Polymers for in vivo tuning of refractive properties in intraocular lenses.

High-refractive-index polymers for intraocular lenses are presented whose refractive index can be tuned post-operatively in a non-invasive manner to enable focal length and aspheric corrections in vivo. The polymer materials contain covalently attached photochemically crosslinkable coumarin side groups, to cause a change in refractive index of Deltan > 0.02, which enables one to tune the focal length of a standard IOL by two diopters. This is enough to ensure that more than 80% of all cataract patients can be adjusted non-invasively to optimal vision after cataract surgery, thus providing a remedy to a major shortcoming of today's cataract surgery.