The IOL implant market has experienced rapid development and ground-breaking advances in technology in the last 20 years. Toric and Multifocal implants continue to rise in popularity and manufacturers continue to improve their respective models’ accuracy in refractive outcomes.
At Surgical Direct, part of our Mobile Cataract Services is to provide easy access to wide varieties of IOL models to our clients, eliminating their need to carry additional consignments or special ordering of lenses. A partnership with Surgical Direct allows access for surgeons and hospitals to the latest technologies that otherwise may not be an option due to capital budget.
Today, we thought it would be interesting to highlight 3 IOL technologies that are on the horizon in this market. These technologies are still in development, beta, or clinical trials, and not available to use in the US market (disclaimer).
3 New IOL Related Technologies on the Horizon.
1) Postop Refractive Adjustment
PostOp Refractive Adjustment is a post-op laser treatment where the surgeon is able to alter the diopter size of an already implanted IOL using a femtosecond laser and an optical focusing system. The laser doesn’t change the thickness or shape of the IOL, however, it changes the hydrophilicity of the lens. So far it’s been tested on Acrylic lenses from all the major manufacturers and has had great accuracy in achieving the desired change in diopter. If this system is approved for public use in the future, it would dramatically change the game, eliminating the needs for explanting IOLs with miscalculated diopters. As the patient ages, there is potential for an annual adjustment of the IOL’s diopter for the best possible vision. Something to think about!
2) Small-aperture IOL
AcuFocus has now created a monofocal intraocular lens (IC-8) that uses the “pinhole effect” principle to alleviate distortion and expand depth-of-field in an IOL implant. The basic principle is similar to the KAMRA corneal inlay…which only allows central, focused light to reach the retina, removing the blur caused by peripheral defocused light. The results (in theory) would mean the highest quality of vision over the broadest continuous range of any premium IOL currently available. This essentially means that this technology could compete directly with the multifocal market, providing a high-quality dynamic range of focus in a monofocal lens. The lens has received FDA approval for clinical trials, so it will be interesting to see the coming results and whether this lens is brought to market.
3) The Omega Gemini Capsule
The Omega Gemini Capsule is essentially an artificial capsule that is implanted into the eye in order to create a stable environment to house other ophthalmic technologies such as IOL implants, medication delivery, and augmented reality technology. The Gemini Capsule props the capsule open, is 3 dimensional, and creates artificial “walls” within the capsules, enforcing the stability of the implantable space. Omega’s future hope is that Gemini will provide the ability to house implantable technology (in addition to IOLs) like augmented reality devices. This is very future-forward in thinking. This product too will be interesting to see if it reaches approval.
Surgical Direct is your partner in ophthalmic technology, and our goal is to make it as easy as possible for our surgeons and OR staff to gain access to today’s latest technology.
For more information about what we do provide, click below to learn about our Mobile Cataract Services.
