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EP-4213767-B1 - INTRAOCULAR LENS

EP4213767B1EP 4213767 B1EP4213767 B1EP 4213767B1EP-4213767-B1

Inventors

  • SCHREIBER, Benjamin
  • BADUR, Thorben

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200921

Claims (5)

  1. An intraocular lens with an optical body (2) and a haptic element (3) having a clip (7), a plastic bar (4) that has a first longitudinal end (8) secured to the optical body (2) and a second longitudinal end (9) to which the clip (7) is secured and has a transition temperature higher than 40°C which is a glass transition temperature of the plastic bar (4) or a melting temperature of the plastic bar (4), and at least one brace bar (5, 6) having a first longitudinal end (10, 12) secured to the optical body (2) and a second longitudinal end (11, 13) to which the clip (7) is secured, characterized in that the at least one brace bar (5, 6) comprises a bimetal.
  2. The intraocular lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip (7) is secured to the optical body (2) solely via the plastic bar (4) and the at least one brace bar (5, 6).
  3. The intraocular lens as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one brace bar (5, 6) is arranged spaced apart from the plastic bar (4).
  4. The intraocular lens as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the haptic element (3) has two of the brace bars (5, 6) disposed in circumferential direction on either side of the plastic bar (4) with respect to the optical axis (19) of the optical body (2).
  5. The intraocular lens as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the intraocular lens (1) has two of the haptic elements (3).

Description

The invention relates to an intraocular lens. In cataract treatment of an eye, an incision is conventionally made in the cornea of the eye, said incision being large enough to allow a cannula to be inserted through the incision into the eye. After the incision has been made in the cornea, the lens of the eye is broken up by phacoemulsification and then sucked out of the capsular bag of the eye. Thereafter, an intraocular lens is inserted into the capsular bag by means of an injector. The intraocular lens includes an optical body and a haptic element, wherein the haptic element fixes the optical body in the capsular bag. The haptic element has the function of keeping the optical body as close as possible to the middle of the eye in order to generate an image of maximum quality on the retina of the eye. Moreover, the optical body should be fixed with maximum positional stability in the capsular bag. In addition, the haptic element has the function of stopping the optical body from rotating about its optical axis. This is particularly relevant when the optical body is a toric optical body by means of which cornea curvature is to be corrected, because the toric optical body, if it is arranged in the capsular bag with an incorrect orientation, leads to an imaging aberration on the retina. Once the intraocular lens has been inserted into the capsular bag, the intraocular lens may be disposed in an incorrect position in the capsular bag. This may be caused, for example, by nonuniform fibrosis. If the intraocular lens has been disposed in the wrong position in the capsular bag, it is necessary to correct the position of the intraocular lens in a surgical intervention or even to change the intraocular lens. Remedy could be provided by an intraocular lens having a correctable position after the insertion of the intraocular lens. US 2016/0206421 A1 discloses an intraocular lens comprising a lens optic coupled to at least one haptic and at least one deformable connecting bar positioned between the lens optic and the at least one haptic. WO 2014/047345 A1 discloses intraocular lenses comprising at least one haptic having a shape memory alloy with a transition temperature substantially higher than the human body temperature, the shape memory alloy being post-surgically, selectively adjustable with a laser beam. The problem addressed by the invention is therefore that of providing an intraocular lens having a correctable position after it has been inserted into a capsular bag of an eye. The problem is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. The intraocular lens of the invention has an optical body and a haptic element having a clip, a plastic bar that has a first longitudinal end secured to the optical body and a second longitudinal end to which the clip is secured and has a transition temperature higher than 40°C which is a glass transition temperature of the plastic bar or a melting temperature of the plastic bar, and at least one brace bar having a first longitudinal end secured to the optical body and a second longitudinal end to which the clip is secured. If the intraocular lens has been inserted into the capsular bag of an eye, the clip is in contact with the capsular bag. The clip is in an extreme position relative to the optical body, the extreme position being the closest possible position of the clip to the optical body. The position of the optical body relative to the clip can be altered by heating the plastic bar and at least one of the at least one support bar by irradiating with electromagnetic radiation, especially by means of a laser. The plastic bar is heated here to temperatures above the transition temperatures, as a result of which the plastic bar becomes deformable and additionally lengthens. The heating of the at least one brace bar also causes it to lengthen. As a result, the clip moves out of the extreme position and away from the optical body. If irradiation of the plastic bar with the electromagnetic radiation is then ceased, the plastic bar cools down to temperatures below the transition temperature through conduction of heat. As a result, the plastic bar is no longer deformable, but instead firm, as a result of which the clip is outside the extreme position and is held there. In this way, it is possible to change the position of the optical body relative to the clip. If irradiation of the at least one brace bar with the electromagnetic radiation is then likewise ceased, this also cools down through conduction of heat. Because the second longitudinal end of the at least one brace bar is secured to the clip, this brace bar is now unable to shorten to the length that it had in the extreme position. This brace bar is under tensile stress once it has cooled down. By heating the plastic bar back to a temperature above the transition temperature and hence making it deformable, it is possible to move the clip back into the extreme position with lo