Primary and supplemental intraocular lens system

Abstract

A supplemental intraocular lenses may be attached to conventional primary intraocular lenses using annular wrap-around clamps or adhesive. New primary intraocular lens configurations have pockets for accommodating relatively small, supplemental intraocular lenses therein.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A supplemental intraocular lens for attachment to a primary intraocular lens, comprising: 
 an optic portion having at least one optical power and an optic-portion periphery;    a peripheral zone surrounding at least 20% of the optic-portion periphery, the peripheral zone having substantially no optical power and having a reduced thickness relative to a thickness of the optic-portion periphery.    
     
     
         2 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral zone is adapted to be attached to the primary intraocular lens.  
     
     
         3 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral zone is adapted to be glued to the primary intraocular lens using an adhesive.  
     
     
         4 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the optic portion is located in a central area of the supplemental intraocular lens and the peripheral zone is concentric with the optic portion, and 
 wherein the optic portion and the peripheral zone comprise a biocompatible material.    
     
     
         5 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 4 , wherein the peripheral zone comprises an approximately uniform thickness, 
 wherein the optic portion is adapted to contact a first primary intraocular-lens face of the primary intraocular lens.    
     
     
         6 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 5 , wherein the optic portion comprises a convex anterior surface and a concave posterior surface, the concave posterior surface adapted to contact the first primary intraocular-lens face.  
     
     
         7 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary intraocular lens comprises a first primary intraocular-lens face, a second primary intraocular-lens face substantially opposite the first primary intraocular-lens face, and a primary intraocular-lens periphery connecting the first primary intraocular-lens face to the second primary intraocular-lens face, 
 wherein the supplemental intraocular lens is adapted to contact the first primary intraocular-lens face, and    wherein the supplemental intraocular lens further comprises an additional peripheral zone connected to the peripheral zone and adapted to be placed around the primary intraocular-lens periphery to thereby contact the second primary intraocular-lens face.    
     
     
         8 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 7 , wherein the first primary intraocular-lens face comprises an anterior primary intraocular-lens face, and wherein the second primary intraocular-lens face comprises a posterior primary intraocular-lens face.  
     
     
         9 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 8 , wherein the optic portion is located in a central area of the supplemental intraocular lens and both the peripheral zone and the additional peripheral zone are concentric with the optic portion, and 
 wherein the optic portion, the peripheral zone, and the additional peripheral zone comprise a biocompatible material.    
     
     
         10 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the optic portion is adapted to contact a first primary intraocular-lens face of the primary intraocular lens, and 
 wherein the supplemental intraocular lens further comprises an additional peripheral zone, which is integrally formed with the optic portion and the peripheral zone, the additional peripheral zone adapted to contact a second primary intraocular-lens face substantially opposite the first primary intraocular-lens face, when the supplemental intraocular lens is attached to the primary intraocular lens.    
     
     
         11 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 10 , wherein the peripheral zone comprises an approximately uniform thickness, and 
 wherein the peripheral zone may be stretched when the additional peripheral zone contacts the second primary intraocular-lens face.    
     
     
         12 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 11 , wherein the additional peripheral zone comprises a semirigid annular lip surrounding a majority of the periphery zone and adapted to contact the second primary intraocular-lens face when the supplemental intraocular lens is attached to the primary intraocular lens.  
     
     
         13 . A supplemental intraocular lens for attachment to a primary intraocular lens, comprising: 
 an optic portion having at least one optical power and contacting a first primary intraocular-lens face;    an additional peripheral zone surrounding at least a part of the optic portion, the additional peripheral zone having substantially no optical power and being adapted to contact a second primary intraocular-lens face located substantially opposite the first primary intraocular-lens face.    
     
     
         14 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 13 , wherein the second primary intraocular-lens face is located substantially opposite the first primary intraocular-lens face.  
     
     
         15 . A supplemental intraocular lens comprising an optic portion adapted for use in an eye and having at least one optical power, the supplemental intraocular lens including no structure effective to independently fix the position of the supplemental intraocular lens in the eye, the optic portion being sized and adapted to fit within a primary intraocular lens to thereby provide supplemental vision correction to the eye in which the primary intraocular lens is located.  
     
     
         16 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 15 , wherein the optic portion being shaped to fit within a pocket of a primary intraocular lens.  
     
     
         17 . A supplemental intraocular lens comprising an optic portion having at least one optical power, the optic portion sized and adapted to fit within a pocket of a primary intraocular lens to thereby provide a supplemental vision correction to the primary intraocular lens.  
     
     
         18 . A primary intraocular lens having at least one optical power, and having a pocket for accommodating a supplemental intraocular lens to thereby modify the optical power of the primary intraocular lens.  
     
     
         19 . The primary intraocular lens according to  claim 18 , wherein the primary intraocular lens comprises a first primary intraocular-lens face and a second primary intraocular-lens face, and 
 wherein the pocket is located between the first primary intraocular-lens face and the second primary intraocular-lens face.    
     
     
         20 . The primary intraocular lens according to  claim 19 , wherein the pocket comprises a pocket anterior surface located between the first primary intraocular-lens face and the second primary intraocular-lens face, and also comprises a pocket posterior surface located between the first primary intraocular-lens face and the second primary intraocular-lens face, the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface together forming the pocket within the primary intraocular lens for accommodating the supplemental intraocular lens.  
     
     
         21 . The primary intraocular lens according to  claim 20 , wherein the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface contact one another before insertion of the supplemental intraocular lens into the pocket of the primary intraocular lens, and 
 wherein insertion of the supplemental intraocular lens into the pocket of the primary intraocular lens separates the pocket anterior surface from the pocket posterior surface.    
     
     
         22 . The primary intraocular lens according to  claim 21 , wherein the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface are joined together along respective circumferences of the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface, and 
 wherein the supplemental intraocular lens is inserted into the pocket of the primary intraocular lens through an area along the respective circumferences of the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface that is not joined together.    
     
     
         23 . The supplemental intraocular lens according to  claim 22 , wherein the pocket of the primary intraocular lens has three areas along the respective circumferences of the pocket anterior surface and the pocket posterior surface that are not joined together, and 
 wherein the supplemental intraocular lens can be inserted into the pocket of the primary intraocular lens through any one of the three areas.    
     
     
         24 . A supplemental intraocular lens adapted to be attached to a primary intraocular lens within an optically-powered area equal to a reference area, comprising: 
 a supplemental-intraocular-lens body having an optically-powered face with an area less than the reference area.    
     
     
         25 . A supplemental intraocular lens adapted to be attached within an optically-powered portion of a primary intraocular lens, the optically-powered portion having a curvilinear periphery equal to a reference distance, comprising: 
 a supplemental-intraocular-lens body having a curvilinear periphery less than the reference distance.