Novel enhanced intraocular lens for reducing glare

Abstract

An intraocular lens implantable in an eye includes an optic for placement in the capsular bag of the eye and for directing light toward the retina of the eye. The optic has a central optical axis, an anterior face, an opposing posterior face and a peripheral edge between the faces. The peripheral edge has one or more curved or angled surfaces that reduce glare within the IOL. For instance, a rounded transition surface on the anterior side of the peripheral edge diffuses the intensity of reflected light, or a particular arrangement of straight edge surfaces refracts the light so as not to reflect, or does not reflect at all. The intersection of the peripheral edge and at least one of the anterior face and the posterior face, preferably both of such faces, forms a peripheral corner located at a discontinuity between the peripheral edge and the intersecting face or faces. The present IOLs inhibit cell growth from the eye in front of or in back of the optic and reduce glare obtained in the eye in which the IOL is located.

1 .- 10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . An intraocular lens that reduces glare from incoming light rays to the retina of an eye, comprising: 
 fixation members adapted to fix the intraocular lens in the capsular bag of the eye; and    an optic having an anterior face and an opposed posterior face, the optic being coupled to the fixation members and including: 
 a light-transmitting portion centered on a central optical axis and shaped to focus light on the retina of the eye;  
 anterior and posterior peripheral regions on the anterior and posterior faces of the optic, respectively, and circumscribing the light-transmitting portion; and  
 a peripheral edge between the anterior and posterior faces;  
   wherein the anterior peripheral region and the peripheral edge have roughened surfaces so as to be partially opaque to the transmission of light, and wherein the roughened surfaces have an irregular pattern.    
     
     
         12 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11 , wherein the periphery of the optic is made of a light absorbing material.  
     
     
         13 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11 , wherein the optic further includes a peripheral corner located at a discontinuity between the peripheral edge and the posterior face for inhibiting cell growth onto the optic.  
     
     
         14 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11 , wherein the peripheral edge includes an anterior convex portion adjacent the anterior peripheral region.  
     
     
         15 . The intraocular lens of  claim 14 , wherein the peripheral edge further includes two surfaces with linear cross-sectional configurations, one of which describes a cylindrical surface around the central optical axis and the other describes a partial conical surface around the central optical axis.  
     
     
         16 . The intraocular lens of  claim 15 , wherein, from the anterior face to the posterior face, the peripheral edge comprises, in sequence, the anterior convex portion, the partial conical surface, and the cylindrical surface.  
     
     
         17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . The intraocular lens of  claim 17 , wherein the roughness of the anterior peripheral region and the peripheral edge is sufficient so as to be visible at a magnification of 10×.  
     
     
         19 . The intraocular lens of  claim 18 , wherein the roughness of the anterior peripheral region and the peripheral edge has a scattering level of about 80%.  
     
     
         20 - 26 . (canceled)  
     
     
         27 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11 , wherein the roughness of the partially opaque region or edge is sufficient so as to be visible to the naked eye.  
     
     
         28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . The intraocular lens of  claim 12 , wherein the light absorbing material is a colored base material.  
     
     
         30 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11  further including at least one of a posterior edge corner and an anterior edge corner, and wherein the peripheral edge is linear.  
     
     
         31 . The intraocular lens of  claim 11 , wherein the fixation members and the optic are constructed from one unitary piece of material.  
     
     
         32 . The intraocular lens of  claim 14 , wherein only the anterior convex portion of the peripheral edge is roughened so as to be partially opaque to the transmission of light.  
     
     
         33 . The intraocular lens of  claim 32 , wherein the roughness of the anterior convex portion of the peripheral edge has a scattering level of about 80%.  
     
     
         34 . An intraocular lens that reduces glare from incoming light rays to the retina of an eye, which comprises: fixation members adapted to fixate the intraocular lens within the capsular bag of the eye; and an optic having an anterior face and an opposed posterior face, the optic being coupled to the fixation members and further comprising: a light transmitting portion centered on a central optical axis and shaped to direct light on the retina of the eye; an anterior peripheral region and a posterior peripheral region on the anterior and posterior faces of the optic, respectively, and circumscribing the light-transmitting portion; and a peripheral edge between the anterior and posterior faces; wherein only selected aspects of the anterior peripheral region and the peripheral edge are partially opaque to the transmission of light.  
     
     
         35 . The intraocular lens of  claim 34 , wherein each of the peripheral edge, which includes a roughened anterior convex portion adjacent the anterior peripheral portion, and the balance of the peripheral edge are roughened so as to be partially opaque to the transmission of light, and the rest of the intraocular lens is not so roughened.  
     
     
         36 . The intraocular lens of  claim 35 , wherein the roughness of each of said selected portions of the peripheral edge has a scattering level of at least about 80%.  
     
     
         37 . The intraocular lens of  claim 35 , wherein the roughness of each of said selected portions has a scattering level of less than 80%.  
     
     
         38 . The intraocular lens of  claim 35 , wherein the fixation members and the optic are constructed from one unitary piece of material.  
     
     
         39 . The intraocular lens of  claim 34 , further including at least one of a posterior edge corner and an anterior edge corner, wherein the peripheral edge is linear.