Intraocular Lens System

Abstract

An intraocular lens system comprising at least one intraocular lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface, wherein at least one surface of the lens is aspherical to provide for a continuum of retinal images to be focused at the retina in an area between two retinal eccentricities. The system may include an anterior light-converging intraocular lens ( 16 ) for positioning within the eye, the anterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface; and a posterior light-diverging intraocular lens ( 17 ) for positioning within the eye posterior to the anterior lens, the posterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface; wherein one or both surfaces of the anterior lens and/or one or both surfaces of the posterior lens are aspherical.

1 . An intraocular lens system comprising:
 at least one intraocular lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface,   wherein at least one surface of the lens is aspherical to provide for a continuum of retinal images to be focused at the retina in an area between two retinal eccentricities.   
     
     
         2 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 1 , wherein both surfaces of the lens are aspherical. 
     
     
         3 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , comprising:
 an anterior light-converging intraocular lens for positioning within the eye, the anterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface; and 
 a posterior light-diverging intraocular lens for positioning within the eye posterior to the anterior lens, the posterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface; 
 wherein at least one of the surfaces of the anterior lens and surfaces of the posterior lens are rendered aspherical such that a continuum of images is focused between two eccentricities at the retina. 
 
     
     
         4 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 3 , wherein the posterior lens is separate to the anterior lens. 
     
     
         5 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the surfaces of the optics in the system is rendered more aspherical than the others so as to increase the depth of focus. 
     
     
         6 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aspherical surfaces are rotationally symmetric polynomial conic surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 6 , wherein the surface sag (z coordinate) of the modified surface is given by: 
       
         
           
             
               Z 
               = 
               
                 
                   cr 
                   2 
                 
                 
                   1 
                   + 
                   
                     
                       1 
                       - 
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             1 
                             + 
                             k 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                          
                         
                           c 
                           2 
                         
                          
                         
                           r 
                           2 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The intraocular lens according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modified surface includes an aberration, the aberration being a Zernike polynomial for any one of: tilt, defocus, astigmatism, or coma. 
     
     
         9 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:
 an anterior lens positioning means; and   a posterior lens positioning means;   
       wherein the anterior positioning means is configured such that when the anterior lens is positioned within the eye, the anterior positioning means locates the anterior lens so that it is aligned with the optical axis of the eye; and
 wherein the posterior positioning means is configured such that when the posterior lens is positioned within the eye, the posterior positioning means locates the posterior lens in so that it is aligned with the optical axis of the eye. 
 
     
     
         10 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 9 , wherein the anterior positioning means comprises a plurality of haptics of equal lengths. 
     
     
         11 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 9  or  claim 10 , wherein the anterior lens and the anterior positioning means is a single-piece; and/or the posterior lens and the posterior positioning means is a single-piece. 
     
     
         12 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or both of the intraocular lenses is tinted yellow. 
     
     
         13 . An intraocular lens system of any one of the preceding claims wherein one or both of the anterior and posterior optics are modified to include an opaque rim. 
     
     
         14 . An intraocular lens system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein optics of the lenses are modified such that a magnified image may be focused on the retina at a wide angle of more than 5 degrees from the foveal centre. 
     
     
         15 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a third intraocular lens with either with one or both optical surfaces rendered aspherical is locatable between the first and second lens to extend the range of retinal eccentricities across which an image is focused. 
     
     
         16 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of  claims 2  to  15 , wherein a third intraocular lens with a surface incorporating a diffractive property is locatable between the first and second lens to increase the depth of focus of the system. 
     
     
         17 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, where the anterior lens is suitable to be positioned in the anterior chamber of the eye and the posterior lens is suitable to be located in the ciliary sulcus of the eye. 
     
     
         18 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of  claims 1  to  16 , where the anterior lens is suitable to be positioned in the ciliary sulcus of the eye and the posterior lens is suitable to be positioned in the capsular bag of the eye. 
     
     
         19 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of  claims 1  to  16 , where both the anterior lens and the posterior lens are suitable to be positioned in the ciliary sulcus of the eye. 
     
     
         20 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of  claims 1  to  16  where both the anterior lens and the posterior lens are suitable to be positioned in the capsular bag of the eye. 
     
     
         21 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the images presented to the retina are not magnified. 
     
     
         22 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims where the lenses may be fixed a set distance apart either before or after insertion into the eye 
     
     
         23 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least part of a lens is made from a biocompatible material. 
     
     
         24 . An intraocular lens system according to  claim 23 , wherein the biocompatible material is silicone or polymethylmethacrylate. 
     
     
         25 . An intraocular lens system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising haptics for the anterior lens and/or posterior lens(es) which are angled to enable said lens(es) to be tilted in a variety of directions relative to the optical axis of the eye. 
     
     
         26 . An intraocular lens system comprising:
 an anterior light-converging intraocular lens for positioning within the eye, the anterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface; and   a posterior light-diverging intraocular lens for positioning within the eye posterior to the anterior lens, the posterior lens having an anterior surface and a posterior surface;   wherein both surfaces of the anterior lens and both surfaces of the posterior lens are aspherical.