New laboratory and clinical data on the Extend™ monofocal plus intraocular lens (IOL) were presented at DOC 2026, highlighting the lens’s ability to provide excellent distance vision while extending functional intermediate vision through its unique Bessel optics design.
During his scientific presentation, Prof. Gerd U. Auffarth shared findings from both optical bench testing and an ongoing clinical evaluation conducted at the International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC) and the David J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology in Heidelberg.
The clinical analysis included 30 patients (46 eyes) with a follow-up period of 3–6 months and evaluated visual performance, refractive outcomes, contrast sensitivity, spectacle independence, and rotational stability.
Among eyes implanted with the Extend™ SL IOL (40 eyes), the study demonstrated:
- Postop refraction: SE −0.18 ± 0.56D → excellent emmetropic target accuracy
- Monocular defocus curve: VA ≥ 0.2 logMAR across the full +1.00D to −1.00D range
- Binocular defocus curve: VA ≥ 0.1 logMAR (+1.00D to −1.00D); ≥ 0.2 logMAR extended to −1.50D
- Contrast sensitivity: Excellent across all spatial frequencies; no contrast loss typical of multifocal IOLs
- Spectacle independence: >40% of patients spectacle-free for computer use; >30% for reading
Results for the Extend™ SL Toric IOL (6 eyes) also demonstrated excellent refractive outcomes, including a mean postoperative spherical equivalent of −0.15 ± 0.09 D, uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity approaching 0.0 logMAR, and high rotational stability, with a mean axis deviation of 4° ± 2.6° and no eyes rotating more than 10°.
Prof. Auffarth also presented optical bench data demonstrating performance comparable to the TECNIS Eyhance across multiple objective optical quality metrics, complementing the findings recently published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Ophthalmology.
The presentation contributes to the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the Extend™ platform and its innovative Bessel optics approach to enhancing intermediate vision while preserving the visual quality expected from a monofocal IOL.
We thank Prof. Gerd U. Auffarth for presenting these findings and for his continued contribution to advancing the scientific understanding of next-generation monofocal plus IOL technology.
The optical bench evaluation of Extend™ has also been published in an open-access article in BMC Ophthalmology, available here.
