Types of artificial lenses
An artificial lens is an intraocular lens that is designed to replace the natural lens via a cataract surgery.
The eye’s natural lens is a transparent, elastic and consistent biconvex structure behind the pupil that focuses light on the retina. As you age, the lens has its elasticity and transparency decreased, becoming yellow, and cloudy. This phenomenon is known as a cataract. The cataract causes vision to gradually worsen and become blurrier, then possibly resulting in blindness if left untreated. A cataract surgery is the single option to remove the cataract and restore your vision.
Different Visual Fields
Based on actual activities, the immediate distance is divided into 3 visual fields:
Close visual field (30-50cm)
Including activities such as reading, using phones and tablets, etc.
Intermediate visual field (50-100cm)
Including working with computers, cooking, looking at items on supermarket shelves, etc.
Distant visual field (over 100cm)
Including watching TV, driving or playing sports, etc.
Classification of Artificial Lenses
Depending on the eye characteristics and the vision demands, you can choose from two types of lens as follows:
Monofocal lenses
The monofocal lenses are designed to provide good distant or near vision. Depending on the vision demand, you can choose an appropriate monofocal lens for your preferred visual field. And you will need to wear glasses for the other visual fields.
Multifocal lenses
The multifocal lenses are designed to provide good visions for all visual fields without the necessity for glasses.
They are possibly not suitable in the following cases:
- Those with weak or broken suspensory ligament, distorted pupils (difficult to attach the artificial lens center).
- Those having retinal diseases such as retinal detachment, corneal hemorrhage, vitreous hemorrhage, glaucoma.
- Those often driving at night
Brief Introduction of Certain Types of Artificial Lenses
Monofocal lens
Lucidis (SAViol – Switzerland): The latest lens delivering a good visual quality even in low light environment.
IQ – (Alcon – USA): Prevent harmful blue light rays to the retina, reduce the aberrations.
HOYA (Hoya – Japan): Designed for conveniently placing in the patient’s eyes.
ASPHINA – (Carlzeiss – Germany): Reduces the feeling of flare when looking at a strong light source.
Multifocal lens
Info (SAViol – Switzerland): The latest lens adopts depth-of-visual-field technology to deliver a good visual quality even in low light, clear visibility at any distance.
Finevision (PhySIOL – Belgium): Reducing glare, physiologically suitable, good vision at any distance, good visual quality.
Lentis (Oculentis – The Netherlands): A special lens designed for complicated cases. It is customized for each patient’s eye, helps handling cataracts combined with difficult refractive errors.
AT LISA (Carl Zeiss – Germany): adding 2 more focal points for near and distant visual fields, delivering clear images at all distances.