured to be intraocularly implanted in at least one eye of a subject, the at least one intraocular lens device including an intraocular lens exhibiting a modifiable focal length;   a user interface configured to receive one or more commands for operating the intraocular lens system; and   a controller that is at least one of communicably coupled or operatively coupled to the at least one intraocular lens device and the user interface, the controller configured to receive the one or more commands from user interface, the controller configured to direct the at least one intraocular lens device to controllably modify the modifiable focal length of the intraocular lens responsive to the one or more commands.   
     
     
         2 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more commands indicate one or more focal lengths that the intraocular lens can exhibit. 
     
     
         3 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more commands indicate how to determine an apparent object distance. 
     
     
         4 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is part of personal electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a display, a touch screen, a microphone, or a speaker. 
     
     
         6 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface receives data from the intraocular lens system. 
     
     
         7 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 6 , wherein the data includes information about a current focal length of the intraocular lens or how often the at least one intraocular lens device modifies the focal length of the intraocular lens. 
     
     
         8 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one intraocular lens device includes one or more photodetectors configured to output one or more detection signals responsive to detecting a light, and wherein the controller is configured to receive the one or more detection signals from the one or more photodetectors, the controller configured to direct the at least one intraocular lens device to controllably modify the modifiable focal length of the intraocular lens responsive to the one or more detection signals. 
     
     
         9 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one intraocular lens device includes a first communication device configured to communicably couple the at least one intraocular lens device to the controller, the controller located remote from the at least one intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         10 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to the first communication device. 
     
     
         11 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 9 , wherein the first communication device includes a transceiver. 
     
     
         12 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller includes a second communication device configured to at least one of receive one or more communication signals from the first communication device or transmit one or more control signals including instructions to modify the modifiable focal length to the first communication device. 
     
     
         13 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 12 , wherein the first communication device is configured to at least one of transmit the one or more communication signals to the second communication device or to receive the one or more control signals from the second communication device. 
     
     
         14 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one intraocular lens device includes a first intraocular lens device and a second intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         15 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a direction of the light relative to the first intraocular lens device and a direction of the light relative to the second intraocular lens device at least partially based on the one or more detection signals. 
     
     
         16 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a vergence rotation between the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device based upon a comparison of the direction of the light relative to the first intraocular lens device and the direction of the light relative to the second intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         17 . An intraocular lens system, comprising:
 a first intraocular lens device configured to be intraocularly implanted in a first eye of a subject and a second intraocular lens device configured to be intraocularly implanted in a second eye of the subject, each of the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device including an intraocular lens exhibiting a modifiable focal length and further including one or more photodetectors configured to output one or more detection signals responsive to detecting incident light entering the first eye or the second eye;   a controller configured to be at least one of communicably coupled or operatively coupled to the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device, the controller configured to receive the one or more detection signals from the one or more photodetectors, the controller including electrical circuitry configured to direct the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device to controllably modify the modifiable focal length of the respective intraocular lens responsive to the one or more detection signals; and   wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to:
 determine a direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and a direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device at least partially based on the one or more detection signals; and 
 determine a vergence rotation between the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device based upon a comparison of the direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and the direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one of the first intraocular lens device or the second intraocular lens device includes a first communication device configured to communicably couple the controller thereto, the controller located remote from the at least one of the first intraocular lens device or the second intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         19 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 18 , wherein the controller includes a second communication device configured to at least one of receive one or more communication signals from the first communication device or transmit one or more control signals including instructions to modify the modifiable focal length to the first communication device. 
     
     
         20 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 19 , wherein the first communication device is configured to at least one of transmit the one or more communication signals to the second communication device or to receive the one or more control signals from the second communication device. 
     
     
         21 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the first intraocular lens device include a first communication device and the second intraocular lens device includes a second communication device, the first communication device and the second communication device configured to communicably couple the first intraocular lens device to the second intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         22 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the first communication device of the first intraocular lens device is configured to communicably couple the first intraocular lens device to the controller. 
     
