Is anyone else getting excited about this upcoming lens? I recently discovered it after doing some research on accommodating IOL technologies. Apparently LensGen (the company) is supposed to start the FDA approval process for the Juvene lens pretty soon (possibly early 2021). Apparently this lens has been in development for 10 years already and they’ve got some promising results from trials. The lens is interesting to me because it aims to provide +/- 3 diopters of accommodation (which covers a big range of vision) while at the same time not splitting any light rays (like a typical multifocal lens) which supposedly eliminates all halos & positive dysphotopsias. I read that they also anticipate this lens to never develop PCO or create much capsular fibrosis at all due to a special modular design which keeps the bag inflated like a normal eye (i.e. the bag doesn’t shrink wrap itself around the IOL). Basically the lens design is modular - they first implant a base lens (which holds the main lens) and then inject the main “fluid” lens (which has the ability to change shape & subsequently the focus). The lens changes shape by utilizing the natural ciliary muscles to contract the base lens (which alters the shape of the main lens inside it). Apparently this lens will also be easy to exchange too if necessary since the main “fluid” lens can be removed from the base apparatus pretty easily (I watched a video of doctors discussing it). I’m just curious if any of you have heard of this lens or are getting excited to see what happens with it. I need cataract surgery in my other eye pretty soon and might hold out for this lens.
I think it’s gonna take next 10 years from the beginning of clinical trials to safe commercial implantations. That’s why I’m not excited at all. Moreover, I think we just need simple monofocal collamer IOLs from 90’s with big optics which is not the case at the moment. The market is just spoiled.
From my understanding they’ve already been doing trials for years. In one of the videos I watched they mentioned the stability of outcomes after 5+ years of implantation. I also read that the typical FDA approval time for medical devices is about 3 to 7 years from initial concept of product (and in this case the initial concept was about 10 years ago). I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just another year or so before we see this lens but you never know. The FDA review itself supposedly only takes up to 8 months so maybe if they started in 03/2021 it could be approved by 11/2021
It seemed like the Light Adj. Lens was out a long time before it got FDA approval. And even after approved it takes time before it is available. But lets say it does get FDA approval, this lens is novel and many great lens ideas did not do so good over time. So their is risk in being a very early adapter. Only time will tell how this lens holds up over year of use across many different patients.