Intraocular lens with accommodation

1. An intraocular lens assembly, which in an at rest state prior to insertion in an eye, comprises:

a lens extending along an optical axis between an anterior optical surface and a posterior optical surface and having a circumferential edge disposed about said optical axis at a junction of said anterior and posterior optical surfaces;

N haptics, each of said haptics extending continuously between an associated portion of said circumferential edge and a respective distal most portion of each haptic;

one footplate coupled to the distal most portion of each haptic that is configured to contact ciliary muscle of the eye or an outer perimeter of a capsular bag of the eye; and

two orientation tabs extending at diametrically opposed locations from said circumferential edge, the orientation tabs arranged such that a first relative orientation of the two orientation tabs, when viewed in plan view, indicates a vaulted-forward position of the lens and a second relative orientation different from the first orientation of the two orientation tabs indicates a vaulted-reverse position of the lens;

wherein each haptic is centered about a single associated haptic axis such that each haptic is symmetric about each said single associated haptic axis, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, wherein each of said haptics has a convex, curved peripheral edge and extends between end portions at opposite ends thereof, said end portions being joined to said lens at said circumferential edge, wherein said haptics are angularly displaced with respect to said optical axis in a direction away from said anterior optical surface by an angle A in the approximate range of 4-7 degrees from a plane transverse to said optical axis.

2. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each haptic forms a loop.

3. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , having a first pair of haptics extending from opposite portions of said circumferential edge along an associated first pair of haptic axes, and having a second pair of haptics extending from opposite portions of said circumferential edge along an associated second pair of haptic axes, wherein said first pair of haptic axes and said optic axis are coplanar in a first haptic plane wherein said second pair of haptic axes and said optic axis are coplanar in a second haptic plane.

4. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said first haptic plane is perpendicular to said second haptic plane.

5. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the two orientation tabs are located between the first pair of haptic axes and the second pair of haptic axes.

6. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , where each footplate is lenticular-shaped.

7. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of said haptic axes is coplanar with said optic axis in an associated haptic plane.

8. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , where N is an odd number.

9. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 8 , where N=3.

10. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 8 , where N=5.

11. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , where N is even.

12. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 11 , where N=2.

13. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 11 , where N=4.

14. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lens is either a monofocal or multifocal lens.

15. An intraocular lens assembly which, in an at rest state prior to insertion in an eye, comprises:

a lens extending along a single optical axis between an anterior optical surface and a posterior optical surface;

a circumferential edge disposed about said optical axis at a junction of said anterior and posterior optical surfaces;

two or more haptics, evenly distributed about the optical axis and spaced along said circumferential edge;

one footplate coupled to the distal most portion of each haptic; and

two orientation tabs extending at diametrically opposed locations from said circumferential edge, the orientation tabs arranged such that a first relative orientation of the two orientation tabs, when viewed in plan view, indicates a vaulted-forward position of the lens and a second relative orientation different from the first orientation of the two orientation tabs indicates a vaulted-reverse position of the lens;

wherein each of said haptics extends outward from the circumferential edge forming a loop or paddle having a convex, curved peripheral edge, and angularly displaced with respect to said optical axis in a direction away from said anterior optical surface by an angle A from a plane transverse to said optical axis, wherein each of said haptics is centered about a single associated haptic axis such that each haptic is symmetric about each said single associated haptic axis and each of said haptics extends continuously between the circumferential edge and a respective distal most portion of each haptic, wherein the footplate coupled to the distal most portion of each haptic is configured to contact ciliary muscle of the eye or an outer perimeter of a capsular bag of the eye.

16. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 15 , having a first pair of haptics extending from opposite portions of said circumferential edge along an associated first pair of haptic axes, and having a second pair of haptics extending from opposite portions of said circumferential edge along an associated second pair of haptic axes, wherein said first pair of haptic axes and said optic axis are coplanar in a first haptic plane wherein said second pair of haptic axes and said optic axis are coplanar in a second haptic plane.

17. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 16 , wherein said first haptic plane is perpendicular to said second haptic plane.

18. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 15 , wherein each haptic forms a loop.

19. An intraocular lens assembly according to claim 15 , wherein each haptic forms a paddle.