Z Optics Inc. announced in a press release that 6-month clinical results for the Z+ Virtual Aperture intraocular lens (IOL) were presented at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS). The presentation, "Safety and Effectiveness of a Total Depth-of-Focus Intraocular Lens With a Virtual Aperture Optic," was delivered by Dr. Francisco Sánchez León of Novavision Laser Center in Naucalpan, Mexico, the lead investigator of the study.

The single-center study enrolled 43 patients (86 eyes) who received the Z+ IOL in both eyes, including 38 eyes implanted with the latest, third-generation design. Six months after surgery, 100% of eyes with the third-generation lens achieved uncorrected distance vision of 20/32 or better in daylight conditions, with a mean of 20/24, and 92% achieved uncorrected near vision of 20/32 or better, with a mean of 20/26. Vision was barely reduced in low light: Under mesopic conditions, mean uncorrected acuity was 20/25 at distance and 20/28 at near, according to the study. 

In addition, all eyes reached best corrected distance vision of 20/25 or better, and 79% of eyes read 20/40 or better at intermediate distance on a 10% low-contrast chart. With both eyes open and no glasses, patients averaged 20/23 at distance and 20/25 at near.

No serious adverse events were reported through 6 months. Every patient in the study was free of halos, and 79% reported no glare, with 18% reporting mild and 3% moderate glare. Corneal endothelial cell density averaged 2,475 cells per square millimeter, indicating well-maintained corneal health, the study showed. 

According to Z Optics, the Z+ IOL is built on a monofocal platform. A 2.8 mm central optic is surrounded by a geometric virtual aperture zone that reshapes light rather than splitting it between focal points, as multifocal lenses do. Out-of-focus light is redirected away from the central retina, which raises contrast and signal-to-noise ratio and gives a continuous range of vision from near to far without the halos, glare, and loss of night vision associated with light-splitting designs. Dr. Sánchez León summarized the outcome for the audience in London as multifocal visual acuity with monofocal clarity.

Beyond the Mexican series, Z Optics said the Z+ Virtual Aperture IOL is being evaluated in a multicenter clinical study in Europe, with sites in Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. The company said it expects to report results from that study once data collection and analysis are complete.