     
         23 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the second intraocular lens device includes the controller. 
     
     
         24 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to determine an apparent object distance from the vergence rotation and to direct the focal length modification based on the apparent object distance. 
     
     
         25 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to determine a presence of an object at least partially based on the one or more detection signals. 
     
     
         26 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the intraocular lens of the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device includes a switchable lens configured to modify the modifiable focal length thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 26 , wherein the switchable lens includes a switchable diffractive lens. 
     
     
         28 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 26 , wherein the switchable lens includes a variable focus refractive lens. 
     
     
         29 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the modifiable focal length of the intraocular lens of the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device is modifiable between a first focal length and at least a second focal length, the second focal length being greater than the first focal length. 
     
     
         30 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 29 , wherein the modifiable focal length of the intraocular lens of the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device is modifiable to exhibit the first focal length, the second focal length, and one or more intermediate focal lengths having a magnitude between the first focal length and the second focal length. 
     
     
         31 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more photodetectors includes a plurality of photodetectors arranged in an array. 
     
     
         32 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of photodetectors is positioned to only detect the light when the light is received from a selected angular direction or a selected angular range. 
     
     
         33 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the first intraocular lens device or the second intraocular lens device includes at least one optical element configured to receive the incident light and to transmit the received light to the one or more photodetectors. 
     
     
         34 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one optical element is configured to only transmit the received light to the one or more photodetectors when the incident light is received from a selected angular direction or a selected angular range. 
     
     
         35 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one optical element includes a lens configured to focus the incident light onto the one or more photodetectors. 
     
     
         36 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one optical element includes a reflector is located within the at least one intraocular lens device. 
     
     
         37 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more photodetectors are positioned in the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device to detect the light when the light is partially occluded by at least one of an iris, or a component of the intraocular lens. 
     
     
         38 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more photodetectors of the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device are positioned remote from an optical axis of the respective eye. 
     
     
         39 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more photodetectors of the first intraocular lens device or of the second intraocular lens device are positioned at least proximate to an optical axis of the respective eye. 
     
     
         40 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more photodetectors are positioned in the first intraocular lens device or in the second intraocular lens device to be substantially out of focus at a retina of the eye. 
     
     
         41 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to direct the first intraocular lens device or the second intraocular lens device to controllably modify the modifiable focal length of the intraocular lens responsive to an intensity of the incident light detected by the one or more detection signals. 
     
     
         42 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is programmed to,
 determine a direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and a direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device at least partially based on the one or more detection signals; and   determine a vergence rotation between the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device based upon a comparison of the direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and the direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device.   
     
     
         43 . An intraocular lens system, comprising:
 a first intraocular lens device configured to be intraocularly implanted in a first eye of a subject and a second intraocular lens device configured to be intraocularly implanted in a second eye of the subject, each of the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device including an intraocular lens exhibiting a modifiable focal length and further including one or more photodetectors configured to output one or more detection signals responsive to detecting incident light entering the first eye or the second eye;   a controller configured to be at least one of communicably coupled or operatively coupled to the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device, the controller configured to receive the one or more detection signals from the one or more photodetectors, the controller configured to direct the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device to controllably modify the modifiable focal length of the respective intraocular lens responsive to the one or more detection signals; and   one or more filters positioned to selectively filter light before being received by the one or more photodetectors.   
     
     
         44 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 43 , wherein the one or more filters are at least partially transparent to infrared light. 
     
     
         45 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 43 , wherein the one or more filters are at least partially transparent to ultraviolet light. 
     
     
         46 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 43 , wherein the one or more filters include one or more polarizers. 
     
     
         47 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 43 , wherein the one or more photodetectors are positioned aft of the intraocular lens. 
     
     
         48 . The intraocular lens system of  claim 43 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 determine a direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and a direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device at least partially based on the one or more detection signals; and   determine a vergence rotation between the first intraocular lens device and the second intraocular lens device based upon a comparison of the direction of the incident light relative to the first intraocular lens device and the direction of the incident light relative to the second intraocular lens device.