At the age of forty-five, people’s crystalline lenses lose their ability to accommodate or adjust. Moreover, as they age further, they develop cataracts, become opaque, and lead to blurry vision.
“The first intraocular lenses were intended to remove this opacity,”
says Marcos.
“Now, not only do they restore the transparency, but the appropriate lens selection allows to optimally project focus on the retina, so it’s also a refractive procedure. Furthermore, some lens designs also give functional vision at near distances, so that patients may not need glasses to compensate their refractive errors and presbyopia.”
Therefore, some patients opt for intraocular lens surgery before cataracts develop. This corrects their loss of eyesight. Moreover, the lenses have evolved and mimic natural human eyes. For instance, Macros says that both the cornea and crystalline lens are imperfect for balancing each other out. However, now, more advanced monofocal intraocular lenses have been made to balance the aberrations in the cornea.
“The advanced quantification of three-dimensional geometry using high resolution imaging techniques like anterior segment optical coherence tomography, and the creation of custom models based on eye powered by artificial intelligence have put us in a different paradigm of selecting the intraocular lenses,”
says Marcos.
These techniques can be tested by manufacturers for quicker designs.
She says these simulation techniques are a boon to manufacturers, who can test different iterations of designs more quickly. Further adding
“Many are advocating for the use of digital twin eyes, or simulations that are very accurate to help select the best lens to be implanted, but also for accurate predictions of optical outcomes, helping for example, to reduce the number of patients for a clinical trial,”
“If you can accelerate the clinical trial, making it less costly or requiring fewer patients, and if the regulatory bodies accept these simulations as part of the evidence gathering process, it will be very helpful in bringing new products to the market.”
