Glossary of Terms

• Accommodation— is the ability of the natural crystalline lens to adjust, and with the natural contractions of the muscle in the eye, to focus on objects through a range of near, intermediate, and far distances.

• Accommodating lens— as with the natural lens, an accommodating lens moves and flexes, in response to ciliary muscle contractions in the eye. These contractions drive forward movements of the lens so the eye can maintain a clear image as it focuses on near, intermediate and far objects. Crystalens is the first and only accommodating lens approved by the FDA.

• Cataracts— an irreversible progressive condition that diminishes vision quality due to a "clouding or hardening” of the natural crystalline lens in your eye that usually gets worse over time.

• Ciliary muscle— the muscle that controls the shape and position of your lens, allowing it to focus on near, distant, and intermediate objects.

• Crystalline lens— the natural lens in the eye that helps to focus light on the retina.

• Cornea— the clear portion of the eye that covers the front of the eye including the pupil and iris.

• Intraocular lens (IOL)— intraocular lenses, or IOLs, are implantable devices that replace the natural lens in the human eye, typically after the natural lens has developed a cataract.

• Iris— the central, colored portion of the eye.

• Multifocal IOL— an artificial lens that replaces a natural lens, typically after the lens has developed a cataract. This is a presbyopia correcting IOL that does not accommodate, but instead utilizes multiple visual zones that send split images of light to the brain. This type of IOL can often cause visual disturbances.

• Presbyopia— a loss of accommodation or ability to focus on near and intermediate objects due to the hardening of your natural lens. This condition usually affects patients in their forties and requires glasses for seeing near objects.

• Pupil— the circular black central portion of the eye that regulates how much light enters the eye. The pupil adjusts based on lighting conditions.

• Retina— the receptor located in the back of the eye that sends image messages to the brain.

• Standard Monofocal IOL— an intraocular lens that replaces a natural lens, typically after the lens has developed a cataract. This IOL allows for only one focal point, usually at distance, leaving the patient dependent on glasses for near and intermediate activities.