Scientists have invented a technology for manufacturing eye prostheses using a 3D printer

Scientists have invented a technology for creating eye prostheses using a 3D printer. They look realistic and natural.

Thanks to this, patients with eye defects feel comfortable and overcome self-doubt, writes Live Science.

Research results, published in the scientific journal Nature, indicate that for the manufacture of such prostheses 90 minutes is enoughand you can wear them for 5-10 years.

By comparison, a skilled technician or ophthalmologist manually works on a similar prosthesis for eight hours.

Scientists assure: 3D printing technology can help eight million people who, due to defects or loss of an eye, need at least one prosthesis.

“Patients are anxious about wearing prostheses and don’t want others to notice. These ‘eyes’ are realistic, so they can help them participate more in social life.” – said Johann Reinhard, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research in Germany.

According to Reinhard, already 200 adult patients at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) in London have prostheses of this type.

How is an eye prosthesis made on a 3D printer?

First, special images of the patient’s empty eye socket and the healthy eye are created. Then they are processed and used for drawings. The data is sent to a 3D printing laboratory.

The process usually takes about 90 minutes, but it can be sped up by printing multiple prostheses at once, Reinhard says. After that, they are inserted into a person – the procedure takes from 15 to 30 minutes.

The researchers note that the prostheses accurately replicate the color, size and structure of the patient’s healthy eye. They also reproduce the iris and the white of the eye well.

“Plastic eyes” must be changed every 5-10 years, because the material from which they are made wears out. In addition, the eye is painted by hand, so there is a possibility that subsequent prostheses made for the same person may differ in appearance and shape.

About 80% of adults who need a prosthesis can theoretically get one. However, according to Reinhard, it is not possible to cover all requests, because in some people the eye socket has a complex shape, for which it is difficult for the computer to find a suitable prosthesis.

It is also necessary to conduct a number of additional studies to find out whether such prostheses can be used in children.

Now the team of scientists focused on studying the effectiveness of 3D-printed eyes in 40 patients. Their data is compared to those with hand-made prostheses.

We used to toldhow to get information about prosthetics manufacturers.