Collamer is a cutting edge lens material that is used exclusively in STAAR® Surgical Company corrective lenses, including several models of intraocular lenses (IOLs) and the myopic and toric implantable Collamer lens (ICL) models of the Visian ICL. (Please note that the toric implantable Collamer lens is not approved for use in the United States.)
Exclusive to STAAR Surgical Company, Collamer offers numerous advantages over other lens materials.
Collamer has a built-in Anti-Reflective interface due to the surface having a higher water concentration than the bulk of the lens. 40 percent of the lens is comprised of water. The higher water concentration on the surface allows for a gradual change in refractive index from the aqueous (fluid inside the eye) to the lens. In fact, the light patterns associated with Collamer lenses are nearly identical to those of the human crystalline lens. As a result, less light is reflected, leading to a potential decrease in dysphotopsias 1.
Collamer fosters compatibility of the lens in the eye by inhibiting the inflammatory response. Collagen in the Collamer material attracts fibronectin, a substance found naturally in the aqueous. A layer of fibronectin forms around the lens, inhibiting white cell adhesion to the lens. This coating prevents the lens from being identified as a foreign object, and the lens remains unnoticed and quiet in the eye indefinitely.
Collagen in the Collamer lens carries a slight negative ionic charge. Likewise, proteins in the aqueous also possess a negative charge. As these two negative forces coincide along the lens/aqueous interface, charge repulsion repels the proteins, preventing their adhesion on the lens surface.
The Collamer advantage makes the Visian ICL and the soon-to-be-approved toric implantable Collamer lens the smart choices for ICL eye surgery. For more information on the Visian myopic and toric implantable Collamer lens models, contact STAAR Surgical Company today.
1. Data on file at STAAR Surgical Company
For more information on the original Visian ICL and the toric implantable Collamer lens model, contact STAAR Surgical Company today.
When researching Visian ICL, you may encounter unfamiliar terminology related to this and other products and procedures. For your convenience, the Visian ICL Glossary defines many of the ophthalmic terms used throughout this website.