Numerical modelling of the accommodating lens

• Published in: Vision research (Oxford) Vol. 42; no. 18; pp. 2235 - 2251
• Main Authors: Burd, H.J., Judge, S.J., Cross, J.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Accommodation; Accommodation, Ocular; Adult; Age dependence; Aging - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Child; Computational; Elasticity; Finite Element Analysis; Humans; Lens Capsule, Crystalline - physiology; Lens Nucleus, Crystalline - physiology; Lens, Crystalline - anatomy & histology; Lens, Crystalline - physiology; Lens, Crystalline - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Modelling; Models, Biological; Ophthalmology; Presbyopia; Presbyopia - physiopathology; Vision disorders; Presbyopia; Modelling; Accommodation; Age dependence; Computational; Human; Eye disease; Vision disorder; Refractive error; Lens; Numerical method; Modeling; Age
• ISSN: 0042-6989; 1878-5646
• DOI: 10.1016/S0042-6989(02)00094-9

Data on geometric and material properties of the human lens derived from various published sources are used to construct axisymmetric, large displacement, finite element models of the accommodating lens of subjects aged 11, 29 and 45 years. The nucleus, cortex, capsule and zonule are modelled as linearly elastic materials. The numerical model of the 45-year lens is found to be significantly less effective in accommodating than the 29-year lens, suggesting that the modelling procedure is capable of capturing at least some of the features of presbyopia. The model of the 11-year lens shows some anomalous behaviour, and reasons for this are explored.