Intraocular lens with extended depth of focus

Abstract

An ophthalmic lens is disclosed, one embodiment comprising an optic having an anterior surface and a posterior surface disposed about an optical axis, wherein at least one of the surfaces has a profile characterized by superposition of a base profile and an auxiliary profile, the auxiliary profile comprising a continuous pattern of surface deviations from the base profile. The auxiliary profile is a sinusoidal profile and can be amplitude modulated, frequency modulated or both amplitude and frequency modulated. The ophthalmic lens can be an IOL.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 138,816 filed Dec. 18, 2008.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to ophthalmic lenses, and more particularly to ophthalmic lenses that provide an enhanced depth of focus.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Intraocular lenses are routinely implanted in patients' eyes during cataract surgery to replace the natural crystalline lens. A variety of ophthalmic lenses are employed for correcting visual disorders, such as, cataract, myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. For example, an intraocular lens (IOL) can be implanted in a patient's eye during cataract surgery to compensate for the lost optical power of the removed lens. In many cases, however, the implanted lens may not provide the best focus at the targeted object distance.[0004]The design of modern conventional IOL optics is mainly focused on two outcomes: an optic that provides aberration correction to provide clear distance ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention provides ophthalmic lenses that exhibit extended depth of field while providing sufficient contrast for resolution of an image over a selected range of defocus distances. Embodiments of the present invention incorporate sinusoidal optic designs in an IOL to provide an extended depth-of-focus in a human eye. Based on a classical sinusoidal technique, embodiments of the present invention incorporate amplitude modulation and frequency modulation techniques to provide enhanced depth of focus. One embodiment can provide for attenuation of the sinusoidal amplitude from pupil center to lens periphery, concentrating more light energy to a single focal plane. Another embodiment can provide for modulating the sinusoidal periodicity of the IOL optic to change the effective lens add-power as a function of pupil radius. An embodiment combining amplitude modulation and frequency modulation on a sinusoidal curve can further enhance the IOL through-focus performance and generate a desirable depth-of-focus profile free of certain photic phenomena experienced with conventional designs. Embodiments of the optic design of the present invention can be applied to single focus, multifocal and / or accommodative IOL optics.

Problems solved by technology

In many cases, however, the implanted lens may not provide the best focus at the targeted object distance.

These designs do not typically address another important patient need, namely: for most elderly patients, the majority of visual needs are focused around certain intermediate distances.

This extended functional vision is not sufficiently provided for by current IOL designs.

Images