Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SimVisTec (Validation of SimVis Technology)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2017-09-01 al 2018-12-31
THE PROBLEM: It is estimated that 1,782 billion will have presbyopia by 2050. Cataract is the leading cause for blindness in the world: it represents 51% or about 20 million people worldwide (2010). The surgical solution for cataracts and presbyopia is the replacement of the eye lens with an Intraocular Lens (IOL). The most used are Monofocal lOLs: they have a single focal point, to see well at a single distance. However, the patient has to wear glasses to correct his/her vision at an intermediate and near distance. The implantation of Multifocal IOLs results in much better visual performance and no need for glasses, although there are unwanted consequences: glare and haloes. Therefore, it is very important the surgeon or optometrist prescribes just the right IOL for the right patient. Specific visual needs have to be established prior to surgery, since not all patients will benefit from Multifocal IOLs. If they don’t the surgery has to be repeated or the patient will be unsatisfied with his visual performance.
THE SOLUTION: SimVis Gekko is a cutting-edge system that allows patients to look at the world through multifocal corrections before the implantation of an intraocular lens, refractive surgery or contact lens fitting. For health-care professionals, SimVis Gekko will change the current multifocal intraocular lenses prescription, providing a reliable system to identify the patients’ eligibility to undergo surgeries with these lenses and allowing the surgeon to take a personalised decision on the lens to be implanted based on the patient’s preference.
OBJECTIVES: The goal of the project is to validate experimentally the SimVis Technology in order to increase the added value of the device as a tool to identify the optimal IOL for each patient among the commercially available ones, and increase the satisfaction of the patients and their life quality after surgery.
THE SOLUTION: SimVis Gekko is a cutting-edge system that allows patients to look at the world through multifocal corrections before the implantation of an intraocular lens, refractive surgery or contact lens fitting. For health-care professionals, SimVis Gekko will change the current multifocal intraocular lenses prescription, providing a reliable system to identify the patients’ eligibility to undergo surgeries with these lenses and allowing the surgeon to take a personalised decision on the lens to be implanted based on the patient’s preference.
OBJECTIVES: The goal of the project is to validate experimentally the SimVis Technology in order to increase the added value of the device as a tool to identify the optimal IOL for each patient among the commercially available ones, and increase the satisfaction of the patients and their life quality after surgery.
"Simulations of multifocal correction in SimVis technology are based on temporal multiplexing technique using a optoadjustable lens. These kind of lenses change their optical power when a certain voltage is applied. Multifocal corrections can then be simulated by a rapid change in the optical power of the lens, which covers all the values of optical power of the multifocal design faster than the fusion frequency of the eye, staying longer or shorter in each of them depending on the relevance of each optical power in the lens design. However, due to the dynamic properties of the lens (response time, inertia...) a sophisticated control of the electric signal sent to the lens is necessary if a highly accurate simulation is desired.
In the first phase of these project, several commercial multifocal lenses were selected and an algorithm was developed to obtain the temporal coefficients that allows simulating the same multifocal lens using our SimVis technology.
Then, the dynamic response of a set of optoadjustable lenses were characterized by calculating their impulse response using a ghigh-speed focimeter. An algorithm was developed to generate the electric signal that optimizes the optical response of the lens to replicate the one of the commercial multifocal lens.
The output optical performance was finally validated using a high-speed focimeter and comparing it with the commercial lens specifications.
The full process has been validated in generic lenses and in commercial lenses and has been published in two peer review papers:
- ""Akondi, V., Sawides, L., Marrakchi, Y., Gambra, E., Marcos, S., & Dorronsoro, C. (2018). Experimental validations of a tunable-lens-based visual demonstrator of multifocal corrections. Biomedical Optics Express, 9(12), 6302-6317.""
- ""Dorronsoro, C., Barcala, X., Gambra, E., Akondi, V., Sawides, L., Marrakchi, Y., ... & Marcos, S. (2019). Tunable lenses: dynamic characterization and fine-tuned control for high-speed applications. Optics express, 27(3), 2085-2100."""
In the first phase of these project, several commercial multifocal lenses were selected and an algorithm was developed to obtain the temporal coefficients that allows simulating the same multifocal lens using our SimVis technology.
Then, the dynamic response of a set of optoadjustable lenses were characterized by calculating their impulse response using a ghigh-speed focimeter. An algorithm was developed to generate the electric signal that optimizes the optical response of the lens to replicate the one of the commercial multifocal lens.
The output optical performance was finally validated using a high-speed focimeter and comparing it with the commercial lens specifications.
The full process has been validated in generic lenses and in commercial lenses and has been published in two peer review papers:
- ""Akondi, V., Sawides, L., Marrakchi, Y., Gambra, E., Marcos, S., & Dorronsoro, C. (2018). Experimental validations of a tunable-lens-based visual demonstrator of multifocal corrections. Biomedical Optics Express, 9(12), 6302-6317.""
- ""Dorronsoro, C., Barcala, X., Gambra, E., Akondi, V., Sawides, L., Marrakchi, Y., ... & Marcos, S. (2019). Tunable lenses: dynamic characterization and fine-tuned control for high-speed applications. Optics express, 27(3), 2085-2100."""
With this validations, SimVis Gekko becomes the first binocular, see-through visual simulator that allows to experience multifocality prior to IOL surgery with a commercial correction.
Once the product reaches the market, it will allow clinicians to take a personalised decision on the multifocal lens to be implanted based on the patient’s preference. This will allow to screen in more patients that are potentially good candidates for multifocality, and screen out patients that will not tolerate this kind of corrections. Both groups of patients will benefit from having a final visual outcome that better matches their preferences, increasing their quality of life.
Once the product reaches the market, it will allow clinicians to take a personalised decision on the multifocal lens to be implanted based on the patient’s preference. This will allow to screen in more patients that are potentially good candidates for multifocality, and screen out patients that will not tolerate this kind of corrections. Both groups of patients will benefit from having a final visual outcome that better matches their preferences, increasing their quality of life.