Accommodating Intraocular Lens

An intraocular lens for replacement of a natural crystalline lens within a capsular bag during eye surgery, the intraocular lens to be positioned anterior to the retina when implanted in the eye, said intraocular lens comprising:

• a) an optic portion adapted to focus light;
• b) a peripheral portion about said optic portion, a junction defined between said optic and peripheral portions;
• c) biasing means for inducing a bias along an anterior-posterior axis of the lens to force said optic portion anteriorly relative to said peripheral portion;
• and
• d) a chemically dissolvable restraining element provided to said peripheral portion and extending across at least a portion of said optic portion, said restraining element adapted to maintain said optic portion in a stressed state of relatively planar configuration against said bias of said biasing means in an environment of the eye until dissolution wherein said optic portion is then able to be urged by said bias toward an accommodating unstressed state in which said optic portion moves anteriorly relative to said peripheral portion,
• wherein when the lens is implanted in the eye, upon removal of said restraining element, said biasing means biases said optic portion anteriorly toward the non-stressed state causing said optic portion to be moved anteriorly relative to the retina such that the optic portion is at an increased distance from the retina relative to the stressed state and has a resulting increased optical power, and wherein the optical power of the lens is adjustable in response to stresses induced by the eye.

An intraocular lens for replacement of a natural crystalline lens within a capsular bag during eye surgery, the intraocular lens to be positioned anterior to the retina when implanted in the eye, said intraocular lens comprising:

• a) an optic portion adapted to focus light;
• b) a peripheral portion about said optic portion, a junction defined between said optic and peripheral portions;
• c) biasing means for inducing a bias along an anterior-posterior axis of the lens to force said optic portion anteriorly relative to said peripheral portion;
• and
• d) a laser releasable restraining element provided to said peripheral portion and extending across at least a portion of said optic portion, said restraining element able to counter said bias of said biasing means to maintain said lens in a relatively planar configuration,
• wherein when the lens is implanted in the eye, upon release of said restraining element, said biasing means biases said optic portion anteriorly relative to said peripheral portion such that when said lens is implanted in the eye said optic portion is caused to be moved anteriorly relative to the retina resulting in increased optical power of the lens, and wherein the optical power of the lens is adjustable in response to stresses induced by the eye.

An intraocular lens for replacement of a natural crystalline lens within a capsular bag during eye surgery, the intraocular lens to be positioned anterior to the retina when implanted in the eye, said intraocular lens comprising:

• a) an optic portion adapted to focus light;
• b) a haptic portion about said optic portion;
• c) biasing means for biasing said optic portion into an anterior configuration relative to said haptic portion;
• and
• d) a restraining element adapted to prevent said optic portion from moving into said anterior configuration relative to said haptic portion, said restraining element comprising an element extending at least partially across the optic portion and adapted to be removed after completion of an eye surgery,
• wherein upon removal of said restraining element, said optic portion is permitted to move anteriorly relative to said haptic portion under the force of the biasing means, and the relative anterior position of said optic portion relative to said haptic portion is adjustable in response to stresses induced by the eye so as to provide an accommodating effect.