Long-term aging behavior of ultraviolet-absorbing intraocular lenses.

The chemical composition and molecular weight distribution of typical materials used for fabrication of intraocular lenses have been determined by high performance liquid chromatography and on-line electronic and FT-IR spectroscopic analysis. The leaching rate of unreacted monomers was determined by Soxhlet extraction techniques. These analytical methods were then utilized to monitor chemical changes in one type of intraocular lens subjected to accelerated aging conditions.