| abstract |
The new intraocular lens of the present invention is a one-piece composite lens having a soft, foldable central optic region and a hard, non-foldable outer peripheral region making up the haptics or legs of the intraocular lens. The soft, central optic portion of the lens is typically manufactured from a material capable of being folded so that the intraocular lens can be inserted through a small incision on the order of 3 to 4 mm. The hard haptic portion of the lens provides support for the lens in the eye after insertion and unfolding of the lens. The relatively rigid plastic lends support to the entire lens structure after its insertion into the posterior chamber of the eye, and tends to help stabilize the position of the lens after insertion and the closure of the incision. A preferred material of the soft optical region being a poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or pHEMA or a copolymer thereof such as HEMA and 6-hydroxyhexyl methacrylate (HOHEXMA) or p(HEMA-co-HOHEXMA). The preferred material of the hard haptic region being made from a relatively hard plastic, such as (polymethyl methacrylate) or PMMA, or a copolymer thereof. |