An injector (1) for folding and injecting into the eye of a patient a flexibleintraocular lens, the injector comprisingan assembly of an injection nozzle (202), a lens compartment that holds anunfolded flexible intraocular lens (400) and is incommunication with the injection nozzle, an injector body (3) communicatingwith the lens compartment and a plunger (2) that isinserted in the free end of the injector body, wherein lens compartment andinjector body comprise a mechanism whereby the lens isfirst folded by forces compressing the lens in a non-axial direction inresponse to an axial movement of the plunger over a firstdistance and is subsequently expelled from the injector through the injectionnozzle in response to an axial movement of theplunger over a second distance.
