Abstract: A refractive intraocular lens including an optic portion having an outer peripheral edge and two or more but preferably two balanced opposed looped haptic elements. Each looped haptic element is formed to have two broad connecting portions, two radial orientation portions, two spring portions and a linking portion for supporting the optic portion in a patient's eye. The two broad connecting portions of each looped haptic element is permanently connected to the outer peripheral edge of the optic portion. Each looped haptic element is likewise formed to have greater resistance to bending in a plane generally parallel to an eye's optical axis than in a plane generally perpendicular to the eye's optical axis. The intraocular lens is so designed to exhibit less than approximately 1.0 mm axial displacement or tilting of the optic portion along the eye's optical axis under a compression force suitable to effect a 1.0 mm in diameter compression in overall length of the intraocular lens.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 29, 1999
Date of Patent:
February 20, 2001
Assignee:
Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Inc.
Inventors:
Helene Lamielle, Laurent Hoffmann, Vincent Blanchard