Intraocular implant methods

The method of implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye through an incision in the eye, comprising the steps of:

• providing a foldable resilient lens holder which has a normal unfolded configuration and is foldable to a compact folded configuration wherein the holder stores elastic strain energy sufficient to unfold the holder from said compact folded configuration to said normal unfolded configuration,
• inserting said lens holder into the eye through said incision while the holder is in said compact folded configuration, and then implanting the holder in a fixed implanted position in the eye by releasing the folded holder within the eye to effect unfolding of the holder within the eye by said elastic strain energy from said compact folded configuration to said normal unfolded configuration with the holder disposed in said fixed implanted position in the eye,
• inserting said lens into the eye through said incision, and
• mounting said lens on the unfolded implanted holder while the holder is in said implanted position.

The method of restoring vision to and maintaining the vitreous volume of a patient's eye containing a capsular bag from which the nucleus and cortex have been removed in such a way as to leave the posterior capsule of the bag intact, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical implant including a lens and a resilient foldable lens holder, the lens holder having normally anterior and posterior sides, posterior capsule engaging means at said posterior side, and a normal unfolded configuration in which said anterior and posterior sides of the holder form a space within said holder between said sides and light rays can pass through said holder from said anterior side to said posterior side of the holder, and wherein said holder is foldable to a compact folded configuration in which the holder stores elastic strain energy sufficient to unfold the holder from said compact folded configuration to said normal unfolded configuration,
• implanting said holder in the eye by inserting the holder into said capsular bag through an incision in the eye while the holder is in its compact folded configuration and releasing the folded holder within said capsular bag to effect unfolding of the holder within the bag by said stored elastic strain energy from said compact folded configuration to said normal unfolded configuration with the holder disposed in a fixed implanted position within said bag wherein said holder is disposed between said posterior capsule and said anterior rim of the bag and said posterior capsule engaging means presses against said posterior capsule to retain said posterior capsule substantially in its natural shape,
• inserting said lens into said capsular bag through said incision, and
• while said holder is in said implanted position, mounting the lens on the unfolded implanted holder with the lens located within said space in the unfolded holder.

The method of implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye containing a capsular bag from which the natural lens matrix has been removed and which bag includes a posterior capsule and an anterior capsulotomy circumferentially surrounded by an anterior capsular remnant, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a lens holder into said capsular bag through an incision in the eye and said anterior capsulotomy,
• implanting said lens holder in said bag in a fixed implanted position within the bag wherein the holder is located between said posterior capsule and said anterior remnant,
• inserting said lens into said bag through said incision and said anterior capsulotomy,
• mounting said lens on the implanted holder while the holder is in said implanted position, and
• adjusting said lens bodily relative to the implanted holder along the axis of the eye to focus said lens on the retina of the eye without changing either the shape of the lens or the position of the lens about said axis.

The method of implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye containing a capsular bag from which the natural lens matrix has been removed and which bag includes a posterior capsule and an anterior capsulotomy circumferentially surrounded by an anterior capsular remnant, comprising the steps of:

• providing a foldable resilient lens holder which has a normal unfolded configuration and is foldable to a compact folded configuration wherein the holder stores elastic strain energy sufficient to unfold the holder from said compact folded configuration to said normal unfolded configuration,
• inserting said holder into said capsular bag through an incision in the eye and said anterior capsulotomy while the holder is in said compact folded configuration, and then implanting the holder in a fixed implanted position within said bag by releasing the folded holder within said bag to effect unfolding of the holder in the bag by said elastic strain energy to said normal unfolded configuration with the holder disposed in said fixed implanted position in said bag wherein said holder is located between said anterior capsular remnant and said posterior capsule of the bag,
• inserting said lens into said bag through said incision and said anterior capsulotomy, and
• mounting said lens on the unfolded implanted holder.

The method of surgically implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye through an incision in the eye, comprising the steps of:

• inserting said lens and a lens holder into the eye,
• implanting said lens holder in the eye,
• adjusting said lens relative to the implanted holder along the axis of the eye during surgery to focus said lens on the retina of the eye, and wherein
• said lens holder is a resilient foldable lens holder,
• said step of inserting said lens and lens holder into the eye comprises inserting said lens holder into the eye while the holder is in a compact folded configuration in which the holder stores elastic strain energy, effecting unfolding of the holder within said bag by said elastic strain energy to a normal configuration with the holder disposed in an implanted position in the eye, inserting said lens into the eye through said incision, and mounting said lens on the implanted lens holder, and
• said lens adjustment step comprises adjusting said lens relative to said holder after mounting of the lens on the holder.

The method of surgically implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye through an incision in the eye, comprising the steps of:

• inserting said lens and a lens holder into the eye,
• implanting said lens holder in the eye,
• adjusting said lens bodily relative to the implanted holder along the axis of the eye during surgery without changing the shape of the lens to focus said lens on the retina of the eye, and wherein
• said lens is pivotally mounted on said holder for postoperative pivotal accommodation movement of the lens relative to said holder about a pivot axis transverse to said axis of the eye in response to tilting of the patient's head, and
• said step of adjusting said lens comprises retaining said lens in a fixed position about said pivot axis, adjusting said lens along said axis of the eye while said lens is in said fixed position about said pivot axis, and then permitting pivotal accommodation movement of the lens about said pivot axis after adjustment of the lens.

The method of implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a lens holder into the eye through an incision in the eye,
• implanting said lens holder in the eye in a fixed implanted position relative to the eye,
• inserting said lens into the eye through said incision,
• mounting said lens on said holder while said holder is in said implanted position in the eye, and
• adjusting said lens bodily relative to the implanted holder along the axis of the eye to focus said lens on the retina of the eye without changing either the shape of the lens or the position of the lens about said axis.

The method of implanting an intraocular lens in a patient's eye, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a lens holder into the eye through an incision in the eye,
• implanting said lens holder in the eye in a fixed implanted position relative to the eye,
• inserting said lens into the eye through said incision,
• mounting said lens on said holder while said holder is in said implanted position in the eye, and wherein
• the patient's eye contains a capsular bag from which the natural lens matrix has been removed and which bag includes a posterior capsule and an anterior capsulotomy circumferentially surrounded by an anterior capsular remnant,
• said holder comprises a lens cage having a normally anterior ring and arcuate limbs extending posteriorly from said ring and forming with said ring a space within the cage which is sized to receive said lens in said space, and
• said step of implanting said holder in the eye comprises inserting said holder into said bag through said anterior capsulotomy and said incision and implanting the holder in said bag in said implanted position wherein said cage ring engages in the inner circumference of said bag and said cage limbs press against the posterior capsule of the bag,
• said step of mounting said lens on said holder comprises inserting the lens into said bag through said anterior capsulotomy and said incision and mounting the lens on said cage with the lens located within said space.