Hydrogel nanocomposites for intraocular lens applicatons
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to reversible hydrogel systems. Particularly, the hydrogel of the present invention is made up of copolymers that can be a hydrogel when in an oxidized state and can be a solution when in a reduced state. A solution of the copolymer can be oxidized to form a hydrogel; and the hydrogel can be reduced to form a solution of the copolymer. Reversible nanogels can also be formed from a dilute solution of the copolymers. The hydrogel is formed with nanoparticles embedded therein to form a nanocomposite whose refractive index and modulus can be controlled by varying the amounts of nanoparticles and the polymer concentration of the hydrogel, respectively.
1. An accommodating intraocular lens formed by in situ gelation of a hydrogel nanocomposite wherein said hydrogel nanocomposite comprises a hydrogel having nanoparticles dispersed therein and is formed from a reversible hydrogel, wherein said nanoparticles have diameters of less than 150 nm.
2. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of nanogel, protein, silica, gold, silver, TiO 2 , transition metals, ceramic, or combinations thereof.
3. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles do not disperse or scatter visible light.
4. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have diameters between 3-20 nm.
5. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel further comprises a copolymer, wherein said copolymer is a hydrogel when in an oxidized state, and is a solution when in a reduced state.
6. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 5 , wherein the copolymer is produced by polymerization of a monomer with a crosslinker or a polymer derivatized to contain reversible crosslinking.
7. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 6 , wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, N-ornithine acrylamide, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)acrylamide, hydroxy-ethylacrylate, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, polyethyleneglycol acrylates, polyethyleneglycol methacrylates, N-vinyl pyrolidone, N-phenylacrylamide, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide, acrylic acid, benzylmethacrylamide, and methylthioethylacrylamide.
8. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 6 , wherein the crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine, vinyl groups, ally groups, cinnamates, acrylates, diacrylates, oligoacrylates, methacrylates, dimethacrylates, oligomethoacrylates, methylenebisacrylamide, methylenebismethacrylamide, esters of unsaturated mono- or polycarboxylic acids with polyols, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, allyl compounds, vinyl compounds, stilbene derivatives, azo derivatives, cinnamoyl derivatives, and combinations thereof.
9. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 6 , wherein the crosslinker is a disulfide linker.
10. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel can be reduced to form a solution.
11. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel can be reduced by the addition of a reducing agent.
12. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the solution can be oxidized to reform the hydrogel.
13. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 3 , wherein the solution can be oxidized by atmospheric oxygen, or light and riboflavin.
14. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises a copolymer, wherein said copolymer forms a hydrogel when exposed to light at a first wavelength, and forms a solution when exposed to light at a second wavelength.
15. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index can be changed by changing the concentration of nanoparticles in the hydrogel.
16. The accommodating intraocular lens of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of nanogels, proteins, silica, gold, silver, transition metals, TiO 2 , ceramics, or combinations thereof.