SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY & TECHNIQUE

IOL injection device improved to combat damage, particulates

The easy-loading system’s design compensates for common problems of haptic damage, particulates.

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

In May, Aaren Scientific received FDA approval for its Aero Injection System. The Aero was designed for use with Aaren’s EC-3 and EC-3 PAL aspheric three-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOLs. “It’s an excellent choice for a three-piece lens with easy loading and good centration,” says Kerry Assil, MD, of The Assil Eye Institute in Los Angels.

Dr. Assil says Aaren Scientific presented him with the lens, hoping for some feedback. (Dr. Assil notes he is not a consultant for Aaren Scientific). His test run reveled a system that he says is easier to load than existing IOL injection systems and features a design that makes it “nearly impossible to damage the haptics.” He adds, “The lens can be inserted through a smaller incision than other threepiece IOLs.”

The system is comprised of two parts. The first, the R28 model IOL delivery injector, is a reusable titanium screw-style surgical instrument designed to facilitate IOL placement into the posterior chamber following cataract removal. The other is the Aero-Z Cartridge, a single-use polypropylene sterile product that folds and compresses the IOL so it can effectively be delivered using the R28 Injector.

NO LENS DAMAGE

“I’ve used a wide array of injection systems,” Dr. Assil says. “Amongst three-piece lenses, our technicians have observed, these lenses are the easiest to load.” The cartridge design makes it easy to properly align the IOL during loading, he adds. The cartridge then snaps shut, maintaining the lens in its properly loaded configuration.

The warning labels of many three-piece injection systems advise caution that the haptic could become caught within wings of the system, causing damage or even amputation of the haptic during implantation. The Aero Injection System accounts for this common flaw. “The plunger engages only the lens optic and not the haptic itself,” Dr. Assil says. The design of the Aero Injection System makes damage to the IOL during implantation “virtually impossible,” according to Dr. Assil.

The cartridge further allows for implantation through an incision less than 3 mm. The fine threading mechanism of the injector enables smooth delivery into the eye. Once the lens optic is partially inserted, a 90° hand rotation ensures the lens enters parallel to the capsular equator plane.

SURFACE PARTICULATES

With regard to particulate deposits on the IOL surface, one study showed they can mimic scratches or cracks in the IOL. This problem can present even on IOLs with no physical damage and can be a result of cartridge design, according the same study.¹ Using the Aaren system, Dr. Assail says, IOLs do not gather particulates. Post-implantation, the lens optic “also appears to be free from subsequent glistening,” he says, crediting the hydrophobic acrylic material and manufacturing process. OM

REFERENCE

1. Klienmann G, Marcovich AL, Apple DJ, et al. Linear deposits on the surfaces of intraocular lenses implanted through a hexagonal cartridge which mimic scratches/cracks on the lenses. BJO. 2005;89:1474-1477.