A Lens Designed to Fit True Sclera Shape
By Amy Hellem
In the past, most researchers and clinicians assumed that, like the cornea, the sclera features a curved shape. But, as they looked more closely at maps and molds of the eye, they discovered that, from the peripheral cornea onward, the sclera often continues in a straight line, meaning it's tangential. Research data also suggests that toricity is more pronounced in the scleral area than in the limbal area, irrespective of the toricity of the cornea.
Recognizing that sclera shape has a tremendous impact on lens design, SynergEyes partnered with NKL (a Menicon subsidiary) and Visser Contact Lens Practices in the Netherlands to bring a bi-tangential scleral lens to the United States.
The SynergEyes VS™ lens is an innovative scleral lens with a distinctive toric periphery that may be precisely controlled in both the flat and steep meridians. This fully vaulting scleral lens takes into account the curvature of the cornea, limbus and sclera. The unique linear scleral landing zones follow the linear (rather than curved) shape of the sclera. This article includes an overview of the new SynergEyes VS scleral lens. It covers:
- Design Origins: The Impact of Sclera Shape on Lens Design
- Lens Properties: Design Elements of SynergEyes VS lens
- The History of Scleral Shape and Contact Lenses
