Clinical Results Demonstrate PowerVision's New Intraocular Lens' Ability to Restore Accommodation

BELMONT, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 7, 2013) - New research presented at the International Society of Presbyopia 5^th Annual Conference demonstrates the ability of the FluidVision® foldable intraocular lens (IOL) to restore accommodation. The pilot clinical study results were presented by principal investigator, Dr. Frik J. Potgieter, FRCS, Founder and Director of the Optimed Eye and Laser Clinic in Pretoria, South Africa.

Accommodation is the eye's ability to adjust to see across a range of distances. The natural human lens does this by getting thinner or thicker. Various conditions of the eye, including cataracts and Presbyopia, result in the loss of accommodative ability. Conventional IOLs lack the ability to accommodate. The FluidVision accommodating IOL, which is made by PowerVision, Inc., utilizes natural forces within the eye to displace fluid in the lens through internal channels, changing its shape and increasing or decreasing the power of the lens.

The pilot study included 20 patients who were candidates for cataract surgery and underwent unilateral implantation of the FluidVision lens. Initial results showed excellent distance visual acuity, averaging better than 20/20 at six-month follow-up. Near visual acuity was also excellent at six months, approximately 20/30 when tested unilaterally, a level allowing patients to read without glasses. Near acuity is expected to improve further upon bilateral implantation, which is typical of cataract treatment. At six month follow-up, all patients showed at least 3 diopters of accommodation, as measured by the defocus method, with an average of 4.4 diopters. An accommodation range of 3 or more diopters should allow patients to see at all distance ranges without glasses.

"This lens has the potential to revolutionize cataract surgery. It is implanted into the capsular bag just like a typical IOL and restores accommodative function. My patients have the potential to see far objects clearly, read without glasses, and see well at intermediate distances. The surgeries on patients in this group were uncomplicated and there was a notable lack of inflammation or capsular response to the implant," said Dr. Potgieter.

The study was conducted at the Optimed Eye and Laser Clinic in Pretoria, South Africa, by Dr. Potgieter and his colleague, Dr. Paul Roux. Eight patients in the study have reached the six month follow-up point, twelve in total have reached at least the three month follow-up.

"We are extremely pleased with these results, as they convincingly demonstrate the potential of FluidVision to restore true accommodative function to millions of cataract patients," said Barry Cheskin, President & CEO and Co-Founder of PowerVision. "Our technology also has the potential to help the millions of patients suffering from Presbyopia, the age-related loss of near vision. With these results in hand, we plan to initiate a multi-center study in Germany and South Africa, which we expect will lead to CE Mark approval and lay the groundwork for further studies in the United States."

About PowerVision

PowerVision is a private company focused on developing the FluidVision lens, the first true accommodating intraocular lens, which has the potential to restore the vision of youth to millions of patients. Accommodation is the eye's ability to adjust to see across a range of distances. The FluidVision lens utilizes natural accommodating forces within the eye to displace fluid in the lens, thereby changing the lens shape and restoring the ability to focus at near and distant targets, as well as all points in between. At this time, PowerVision's products are for investigational use only and are not approved for commercial sale. For more information, visit: http://powervisionlens.com/.