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  • FluidVision IOL shows promise for restoring accommodation

    PowerVision
    Cataract/Anterior Segment
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    A study presented at the International Society of Presbyopia shows the FluidVision foldable IOL can restore up to 3 D of accommodation.

    The IOL uses natural forces within the eye to displace fluid in the lens through internal channels, changing its shape and increasing or decreasing the power of the lens.

    "This lens has the potential to revolutionize cataract surgery,” said Dr. Frik J. Potgieter, FRCS, founder and director of the Optimed Eye and Laser Clinic in Pretoria, South Africa, where the research was conducted. “It is implanted into the capsular bag just like a typical IOL and restores accommodative function. My patients have the potential to see far objects clearly, read without glasses, and see well at intermediate distances. The surgeries on patients in this group were uncomplicated and there was a notable lack of inflammation or capsular response to the implant.”

    The pilot study included 20 cataract patients who underwent unilateral implantation of the FluidVision lens. Initial results show distance visual acuity averaging better than 20/20 at the six-month follow-up. Near visual acuity was approximately 20/30 when tested unilaterally, a level allowing patients to read without glasses. Near acuity is expected to improve further upon bilateral implantation.

    All eight patients who reached the six-month follow-up showed at least 3 D of accommodation, as measured by the defocus method. The researchers say this range should allow patients to see at all distance ranges without glasses.

    "We are extremely pleased with these results, as they convincingly demonstrate the potential of FluidVision to restore true accommodative function to millions of cataract patients," said Barry Cheskin, president, CEO and co-founder of PowerVision, which manufactures the IOL. "With these results in hand, we plan to initiate a multicenter study in Germany and South Africa, which we expect will lead to CE mark approval and lay the groundwork for further studies in the United States."