Abstract: A lens provided for being implanted in a cornea, which comprises an optical portion having an optical axis; and a hole through the lens. The hole is concentric with the optical axis and the dimension and shape of the hole are chosen so that the hole does not impair the optical properties of the lens, but remains visible to one that manipulates the lens.

Abstract: An intraocular and intracorneal lens includes an optical portion and a corrugated haptic portion. Corrugations of the haptic portion may be linear or arcuate, and such corrugations may be present on both anterior and posterior surfaces of the haptic portion. The intraocular lens may be deformed before or during insertion in an eye of a patient, and may be positioned in the posterior chamber of the eye such that the optical portion is spaced anteriorly from the crystalline lens of the eye. In alternative embodiments, an intraocular or intracorneal lens of the invention may be inserted in the anterior chamber, or within the cornea, of an eye of a patient. An alternative intraocular lens includes an optical portion having a peripheral optic zone and an inner non-optic zone. Methods for correcting visual deficiencies of a patient, by insertion of an intraocular or intracorneal lens of the invention in an eye of the patient, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting vision, including a corneal-pocket keratome device to create a corneal pocket and a lens to be inserted and retained in the corneal pocket to effect correction. The corneal-pocket keratome includes a drive unit having cutting head elements which contact the subject eye during corneal pocket formation. The cutting head elements may be removeable and may be disposable. The cutting head elements include a corneal restraint device, which may be a positioning ring to position an eyeball with the cornea protruding through the ring; a keratome blade assembly with a corneal-pocket blade; and may also include an applanation shoe surface to restrain the cornea, in addition or instead of the positioning ring. The applanation shoe may be pivotable away from the surgical area. The corneal-pocket blade may include a guide which travels with the blade.

Abstract: The invention relates to defined peptides and the quantitative determination thereof in body fluids of patients suffering from progredient chronic dementia, in relation to the concentration of said peptides in a control group. The inventive peptides come from a protein precursor having the corresponding gene, are processed in a specific manner, and are optionally post-translationally modified, especially phosphorylized. An increase in the concentrations of these peptides or the corresponding non-processed protein indicates progredient chronic dementia. Progredient chronic dementia is detected by identifying the peptides and/or the protein individually or in combinations. The invention also relates to the use of said peptides for controlling the course of progredient chronic dementia and for the prognosis of progredient chronic dementia, especially for complementing or replacing mini-mental scores, and for developing therapeutic agents to combat progredient chronic dementia such as Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: A method for detecting the condition of an organism through the measurement of peptides from a sample of said organism containing high- and low-molecular weight peptides, as an indication of the condition of said organism, wherein low-molecular weight peptides are directly detected and characterized; and related to a reference.