Cataract surgery usually involves the replacement of the natural crystalline lens with a rigid or foldable intraocular lens to restore clear vision for the patient. While great efforts have been placed on optimising the shape and optical characteristics of IOLs, little is know about the mechanical properties of these devices and how they interact with the capsular bag once implanted. Mechanical properties measurements were performed on 8 of the most commonly implanted IOLs using a custom build micro tensometer. Measurement data will be presented for the stiffness of the haptic elements, the buckling resistance of foldable IOLs, the dynamic behaviour of the different lens materials and the axial compressibility. The biggest difference between the lens types was found between one-piece and 3-piece lenses with respect to the flexibility of the haptic elements

Date Published: 11 February 2008
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 6844, Ophthalmic Technologies XVIII, 68440O (11 February 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.787107

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6844:
Ophthalmic Technologies XVIII
Bruce E. Stuck; Fabrice Manns; Per G. Söderberg; Michael Belkin M.D.; Arthur Ho, Editor(s)