The Artiflex PIOL is one of these lenses, developed for myopia correction. It has PMMA iris fixation haptics, like the Artisan lenses, but a foldable optic. It has the advantages of iris fixation, a safe and solid method for fixating an IOL to the iris as well as the advantages of foldable lenses, i.e. no large incision, no induced astigmatism and quick recovery. Artiflex has been on the market for fifteen years now and is still booming.
Artiflex Toric
Its offspring, the Artiflex Toric, is probably even more revolutionary. This lens came on the market in 2009, four years after the monofocal. Due to its anchoring to the iris, the strongest tissue in the eye, it is probably the only toric lens that does not rotate at all.
The Artiflex implantation spatula
The Artiflex implantation spatula enables the Artiflex lens to be placed in the eye. It is a unique instrument that was developed simultaneously with the lens. “Designing a lens is one thing, but designing the right tools for implantation is another”, says Ophtec’s research engineer Harry Simon. “These design processes run simultaneously. You work on the lens and in the meantime, you think about the implantation procedure. You have to because you cannot implant a lens without the right tools. In this case, we faced the unusual challenge of designing an implantation instrument for a lens with a flexible optic and PMMA haptics when there was none available.
I discussed my ideas several times with Prof. Jan Worst during that time. With his input, the design of the Artiflex Implantation Spatula, as we later called it, gradually took shape. When the lens was ready, we were able to test it and we found that the spatula worked perfectly. We never changed the initial design of the instrument. It was right from the start.
Main features and benefits of the Artiflex IOL:
- No rotation postop
- One size fits all
- Small incision of 3.2 mm
- Controlled folding and unfolding
- Reversible treatment
- Aspherical edge design
- Optimal clearance from vital tissues
- Large optical zone
Click here for more information on The Artiflex (P)IOL.
