Posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens

Abstract

A posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens including a central optical part, a peripheral haptic part including a plurality of support elements arranged to lie on a ciliary zonule of an eye, and at least one flexible haptic including a reticulated distal region arranged to lay into a ciliary sulcus of the eye.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens comprising:
 an anterior surface and a posterior surface;   a central optical part comprising a lens, and extending radially relative to an optical axis directed from said anterior surface to said posterior surface;   a peripheral haptic part extending radially outward relative to said central optical part,   said peripheral haptic part comprising:
 a proximal portion extending circumferentially around said central optical part; 
 a distal portion at least around said proximal portion and comprising a plurality of support elements extending both radially outward and posteriorly relative to said central optical part, 
 said support elements being configured for supporting said phakic intraocular lens on a ciliary zonule when the phakic intraocular lens is an implantation position in an eye; 
   said central optical part and said peripheral haptic part forming a dome;   at least one flexible haptic comprising:
 a proximal region mounted on said proximal portion of said peripheral haptic part; 
 a distal region mounted on said proximal region and comprising a plurality of distal elongated flexible footplates that:
 extend at least partially radially outward relative to said central optical part, and that 
 border distal cavities extending between said anterior and said posterior surfaces, 
 
   a first diameter of said phakic intraocular lens being strictly greater than a second diameter of an optical assembly consisting of said central optical part and said peripheral haptic part, measured perpendicularly to said optical axis;   at least one of said distal elongated flexible footplates extending substantially from said second to said first diameters;   said distal region comprising a distal border connecting at least two of said distal elongated flexible footplates,   said distal border being configured for stabilizing said phakic intraocular lens into a ciliary sulcus when the phakic intraocular lens is in the implantation position in the eye.   
     
     
         2 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said distal border is transverse to said distal elongated flexible footplates;   said distal region comprises a proximal border transverse to said distal elongated flexible footplates;   each of said distal elongated flexible footplates, said distal border and said proximal border being continuously constituted of a solid material;   in such a way that said distal elongated flexible footplates are able to curve as a whole when axial and/or radial compression is exerted on said at least one flexible haptic.   
     
     
         3 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said distal elongated flexible footplates comprises a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, the proximal extremities of said distal elongated flexible footplates being joined by said proximal border, and the distal extremities of said distal elongated flexible footplates being joined by said distal border. 
     
     
         4 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal border extends both circumferentially and radially outward relative to said central optical part. 
     
     
         5 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal border comprises smooth ripples arranged to hook smoothly into a ciliary sulcus when said phakic intraocular lens is in the implantation position in the eye. 
     
     
         6 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal cavities are open cavities. 
     
     
         7 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal elongated flexible footplates are configured for extending substantially along a plane whose normal vector forms an angle comprised between −15° and 15° with said optical axis when the phakic intraocular lens is in the implantation position in the eye. 
     
     
         8 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 7 , wherein the area of said distal cavities measured in said plane is at least twice greater than the area of said distal elongated flexible footplates measured in said plane. 
     
     
         9 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal elongated flexible footplates are substantially flat. 
     
     
         10 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal region has a geometry mimicking a net made of distal reticles bordering said distal cavities, said distal reticles comprising said distal elongated flexible footplates and said distal border. 
     
     
         11 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said proximal region comprises a plurality of proximal elongated flexible footplates that:
 extend at least partially radially outward and posteriorly relative to said central optical part, and   border proximal cavities extending between said anterior and said posterior surfaces.   
     
     
         12 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 11 , wherein said distal region and said proximal region share a common connecting border transverse to said distal elongated flexible footplates and to said proximal elongated flexible footplates,
 each of said distal elongated flexible footplates, said proximal elongated flexible footplates, said distal border and said common connecting border being continuously constituted of a solid material;   in such a way that said proximal elongated flexible footplates are able to curve as a whole when axial and/or radial compression is exerted on said at least one flexible haptic.   
     
     
         13 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 12 , wherein said common connecting border extends substantially circumferentially around said central optical part along an arc of a circle of said second diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 12 , wherein the proximal elongated flexible footplates extend from the proximal portion of the peripheral haptic part to the common connecting border. 
     
     
         15 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 said proximal elongated flexible footplates are oriented and substantially parallel to a first direction; and/or   said distal elongated flexible footplates are oriented and substantially parallel to a second direction transverse to said first direction.   
     
     
         16 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral haptic part has a thickness, measured in parallel to the optical axis, significantly larger, on average, than that of the flexible haptic, so that the dome is resistant under axial and/or radial compression when the phakic intraocular lens is the implantation position in the eye. 
     
     
         17 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 16 , wherein the support elements have a flared and/or wide and/or thick shape. 
     
     
         18 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the support elements has a free distal extremity arranged for resting on a ciliary zonule when the phakic intraocular lens is the implantation position in the eye. 
     
     
         19 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said lens comprises:
 two such flexible haptics oriented and diametrically opposed; and   four such support elements oriented according to diagonals of a planar rectangle.   
     
     
         20 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens is shape invariant under a rotation of 180° around said optical axis. 
     
     
         21 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first diameter is comprised between 12.5 and 14.5 mm;   said second diameter is comprised between 11 and 12 mm.   
     
     
         22 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein a radius of curvature of a smooth posterior surface of said dome is comprised between 8 and 10 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein a smooth posterior surface of said dome is concave. 
     
     
         24 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said lens comprises a flexible and biocompatible material comprising between 20 and 45% water, and having a Young modulus of less than 1 GPa. 
     
     
         25 . The posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said central optical part comprises a through bore extending between said anterior and said posterior surfaces and arranged to allow a fluid flow.