Figure 1. Sample types of Intraocular lenses (Source)
Brief: The intraocular lens is generally used to treat cataracts and myopia. The purpose is to replace the damaged or cloudy natural lense with a fully functional light focusing artificial lens. In 1946, Dr. Harold Ridley was in the process of removing a cataract from a patient when a medical student questioned him that he removed the cataract so why didn't he put anything else as a replacement. This question got him thinking. Because he worked with casualties of war with RAF he noticed that often fragments of the plane windshields would become lodged in pilots' eyes. However, the body did not reject the plastic known as polymethyl methacrylate. It was from that point did he start working on designing an implantable PMMA lens that could replace the cataract.
Figure 2. Real Scale Intraocular Lens (Source)
In 1949 Ridley was sucessful in inventing and implanting an intraocular lens. It wasn't until much later in the 1970's that the procedure became accepted in normal society. The breakthrough came by Dr. Binkhorst, Dr. Worst, and Dr. Shearing in which instead of completely removing the cataract, they would leave the capsule and implanted their lenses into the already natural holding place. The next advancement would come with lenses that would allow the recipient to see both near and far with the same lens. Currently, implantation of an intraocular lens is one of the safest procedures anyone can do with a 98% success rate.
Use: The intraocular implant requires no active use from the patient rather once it is implanted it remains in the eye indefinitely until maintenance and replacement is required.
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