US-based medical device company STAAR Surgical has obtained approval from the Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada to distribute EVO Visian Toric ICL in the country.

Staar's EVO Visian Toric ICL has been developed as a next-generation lens implanted in the eye that works with the patient's natural eye to repair their vision.

The EVO Toric ICL is placed inside the eye between the iris and the natural lens where it can stay for an indefinite amount of time.

"This represents an important new option for eligible patients between 21 and 45 years old living with nearsightedness and astigmatism treated in a single procedure."

The lens is made of Staar Surgical's patented collamer which is a collagen based material, an organic compound which characterises the lens' ability to work with the natural lens of the eye.

The EVO ICL, with its central hole, allows enhanced refractive outcomes while ensuring efficiency and comfort for both the patient and the surgeon by eliminating the extra surgical step of the peripheral iridotomy.

Staar president and CEO Caren Mason said: "We are very pleased with Health Canada's approval that allows us to offer the EVO Toric ICL for myopia and astigmatism, with a broad spherical power range of -3.0 to -18.0 diopters and cylinder power range of 1.0 to 6.0 diopters, to our surgeons and their patients in Canada.

"This represents an important new option for eligible patients between 21 and 45 years old living with nearsightedness and astigmatism treated in a single procedure."

Till date, the company records implanting more than 200,000 lenses from the EVO ICL product family.