Abstract:
An implant includes a first calcium sensor portion and a body portion. The first calcium sensor portion includes a calcium-selective binding portion. The body portion includes a controller configured to process a signal received from the calcium-selective binding portion, and a transmitter/receiver.
Abstract:
An implantable ophthalmic device includes a processor and an intraocular pressure sensor. This device can be implanted in the eye of a patient suffering from a deficient accommodative response. The sensor detects changes in intraocular pressure caused by accommodation, convergence, ocular muscle movement, and even disease and transmits a signal representing the pressure change(s) to the processor. The processor determines whether an accommodative trigger is present by analyzing the signal for characteristics of intraocular pressure changes due to accommodation. If the processor determines that an accommodative trigger is present, it actuates a dynamic optical element, such as an electro-active shutter or a lens with a variable focal length, so as to change the eye's effective depth of field or focal length. The resulting change in the effective depth of field or focal length enables the patent to view a near object (e.g., an object within about 6 meters of the patient) in response to the accommodative trigger.
Abstract:
An intraocular implant (IOI) includes a lens structure with variable optical power, a sensor that detects an optical accommodation response, a rechargeable power storage device, a recharging interface, a wireless communication interface, and a controller. The controller can receive information from the sensor indicating an optical accommodation response, control the lens structure to vary the variable optical power based on the information received from the sensor, control the recharging interface to recharge the rechargeable power storage device, and further control the recharging interface to receive power for operation of the IOI, and transmit and receive information through the wireless communication interface.
Abstract:
Laser posterior capsulotomy is a safe, painless, and effective way to treat posterior capsule opacification (PCO), which is the haze that sometimes develops in the posterior portion of the lens capsule after cataract surgery and IOL implantation. To perform a laser posterior capsulotomy, an ophthalmologist focuses a pulsed laser beam to a spot on the posterior capsule's surface, then scans the beam across the affected tissue. The affected tissue ruptures upon absorbing enough laser light, and the cellular remnants are absorbed by the vitreous humor. Unfortunately, the relatively long pulses used in conventional laser posterior capsulotomy can cause undesired damage to the eye and to the IOL. These risks can be mitigated by using a pulsed laser beam with a pulse duration of about 50-100 femtoseconds, a pulse repetition rate of about 10-50 Hz, and an energy per pulse of about 5-150 μj.
Abstract:
An implantable ophthalmic device with flexible, fluid-filled membranes provide dynamically variable optical power to restore lost accommodation in individuals suffering from presbyopia or aphakia without moving parts or reducing the amount of transmitted light. Actuating the device causes the fluid-filled membrane to change curvature, which produces a corresponding change in optical power. For instance, squeezing the edge of the membrane causes the center of the membrane to bulge by an amount proportional to the squeezing force. Alternatively, heating or applying a voltage to the membrane may cause the liquid in the membrane to undergo a phase transition accompanied by a corresponding change in volume that causes the membrane to inflate so as to change the optical power of the device.
Abstract:
An intraocular implant includes a sensor that, when implanted the eye, detects a physiological change (e.g., change in pupil diameter) associated with an accommodative trigger and emits a signal representing the detected change. A processor coupled to the implant senses and interprets the signal based on one or more thresholds representing the patient's pupillary response to changes in object distance and/or ambient light level. If the processor determines that the signal represents an accommodative trigger, it actuates an electro-active optical element, such as a pixelated liquid-crystal cell, to change the eye's effective optical power and/or depth of field.
Abstract:
A patient screening apparatus identifies candidates suitable for receiving accommodative implantable ophthalmic devices, such as dynamic intraocular lenses, based on pupil measurements under different viewing conditions. A pupillometer measures pupil size (pupil diameter or pupil area) and changes in pupil size as a function of ambient light level and/or object distance. For instance, the pupillometer may determine how much the pupil's size changes when the subject transitions from sustained viewing of a distant target to sustained viewing of a near target. These measurements may be used to determine variations in pupil response, including the standard deviation and/or median absolute deviation in pupil size under a given viewing condition, and ratios of pupil sizes and variances in pupil size. The apparatus uses these metrics to estimate whether a patient is likely to benefit from an accommodative implantable ophthalmic device. It can also use them to tune an implantable ophthalmic device.
Abstract:
Implantable ophthalmic devices with aspheric lenses and dynamic electro-active elements offer excellent depth of field and image quality while providing high optical throughput. An exemplary implantable ophthalmic device includes an aspheric lens with a negative spherical aberration that varies with radius. The aspheric lens can have peak optical powers at its geometric centers surrounded by a region of varying optical power (with varying slope) that extends radially from its center. When implanted, these aspheric lenses provide an incremental optical power that varies as a function of pupil diameter, which changes with object distance, for viewing far, intermediate, and near objects. The aspheric lens may also bonded or integrally formed with a spherical lens that provides fixed optical power for viewing far objects and/or a dynamic electro-active element that with two or more states (e.g., on and off) for increasing the effective optical power when viewing near objects.
Abstract:
A patient screening apparatus identifies candidates suitable for receiving accommodative implantable ophthalmic devices, such as dynamic intraocular lenses, based on pupil measurements under different viewing conditions. A pupillometer measures pupil size (pupil diameter or pupil area) and changes in pupil size as a function of ambient light level and/or object distance. For instance, the pupillometer may determine how much the pupil's size changes when the subject transitions from sustained viewing of a distant target to sustained viewing of a near target. These measurements may be used to determine variations in pupil response, including the standard deviation and/or median absolute deviation in pupil size under a given viewing condition, and ratios of pupil sizes and variances in pupil size. The apparatus uses these metrics to estimate whether a patient is likely to benefit from an accommodative implantable ophthalmic device. It can also use them to tune an implantable ophthalmic device.
Abstract:
An intraocular implant includes a sensor that, when implanted the eye, detects a physiological change (e.g., change in pupil diameter) associated with an accommodative trigger and emits a signal representing the detected change. A processor coupled to the implant senses and interprets the signal based on one or more thresholds representing the patient's pupillary response to changes in object distance and/or ambient light level. If the processor determines that the signal represents an accommodative trigger, it actuates an electro-active optical element, such as a pixelated liquid-crystal cell, to change the eye's effective optical power and/or depth of field.