In late 2025, multiple world-leading surgeons contributed to the first peer-reviewed publication on Rayner’s Galaxy IOL, documenting their three-month first-in-eye outcomes data. Now, more Australian surgeons are set to gain access to the world’s first spiral, continuous full-range IOL.
The RayOne Galaxy intraocular lens (IOL) has secured a place on the Prostheses List (PL) for reimbursement, making it accessible for more Australians.
The move was effective from 1 March 2026.
Now, with PL reimbursement confirmed, privately insured cataract patients can access the Galaxy spiral lens – an important step forward in expanding availability to this presbyopia-correcting technology.
British manufacturer Rayner says Galaxy, the world’s first spiral IOL, represents a significant advancement in premium lens replacement technology.
Developed with AI, the company states that its unique non-diffractive spiral optic delivers a smooth and continuous full range of vision with minimised dysphotopsia and 0% loss of transmitted light.
Since its launch, Galaxy has demonstrated strong international adoption, with more than 100,000 lenses already shipped globally.
Surgeons across the world have reported consistent refractive predictability, broad functional visual range, and high patient satisfaction in everyday clinical practice.
Those reports are backed by clinical data in the first Galaxy peer-reviewed publication, presenting three-month first-in-eye research.
The publication, Performance of the First Spiral Refractive Intraocular Lens for Continuous Full Range of Vision (Journal of Refractive Surgery, 2026), concluded that the Galaxy IOL provided an excellent and continuous full range of vision with minimal photic phenomena.
The investigators and authors, which included Professor Claudette Abela-Formanek (Austria), Dr Dean Corbett (New Zealand) and Allon Barsam (UK), said findings consistently showed high-quality distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity, significantly reduced halos and glare compared with diffractive trifocal IOLs, as well as strong patient preference for the Galaxy lens.
The research combined preclinical visual performance testing with a multi-centre clinical evaluation.
Preclinical assessment used the Real Artificial Lens Vision (RALV) pseudophakic vision simulator, which projects real IOL optics into the participant’s eye under cycloplegia, allowing direct comparison of the Galaxy IOL with a diffractive trifocal model.
Vision was tested at distance, intermediate, and near; contrast sensitivity, halo/glare size, and defocus curves were also measured. Subjective preference was captured for each viewing distance.
RALV participants reported significantly better intermediate visual acuity, as well as improved contrast sensitivity at all distances with the Galaxy compared to a diffractive trifocal IOL.
Participants overwhelmingly preferred the Galaxy lens at all distances.
Importantly, halo and glare size measured preclinically were significantly smaller with the Galaxy, confirming the optical benefits of a non-diffractive design.
The clinical evaluation then pooled postoperative outcomes from 73 patients (146 eyes) implanted bilaterally with the RayOne Galaxy or Galaxy Toric lens across 10 international sites.
Standardised cataract surgery with emmetropic targeting was used. Follow-ups at one and three months assessed refraction, monocular and binocular visual acuity at several distances, contrast sensitivity, defocus curves, and patient-reported halo/glare using a simulator as described in prior studies.
Binocular uncorrected visual acuity at three months was 20/20 or better for distance in over 80% of patients, and 20/32 or better for intermediate and near in nearly all patients.
Monocular distance-corrected acuity exceeded 20/25 across all tested distances. Refractive outcomes were highly accurate, with 87% of eyes within ±0.50 D of target.
Defocus curve testing showed a seamless visual range of 20/32 or better extending to approximately -2.8 D binocularly, indicating a smooth, uninterrupted transition from far to near.
Traditional diffractive trifocal IOLs can provide good vision at prescribed focal points but often introduce halos, glare, and contrast loss due to light splitting. They may also produce intermediate “gaps” in defocus.
The Galaxy IOL addresses these limitations using refractive spiral tracks that generate a continuous power profile without diffractive steps, thereby minimising light loss and visual disturbances.
The preclinical and clinical findings suggest that the innovative spiral design achieves visual acuity comparable to leading trifocal IOLs while improving subjective quality of vision, particularly contrast sensitivity and night-vision phenomena.
The continuous defocus curve supports uninterrupted performance from far through near, the authors said, consistent with patient preferences and objective metrics.
Rayner says that further clinical studies are forthcoming, with data from the 12-month follow up set to be published shortly.
