ALBANY, N.Y., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Z Lens LLC announces a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant award to support development of its novel accommodating intraocular lens (IOL). This $150,000 Phase I grant enables Z Lens to measure the forces of accommodation in the eye using a proprietary technique to capture the movement the ciliary body exerts on the zonules.
Current IOLs are unable to capture the normal forces exerted on the capsular bag and do not provide much accommodation because once an IOL is inserted into the capsular bag, the bag collapses and becomes rigid thereby limiting movement. The Z Lens approach is to create a functional bond between zonules and the intraocular lens system bypassing the “elastic” role of the capsular bag and resulting in a completely novel Accommodative-Disaccommodative Intraocular Lens (AD-IOL) System. Our novel design captures those forces by using individual haptic components that adhere to the bag before the bag is cut to free the ZCH to move. The ZCH then mimics the normal accommodative action of the bag. This AD-IOL system is expected to be superior to other premium IOLs on the market and the optimal choice for cataract sufferers.
“We greatly appreciate the support of the NSF in our product development. Our novel approach to capturing accommodative forces has already shown promising results in our animal experiments. Our goal is to develop an AD-IOL that provides true accommodation and glasses-free living to patients after cataract surgery. This NSF grant will enable us to capture the data we need for product development,” said Dr. Paul Beer inventor and founder of Z Lens.
Z Lens LLC is a privately funded, emerging technology company that is developing a novel intraocular lens (IOL) that provides significant accommodation to replace a human lens following cataract surgery. The goal is an IOL that can restore adequate vision for glasses-free living. Successful proof of concept testing suggests the Z Lens approach is the next generational step forward from monofocal IOLs currently used for most cataract surgery. The market for a premium IOL that can truly restore accommodation is expected to grow significantly with the aging population.
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SOURCE Z Lens LLC
