Bipartite intraocular lens

Claim 2

Bipartite intraocular lens, insertable in temporarily contracted condition through a minimum size incision into the eye for implantation therein, which comprises an oblong lens body coactively mounted in a ring shaped, partially contractible, differential thickness, unitary tension frame, the lens body having an outer edge defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, and position fixation means having a neck portion fixedly connected to said edge and a cantilever portion extending outwardly from said neck portion for seating the lens in the eye, the frame including a relatively thick tension band having an inner edge and an outer edge and correspondingly defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, the inner edge forming an oblong aperture complemental to and receiving the lens body therein under tension, and the band further having constrictive channel means extending generally from the inner edge to the outer edge thereof and locally embracively retaining the adjacent neck portion of the position fixation means coactively therein, and the frame further including two opposed, relatively thin, temporarily contractible, oblong planar wings, defining light-masking means and extending outwardly from the outer edge of the band along the two longer sides thereof, and sized and shaped to provide the frame with a generally circular composite outer edge, the wings being temporarily contractible toward the lens body for insertion of the lens through a minimum size incision into the eye.

Claim 3

Lens of claim 1 wherein the band is slightly resiliently stretchable and the wings are resiliently locally flexible.

Claim 4

Lens of claim 1 wherein the channel means are in the form of a through bore.

Claim 5

Lens of claim 1 wherein the position fixation means are in the form of two opposed haptics, each having a neck portion and a cantilever portion, with the neck portions integrally connected correspondingly to the two shorter sides of the lens body, and the channel means are in the form of two correspondingly opposed through bores locally embracively retaining the adjacent neck portions of the haptics therein.

Claim 6

Lens of claim 4 wherein the haptic neck portions and band through bores are of complemental size and cross sectional shape, and the neck portions are in substantially coextensive abutting contact with the adjacent surfaces of the through bores.

Claim 7

Lens of claim 1 wherein the lens body outer edge and band inner edge are provided with coacting seating formations for retaining the lens body in the aperture.

Claim 8

Lens of claim 6 wherein the formations include a groove in said band inner edge and a groove engaging peripheral portion at said lens body outer edge.

Claim 9

Lens of claim 1 wherein the wing light-masking means comprise optically opaque means.

Claim 10

Lens of claim 1 wherein the wing light-masking means comprise optically translucent means.

Claim 11

Lens of claim 1 wherein the lens body has a maximum dimension in the oblong width direction thereof of about 3 mm, and the frame has a maximum annular dimension in the oblong width direction thereof of about 2 mm.

Claim 12

Lens of claim 10 wherein the band has a thickness of about 1.5-2 mm, the channel means and adjacent neck portion of the position fixation means have complemental diameters of about 0.2 mm, and the wings have a thickness of about 0.25-0.5 mm.

Claim 13

Lens of claim 11 wherein the band has an annular dimension extending from its inner edge to its outer edge of about 0.25 mm and the wings have a maximum dimension in the oblong width direction of about 1.75 mm.

Claim 14

Lens of claim 1 wherein the lens body is made of shape retaining plastic and the frame is made of resiliently locally flexible and slightly resiliently stretchable plastic, the wings being integrally connected to the band.

Claim 15

Lens of claim 1 wherein the lens body has a generally rectangular shape and the wings each have the shape of a segment of a circle whose chord is defined by a corresponding longer side of the band.

Claim 16

Lens of claim 1 wherein the lens body has a generally elliptical shape and the wings each have the shape of a convexo-concave crescent with a convex side defined by a portion of the circular outer edge of the frame and a concave side defined by a corresponding longer side of the band.

Claim 17

Bipartite intraocular lens, insertable in temporarily contracted condition through a minimum size incision into the eye for implantation therein, which comprises an oblong lens body coactively mounted in a ring shaped, partially contractible, differential thickness, unitary tension frame, the lens body having an outer edge defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, and two opposed haptics each having a neck portion integrally connected to said edge, correspondingly at the two shorter sides of the lens body, and a cantilever portion extending outwardly from said neck portion for seating the lens in the eye, the frame being in the form of a continuous and uninterrupted ring shaped unitary member including a relatively thick endless, slightly resiliently stretchable, tension band having an inner edge and an outer edge and correspondingly defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, the inner edge forming an oblong aperture complemental to and receiving the lens body therein under tension, and the band further having two opposed constrictive through bores extending from the inner edge to the outer edge thereof, correspondingly at the two shorter sides of the band, the neck portions of the haptics and through bores of the band being of complemental size and cross sectional shape, and the through bores locally embracively retaining the adjacent haptic neck portions coactively therein such that the neck portions are in substantially coextensive abutting contact with the adjacent surfaces of the through bores, the frame thereby fixedly mounting the lens body as a separate element therein so as to provide the bipartite intraocular lens, and the frame further including two opposed, relatively thin, resiliently locally flexible, temporarily contractible, oblong planar wings, defining masking means integrally connected to and extending outwardly from the outer edge of the band along the two longer sides thereof, and sized and shaped to provide the frame with a generally circular composite edge, the wings being temporarily contractible toward the lens body for insertion of the lens through a minimum size incision into the eye.

Claim 18

Bipartite intraocular lens, insertable in temporarily contracted condition through a minimum size incision into the eye for implantation therein, which comprises an oblong lens body coactively mounted in a ring shaped, partially contractible, differential thickness, unitary tension frame, the lens body having an outer edge defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, and two opposed haptics each having a neck portion integrally connected to said edge, correspondingly at the two shorter sides of the lens body, and a cantilever portion extending outwardly from said neck portion for seating the lens in the eye, the frame being in the form of a continuous and uninterrupted ring shaped unitary member including a relatively thick endless, slightly resiliently stretchable, tension band having an inner edge and an outer edge and correspondingly defining two opposed longer sides and two opposed shorter sides, the inner edge forming an oblong aperture complemental to and receiving the lens body therein under tension, and the band further having two opposed constrictive through bores extending from the inner edge to the outer edge thereof, correspondingly at the two shorter sides of the band, the neck portions of the haptics and through bores of the band being of complemental size and cross sectional shape, and the through bores locally embracively retaining the adjacent haptic neck portions coactively therein such that the neck portions are in substantially coextensive abutting contact with the adjacent surfaces of the through bores, the frame thereby fixedly mounting the lens body as a separate element therein so as to provide the bipartite intraocular lens, and the frame further including two opposed, relatively thin, resiliently locally flexible, temporarily contractible, oblong planar wings, defining masking means integrally connected to and extending outwardly from the outer edge of the band along the two longer sides thereof, and sized and shaped to provide the frame with a generally circular composite edge, the wings being temporarily contractible toward the lens body for insertion of the lens through a minimum size incision into the eye.

Claim 19

Lens of claim 16 wherein the band inner edge is provided with a groove and the lens body outer edge is provided with a groove engaging peripheral portion for seating the lens body in the band groove for retaining the lens body in the aperture.