Advancements in Intraocular Lenses Design and Manufecturing: Evaluating Optical Clarity and Performance Standards

Abstract

Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world. It is manifests as clouding of the crystalline lens, which occurs as a result of the disruption of biochemical processes during aging. The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgical intervention. Although it is a routine operation, complications are possible. During surgery, the crystalline lens can be damaged, and it can be replaced with an implant, an intraocular lens (IOL). The main role of the IOL is to establish optical focus. An ideal intraocular lens provides the patient with good vision for a long period of time. Today, IOLs generally contain a chromophore that blocks UV light to prevent retinal damage and damage from increased oxidative stress. We designed our lens in SolidWorks® Premium 2022 SP0.0 CAD software. It is designed as a one-piece, biconcave lens, with two components: optics and haptics. In the software Chitubox V1.7.0, the preparation for printing the mold was done. The mold was printed on a Creality LD-006 3D printer, using the mask stereolithography (mSLA) technique. Photopolymer in the form of resin used for printing is Creality resin LCD Dental Cast. We used polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to make the IOL. PDMS has good optical properties because it shows high resistance to exposure to sunlight, it is stable and biocompatible, which gives it the possibility of application in biomedicine. The pre-polymer and the cross-linking agent were mixed, after which it was poured into the mold. The cast lens was left in the oven, at an elevated temperature, to harden. Optical transmittance intensity was determined using Multiskan SkyHigh UV/VIS. Absorbance was measured at a certain wavelength. Our lens showed low optical transmittance for UV light. In the visible spectrum, the lens showed a significant increase in transmission, while there were no changes at wavelengths above the visible spectrum.