A review of the development of a synthetic corneal onlay for refractive correction

A synthetic corneal onlay, or implantable contact lens, could obviate the n eed for spectacles or conventional contact lenses in patients who seek conv enient, reversible correction of refractive error. Several research groups have attempted to develop such a product in the past but much of the data f rom these studies remains unpublished due to commercial interests. This art icle reviews relevant papers and patents in the corneal implant field and d iscusses our efforts to develop a synthetic corneal onlay using a perfluoro polyether-based polymer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .