Open-capsule intraocular lens to prevent posterior capsule opacification.

PURPOSE

To develop a single-piece open-capsule intraocular lens (IOL) that can be inserted through a small incision and that prevents posterior capsule opacification (PCO) by expanding the capsule and circulating aqueous humor into the capsular bag.

SETTING

Department of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

DESIGN

Experimental study.

METHOD

Using the same hydrophobic acrylic material as the NY-60 IOL, a prototype open-capsule IOL was constructed. The IOL has a single optic and 2 haptics, with a 2.8 mm high spacer and holes through which aqueous humor circulates into the capsular bag by separating the anterior capsule from the posterior capsule and expanding the capsule. The open-capsule IOL or NY-60 (as a control group) was inserted in rabbit eyes. Posterior capsule opacification development was evaluated by measuring the thickness of the cell layer at the center of the posterior capsule on histopathologic specimens and statistically comparing the thickness between the open-capsule IOL group and control group.

RESULTS

The open-capsule IOL could be inserted through a 3.2 mm corneal incision using a D cartridge. The mean thickness of the cell layer at the center of the posterior capsule was 4.78 μm ± 2.61 (SD) in the open-capsule IOL group and 101.14 ± 25.19 μm in the control group and was significantly smaller in the open-capsule IOL group.

CONCLUSION

The prototype single-piece IOL could be implanted through a small incision and prevented PCO by expanding the lens capsule and circulating aqueous humor into the capsular bag.