Ultrafast Laser Surface Structuring of Intraocular Lens Polymers

Ultrafast laser material processing is an attractive approach for surface structuring of medical polymers used for intraocular lenses. To achieve best results in terms of efficiency and quality, the wavelength and pulse energy dependence on the ablation behavior of such materials has to be studied. Ablation thresholds have been determined for a polymer with different dyes which is used for intraocular lens (IOL) manufacturing. Furthermore, the ablation efficiency, achievable precision and surface roughness have been quantified to optimize the parameters for an efficient intraocular lens manufacturing process by surface microstructuring.