Light adjustable lens

The light-adjustable lens (LAL) is similar to conventional implants ( intraocular lens , IOL), which are made of static plastic.

The light-adjustable lens is made of silicone that has been enriched with polymers that react to UV light. If the LAL is irradiated with UV light, the polymers change their structure. This means that the lens can be changed by up to two diopters plus or minus even after the operation.

In this respect, the light-adjustable lens can not only be used in patients with cataracts, but also in principle for nearsighted or farsighted people.

The light-adjustable lens was developed in 1999 by the American ophthalmologist Dr. Daniel Schwarz and the chemistry professor and later Nobel Prize winner for chemistry Robert Grubbs .

Individual evidence

^ Richard S. Hoffman, I. Howard Fine, Mark Packer (Eds.): Refractive Lens Surgery. Springer, Berlin et al. 2005, ISBN 3-540-22716-4 , pp. 161-171.
^ Daniel M. Schwartz, Christian A. Sandstedt, Shiao H. Chang, Julie A. Kornfield, Robert H. Grubbs: Light-adjustable lens: development of in vitro nomograms. In: Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society. Vol. 102, December 2004, pp. 67-74, PMC 1280088 (free full text).

[1] Richard S. Hoffman, I. Howard Fine, Mark Packer (Eds.): Refractive Lens Surgery. Springer, Berlin et al. 2005, ISBN 3-540-22716-4 , pp. 161-171.

[2] Daniel M. Schwartz, Christian A. Sandstedt, Shiao H. Chang, Julie A. Kornfield, Robert H. Grubbs: Light-adjustable lens: development of in vitro nomograms. In: Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society. Vol. 102, December 2004, pp. 67-74, PMC 1280088 (free full text).