A new technique allows you to customize the operations of myopia and astigmatism
With age, the lens of the eye becomes more rigid and lose their ability to focus on objects dynamically, a condition known as presbyopia. The ultimate solution for the correction of presbyopia passes by the replacement of the crystalline lens by a lens that is able to mimic the function of the lens. Now, scientists from the Institute of Optics, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), led by the researcher at Susana Marcos (National Research Award 2019), have developed a lens acomodativa intraocular that changes its shape to focus on objects near and far. The results of this achievement were published in the journal Optica, the American Society of Optics (Optical Society of America).
“This new lens consists of two elements: one refractive for vision correction far united to an element that is deformable, with haptic (endings on the periphery of the lens) that capture the forces of the ciliary muscle, responsible for changing the shape of the lens to focus,” explains Mark.
Susana Marcos – Foundation Ramon LLul
This achievement is a result of the project Presbyopia , funded by the ERC, and has received support at european and national level to assess and accelerate its arrival to the market
The design of the lens has been tested computationally , using finite-element models, and the prototype made has been evaluated experimentally mounted on a motorized system that emulates the radial force of the ciliary muscle. The geometric changes in the lens have been characterized by Optical Coherence Tomography (an imaging technique for sections not invasive), and the changes of power through a system of ray tracing for laser.
The lens reproduces the behavior of the lens, decreasing its thickness, increasing the equatorial diameter, and aplanandose to dislodge
According to Andres de la Hoz , a researcher at the Institute of Optics and lead author of the study: “the lens mimics the behavior of the lens, decreasing its thickness, increasing the equatorial diameter, and aplanandose to dislodge. The researcher adds that “although there have been previous proposals of lenses acomodativas, these have not shown a change of power effective, probably because of its design or does not respond to the natural mechanism of the lens of the eye, or because they depend on the size or integrity of the capsular bag”. “Our lens if you have achieved a change of power effective,” concludes De la Hoz.
This result is one of the fruits of increased scope of the project Presbyopia , whose principal investigator is Susana Marcos and is funded by the European Council Research (ERC). Also, this new lens acomodativa has received a project Proof of Concept, also at the ERC, to assess their transfer to the market; and has been awarded with a project HealthStart from Autonomous Community of Madrid (Fundacion Madrid+d) and with a prestigious Project CaixaImpulse.
