Corneal onlays and methods of producing same

Abstract

Corneal onlays and corneal onlay production methods are described. The present corneal onlays include a lens body. An example of a corneal onlay includes a lens body that includes a corneal epithelium-contactable anterior surface and a Bowman's membrane-contactable posterior surface. The lens body has an optical power from about −10 diopters to about +10 diopters, an optic zone diameter from about 5 mm to about 11 mm, a base curve from about 5 mm to about 12 mm, a center thickness from about 10 micrometers to about 300 micrometers, and an edge thickness from about 0 micrometers to about 120 micrometers. Methods include forming the present corneal onlays from polymeric materials.

1 . A corneal onlay, comprising: 
 a lens body comprising a corneal epithelium-contactable anterior surface and a Bowman's membrane-contactable posterior surface, the lens body having an optical power from about −10 diopters to about +10 diopters, an optic zone diameter from about 5 mm to about 11 mm, a base curve from about 5 mm to about 12 mm, a center thickness from about 10 micrometers to about 300 micrometers, and an edge thickness from about 0 micrometers to about 120 micrometers.    
     
     
         2 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body has a lens body diameter from about 6 mm to about 12 mm.  
     
     
         3 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body has an edge thickness less than about 60 micrometers.  
     
     
         4 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body is structured to correct a visual deficiency selected from the group consisting of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body is selected from the group consisting of toric lenses and wavefront aberration correcting lenses.  
     
     
         6 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body has a water content from about 5% to about 95%.  
     
     
         7 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body has a refractive index from about 1.3 to about 1.5.  
     
     
         8 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises an optically clear biocompatible material that does not compromise the ocular physiology of an eye when the lens body is located between the corneal epithelium of the eye and the Bowman's membrane of the eye.  
     
     
         9 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises recombinant collagen.  
     
     
         10 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises collagen selected from the group consisting of collagen type I, type III, type IV, type V, type VII, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , which comprises a synthetic polymeric material.  
     
     
         12 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1  which is free of donor corneal tissue.  
     
     
         13 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises collagen and a synthetic material.  
     
     
         14 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) component.  
     
     
         15 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises a surface treatment.  
     
     
         16 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of peptides, extracellular matrix proteins, corneal growth factors, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body is selected from the group consisting of molded lens bodies, spin-casted lens bodies, lathed lens bodies, ablated lens bodies, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises an adhesive effective in securing the lens body on an eye of an individual.  
     
     
         19 . The corneal onlay of  claim 1  in combination with a corneal onlay insertion device having a distal end dimensioned to pass the lens body under the corneal epithelium of an eye.  
     
     
         20 . A method of producing a corneal onlay, comprising: 
 forming a lens body from a polymeric material, the lens body comprising a corneal epithelium-contactable anterior surface and a Bowman's membrane-contactable posterior surface, the lens body having an optical power from about −10 diopters to about +10 diopters, an optic zone diameter from about 5 mm to about 11 mm, a base curve from about 5 mm to about 12 mm, a center thickness from about 10 micrometers to about 300 micrometers, and an edge thickness from about 0 micrometers to about 120 micrometers.