A lens choice becomes meaningful in ordinary moments: looking across a room, working at a computer, checking a price tag or reading in the evening. If you are considering cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, you may be wondering how well you could see at each of those distances afterward.

The TECNIS PureSee is an intraocular lens (IOL) designed to provide a wider range of focus than a standard monofocal lens. At Focus Vision, Dr Brendan Cronin and Dr David Gunn contributed to published clinical research evaluating PureSee during its development. Here is what its design—and that research—may mean for your daily activities. [1]

At a glance

  • Lens type: PureSee is an extended depth of focus (EDOF) lens designed for distance and intermediate vision, with some useful near vision.
  • The research: In a published multicentre study co-authored by Dr Cronin and Dr Gunn, PureSee provided better measured intermediate and near vision than the TECNIS Eyhance enhanced monofocal comparison lens. [1]
  • Glasses may still help: You may need readers for fine print, prolonged reading or close work in dim light.

The distances that make up your day

A monofocal intraocular lens is generally selected to focus at one distance. When set for distance, it usually leaves patients needing glasses for reading and may leave them needing glasses for some intermediate tasks.

PureSee is an EDOF lens with a purely refractive optical design. It extends the range of focus, placing particular emphasis on distance and intermediate vision. In the published study, its distance-corrected intermediate and near vision measurements were better than those of the enhanced monofocal comparison lens. Distance vision was similar between the groups. [1]

Those measurements show how the lenses performed under study conditions. They cannot tell us exactly what any one patient will see without glasses after surgery.

At your desk and around the house

Intermediate vision covers much of the space at arm’s length:

  • A desktop computer or tablet
  • A kitchen counter or recipe stand
  • A car dashboard or navigation display

This range is one reason people consider an EDOF lens. PureSee is designed to help with changes between intermediate and distance viewing, such as looking from a dashboard to the road ahead.

The benefit you experience will depend on factors including your eye health, the final prescription and healing. Tell your surgeon which activities matter most to you; “computer distance” and “phone distance,” for example, are not quite the same.

What about your phone, menus or books?

Near vision needs a realistic discussion. PureSee provided better measured near vision than the enhanced monofocal lens in the published comparison study. That finding does not guarantee that you will read without glasses. [1]

You may manage some brief near tasks without readers and still prefer them for medicine labels, a long reading session or a menu in dim light. If avoiding reading glasses for fine print is your highest priority, raise this at your consultation. Your surgeon can explain whether another lens design or a different vision strategy may suit your eyes and preferences.

Driving after dark

People considering an extended-range lens often ask about halos, glare and starbursts. PureSee does not use the diffractive rings found in some other lenses intended to reduce dependence on glasses. Its refractive design aims to extend focus while limiting visual disturbances.

In the published PureSee comparison study, measured contrast sensitivity and the pattern of patient-reported visual disturbances were similar to those of the TECNIS Eyhance comparison group. Some patients still reported symptoms. If night driving is important to you, discuss it directly with your surgeon; no lens can promise that night-time lights will appear unchanged. [1]

The research behind our experience

Dr Cronin and Dr Gunn co-authored a multicentre clinical study comparing PureSee with TECNIS Eyhance. It included 60 participants receiving PureSee and 57 receiving Eyhance, with lenses implanted in both eyes. Researchers measured corrected distance vision and distance-corrected intermediate and near vision at six months. They also asked patients about visual symptoms at six months and tested contrast sensitivity under lower-light conditions at three months. [1]

At six months, the PureSee group had better measured distance-corrected intermediate and near vision, while corrected distance vision was similar. Contrast sensitivity at three months and the overall profile of reported visual disturbances at six months were also similar between groups. These are group findings, not a prediction of any individual patient’s result. [1]

What about the device used to insert the lens?

A replacement lens is delivered into the eye through a small incision. PureSee is supplied preloaded in the TECNIS Simplicity delivery system. [2]

Dr Cronin also co-authored a separate published study of preloaded lens delivery technology. Surgeons and surgical technicians evaluated the handling of the UNFOLDER Vitan system during cataract surgery using a TECNIS ZCB00 lens. It was not a study of PureSee or the TECNIS Simplicity injector. [3]

That publication documents Dr Cronin’s experience evaluating a lens delivery system. The PureSee study documents both Dr Cronin and Dr Gunn’s involvement in research evaluating the lens’s visual performance. [1, 3]

Choosing a lens for your own day

Research findings are a starting point. Your corneal and retinal health, prescription, reading habits, work and night-driving needs all help determine whether PureSee is suitable for you.

At Focus Vision, Dr Cronin or Dr Gunn can explain how PureSee compares with other lens options appropriate for your eyes. The aim is to understand what each lens is designed to achieve, what the evidence shows and when glasses may still be useful.

Considering cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange? Book a consultation with Dr Brendan Cronin or Dr David Gunn at Focus Vision to discuss the lens options that suit your eyes and daily activities.

References

  1. Corbett D, Black D, Roberts TV, Cronin B, Gunn D, Bala C, et al. Quality of vision clinical outcomes for a new fully-refractive extended depth of focus intraocular lens. Eye. 2024;38(Suppl 1):9–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03039-8
  2. Johnson & Johnson Vision. TECNIS PureSee IOL product information. https://www.jnjvisionpro.com/en-us/products/tecnis-puresee/
  3. Black D, Corbett D, Roberts TV, Cronin B, Smith PJ, Janakiraman DP, et al. Clinical evaluation of a novel preloaded intraocular lens delivery system during routine cataract surgery. Clinical Ophthalmology. 2020;14:2291–2300. https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S260925

This article provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Lens suitability, surgical risks and visual outcomes vary. Your surgeon will discuss the potential benefits, risks and alternatives for your eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PureSee a multifocal lens?
PureSee is classified as a purely refractive EDOF lens. It extends the range of focus without the diffractive rings used in some other lenses intended to reduce dependence on glasses. [1]
Will I be completely free of glasses after surgery?
That cannot be promised. You may still want glasses for fine print, prolonged reading or detail work in dim light.
Does PureSee prevent glare and halos?
No. Patient-reported visual disturbances in the published study were similar overall to those in the enhanced monofocal comparison group, but symptoms remain possible. [1]
Dr David Gunn

About Dr David Gunn

Dr David Gunn is a Brisbane-based ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, laser eye surgery, and corneal transplantation. He is dedicated to providing his patients with the highest quality of care using the latest technology.

View all posts by Dr David Gunn Book a Consultation