Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Lens Technology
 
   
 

Current Research and New IOL Technology

IOL technology has been expanding to meet the needs of both patients and surgeons. Recently, surgeons can offer patients an aspheric IOL rather than a standard monofocal spherical lens. Presbyopia-correcting IOLs are also being developed. Newer generation refractive and diffractive IOLs provide a good range of vision accompanied by fewer problems with glare and halos. Mixing and matching multifocal IOL models can be an option for some patients to optimize comfort, contrast sensitivity, and spectacle independence.

Many new lens designs are in clinical trials. A three-piece silicone multifocal lens called the Tecnis ZM900, developed by Advanced Medical Optics, is designed with a diffractive surface across the optic. AMO reports increased visual acuity and excellent vision quality because of its aspheric design. Other designs such as a dual-optic accommodating IOL (Synchrony, Visiogen) have been reported to achieve up to 6 D of accommodation. Some technologies have deviated from conventional lens designs, such as the IMT™ (Implantable miniature telescope). The is a miniature galilean telescope on a PMMA carrier that changes the image that arrives at the retina through a series of microlenses that magnify the image. over about 60° of the retina (Figure 1). The IMT™ is implanted into the capsular bag and held in position with haptic loops, and the telescope bulges forward into the anterior chamber through the pupil.

In addition to IOL design, heparin coatings for improved biocompatability and hybrid polymer lens materials have currently being researched for improved IOL implantation.