Intraocular lens implant
An intraocular lens implant particularly suitable for use by patients suffering from tunnel vision, the implant includes a sealed implant housing associated with mounting haptics and defining a forward end and a rearward end, at least one negative lens arranged adjacent the forward end and at least one positive lens arranged rearwardly of the at least one negative lens.
1 . An intraocular lens implant particularly suitable for use by patients suffering from tunnel vision, said implant comprising:
a sealed implant housing associated with mounting haptics and defining a forward end and a rearward end;
at least one negative lens arranged adjacent said forward end; and
at least one positive lens arranged rearwardly of said at least one negative lens.
2 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one positive lens forms a rearward window of said sealed implant housing.
3 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein at least one air gap is defined within said sealed implant housing.
4 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 3 and wherein said at least one air cap comprises:
a first air gap disposed between said at least one negative lens and said forward end of said sealed implant housing;
a second air gap disposed between said at least one negative lens and said at least one positive lens.
5 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one positive lens comprises first and second positive lenses which contact each other at a contact location.
6 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 5 and wherein at least one air gap is defined between portions of said first and second positive lenses surrounding said contact location.
7 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 5 and also comprising a resilient element disposed within said sealed implant housing in operative engagement with said first and second positive lenses, thereby to urge said first and second positive lenses into contact at said contact location.
8 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein said sealed housing comprises a glass housing which is sealed by glass laser welding.
9 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein surfaces of said at least one positive lens and of said at least one negative lens which lie within said sealed housing are coated with optical coatings.
10 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one negative lens and said at least one positive lens include at least one of refractive and diffractive optical elements.
11 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and being operative in association with at least one negative lens disposed outside an eye in which the implant is located.
12 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 1 and wherein said sealed implant housing comprises a generally annular element which is sealed to a window at said forward end.
13 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 12 and wherein said sealed implant housing includes first and second generally cylindrical portions sealed together in a nesting arrangement thereby defining a shoulder.
14 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 13 and wherein said at least one positive lens comprises first and second positive lenses which contact each other at a contact location.
15 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 14 and wherein at least one air gap is defined between portions of said first and second positive lenses surrounding said contact location.
16 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 14 and also comprising a resilient element disposed within said sealed implant housing in operative engagement with said first and second positive lenses, thereby to urge said first and second positive lenses into contact at said contact location.
17 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 14 and wherein said first positive lens is sealed to one of said first and second cylindrical portions at said rearward end to define a rearward window.
18 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 5 and wherein said first positive lens defines a rearward window of said sealed implant housing.
19 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 5 and wherein said at least one negative lens and said second positive lens define a doublet having an air gap therebetween.
20 . An intraocular lens implant according to claim 13 and wherein said at least one negative lens and said second positive lens define a doublet having an air gap therebetween and are fixed to each other.