Ophthalmic lenses with enhanced surface and methods of fabrication thereof

Abstract

An ophthalmic lens for providing enhanced vision includes a finished optic comprising a base optic and a membrane. The base optic has an anterior surface and an opposing posterior surface, at least one of the surfaces having a first value of a surface quality parameter. The base optic also includes a membrane including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface covering one or more of the surfaces of the base optic. The outer surface has a second value of the surface quality parameter, wherein the second value is greater than the first value.

1 . A method of making an intraocular lens, comprising:
 forming a support structure;   forming a base optic having an anterior surface and an opposing posterior surface; and   processing the base optic to change a physical characteristic of the base optic; and   subsequent to processing the base optic, forming a finished optic by affixing a membrane to at least one of the surfaces of the base optic.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing the finished optic. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein processing the base optic and processing the finished optic comprises extracting impurities from the intraocular lens. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein extracting impurities comprises performing a Soxhlet extraction. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising affixing a first membrane to the anterior surface of the base optic and a second membrane to the posterior surface of the base optic. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the base optic includes forming the base optic about a protruding portion of the support structure. 
     
     
         7 . An intraocular lens, comprising:
 a finished optic comprising:
 a base optic having an anterior surface and an opposing posterior surface, at least one of the surfaces having a first value of a surface quality parameter; and 
 a membrane including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface covering one or more of the surfaces of the base optic, the outer surface having an a second value of the surface quality parameter, the second value being greater than the first value; and 
   a support structure coupled to the finished optic.   
     
     
         8 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic and the membrane are integrally formed. 
     
     
         9 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic and the membrane are made from the same material. 
     
     
         10 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic is made from a first material having a first value of a property and the membrane is made from a second material having a second value of the property, the first value being greater than or less than the second value. 
     
     
         11 . The intraocular lens of  claim 10 , wherein the property is one or more of stiffness, tensile strength, modulus, lubricity, or tackiness 
     
     
         12 . The intraocular lens of  claim 10 , wherein the values differ by at least 2%. 
     
     
         13 . The intraocular lens of  claim 10 , wherein the values differ by at least 5%. 
     
     
         14 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the quality parameter is selected from the group consisting of surface smoothness, surface accuracy, and modulation transfer function. 
     
     
         15 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the support structure comprises one or more haptics. 
     
     
         16 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the support structure includes a protruding portion disposed between the surfaces of the base optic, wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum and the protruding portion has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the first refractive index being about equal to the second refractive index. 
     
     
         17 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the support structure includes a protruding portion disposed between the surfaces of the base optic, wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum and the protruding portion has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the first refractive index being unequal to the second refractive index. 
     
     
         18 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum and the membrane has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the first refractive index being about equal to the second refractive index. 
     
     
         19 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum, the membrane has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the protruding portion has a third refractive index at the wavelength, the refractive indices being about equal to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic and the membrane is made of a common polymeric material. 
     
     
         21 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the membrane is made of a different material than the base optic. 
     
     
         22 . The intraocular lens of  claim 21 , wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum and the membrane has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the first refractive index being about equal to the second refractive index. 
     
     
         23 . The intraocular lens of  claim 21 , wherein the base optic has a first refractive index at a wavelength within the visible spectrum and the membrane has a second refractive index at the wavelength, the first refractive index being unequal to the second refractive index. 
     
     
         24 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the base optic comprises a peripheral edge joining the anterior surface of the base optic to the posterior surface of the base optic. 
     
     
         25 . The intraocular lens of  claim 24 , wherein the finished optic comprises a wall portion disposed over at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the base optic. 
     
     
         26 . The intraocular lens of  claim 24 , wherein the finished optic comprises a first membrane disposed over the anterior surface of the base optic and a second membrane disposed over the posterior surface of the base optic, the wall portion joining the first membrane and the second membrane along circumferential portions of the membranes. 
     
     
         27 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the membrane has a thickness that is less than or equal to 0.15 millimeters. 
     
     
         28 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the membrane has a thickness that is less than or equal to 10% of an axial thickness of the finished optic along the optical axis. 
     
     
         29 . The intraocular lens of  claim 7 , wherein the support structure includes a protruding portion disposed along a line parallel to the optical axis within a peripheral portion of the finished optic.