Heat tunable intraocular lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10786348-B2
Application number	US-201816189115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A method and system provide an ophthalmic lens including a lens body having a chamber therein, a reservoir module coupled with the lens body and an optical fluid. At least part of the lens body is flexible. The reservoir module includes a reservoir and a heat sensitive portion bordering the reservoir. The reservoir has a reservoir volume and is fluidically connected with the chamber. The heat sensitive portion has a shape responsive to a temperature of at least forty five degrees Celsius such that the reservoir volume changes in response to at least part of the heat sensitive portion reaching the temperature. The optical fluid resides in the chamber and the reservoir. A change in the reservoir volume flows a portion of the optical fluid between the reservoir and the chamber such that the flexible portion of the lens body undergoes a shape change corresponding to a base power change.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for treating an ophthalmic condition in a patient comprising:
selecting an ophthalmic device for implantation in an eye of the patient, the ophthalmic device including an ophthalmic lens having a lens body, a reservoir and an optical fluid, the lens body having a chamber therein, at least a portion of the lens body being flexible, the lens body having a lens body index of refraction, the reservoir being coupled with the lens body and defining a reservoir volume that is fluidically connected with the chamber of the lens body, the reservoir comprising a plurality of heat sensitive structures adapted to change shape from a first shape to a second shape responsive to a temperature of at least forty five degrees Celsius, wherein a first portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures has a first orientation such that a change from the first shape to the second shape increases the reservoir volume, and a second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures has a second orientation such that the change from the first shape to the second shape decreases the reservoir volume, the optical fluid residing in the chamber and the reservoir, the optical fluid having an optical fluid index of refraction, the optical fluid index of refraction being within 0.1 of the lens body index of refraction, the ophthalmic device having a first base power;
implanting the ophthalmic device in the eye of the patient;
determining whether the first base power is appropriate for the patient; and
if the first base power is not appropriate, then non-invasively exposing at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures to the temperature, thereby causing the at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures to change from a the first shape to the second shape and flowing a portion of the optical fluid between the reservoir and the chamber such that the at least the portion of the lens body undergoes a shape change corresponding to a change from the first base power to a second base power.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of exposing the at least the portion of the heat sensitive portion to the temperature further includes:
firing a laser at the portion of the heat sensitive portion.

3. A method for treating an ophthalmic condition in a patient comprising:
selecting an ophthalmic lens for implantation in an eye of the patient, the ophthalmic lens comprising:
a lens body comprising a chamber, at least a portion of the lens body being flexible and having a lens body index of refraction;
a reservoir coupled with the lens body and defining a reservoir volume fluidicially connected with the chamber of the lens body; and
a plurality of heat sensitive structures situated in the reservoir, the plurality of heat sensitive structures adapted to change shape from a first shape to a second shape responsive to a temperature of at least forty five degrees Celsius, wherein a first portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures has a first orientation such that a change from the first shape to the second shape increases the reservoir volume, and a second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures has a second orientation such that the change from the first shape to the second shape decreases the reservoir volume; and
an optical fluid situated in the chamber and the reservoir, the optical fluid having an optical fluid index of refraction that is within 0.1 of the lens body index of refraction; and

non-invasively exposing at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures to the temperature to cause at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures to change from a the first shape to the second shape, thereby flowing a portion of the optical fluid between the reservoir and the chamber such that the at least the portion of the lens body undergoes a shape change corresponding to a change from the first base power to a second base power.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ophthalmic lens comprises an intraocular lens with a single focal length.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ophthalmic lens comprises an intraocular lens with two or more focal lengths.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein, each of the plurality of heat sensitive structures has a volume.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the volume of each of the plurality of heat sensitive structures is the same.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein a difference between the first base power and the second base power does not exceed 0.25 diopter.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ophthalmic lens further comprises a microfluidics path connecting the reservoir with the chamber.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the temperature is at least sixty degrees Celsius and not more than one hundred degrees Celsius.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the temperature is at least ninety degrees Celsius.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the lens body has a periphery, and the reservoir is coupled with the lens body at the periphery.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of heat sensitive structures comprises a tube.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the lens body comprises a first portion that includes a flexible membrane and a second portion of that is fixed.

15. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of heat sensitive structures comprises a shape memory polymer having a glass transition not less than the temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the shape memory polymer comprises an additive adapted to absorb light in a selected wavelength range.

17. The method of claim 3 , further exposing at least one of the first portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures and at least one of the second portion of the plurality of heat sensitive structures to the temperature.

Assignees

• Novartis Ag
• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Hadba Ahmad
• Ribeiro Ramiro
• Schlueter Douglas
• Ackermann Marcel
• Scheibler Lukas
• Troller Stefan

Classifications

• A61F2/16 Primary

  Intraocular lenses · CPC title

• A61F2250/0009

  for adjusting thickness · CPC title

• A61F2250/0003

  having an inflatable pocket filled with fluid, e.g. liquid or gas · CPC title

• A61F2230/0065

  toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2210/0061

  swellable · CPC title