Comparative Spectrophotometer Analysis of Ultraviolet-light Filtering, Blue-light Filtering, and Violet-light Filtering Intraocular Lenses

PURPOSE: To compare the light transmittance property of seven currently used intraocular lens (IOL) models by spectrophotometer data. METHODS: Light transmission spectra of seven IOL models were assessed with a spectrophotometer. The transmittance properties were analyzed in 1 nm units from 350 nm wavelength to 800 nm. RESULTS: Three ultraviolet filtering IOL models (ZCB00, XC1-SP, and AT LISA 809M) showed nearly full transmittance of the light from 400 to 500 nm, while steeply attenuating light with shorter wavelengths in various degrees. Three blue-light filtering IOLs (yellow-tinted IOLs; XY1, SN60WF, and TNFT00) showed a slow-sloped increase of light transmission between 400 to 500nm. Among the three, XY1 showed different degree of inclination, showing a steeper slope than SN60WF and TNFT00. The violet-light filtering IOL (ZFR00V) showed a rapid increase of the transmission at around 435 nm wavelength, which is similar to ultraviolet filtering IOLs. CONCLUSIONS: The seven different IOLs measured showed different characteristics of light transmission depending on the properties of each material and color. Blue-light filtering IOLs tend to blocked a wide range of wavelength up to 500 nm, but rather were not effective at the range of 400 to 430 nm. Violet-light filtering IOL showed advantages in filtering the high-energy wavelength, around 430 nm, having a potential risk to retina and allowing the transmission of useful blue and green wavelength which is necessary for a better scotopic contrast sensitivity.