British engineer Steve Verze is the first person in the world to use an eye prosthesis made in 3D printing technology. Verze is a patient of the Moorfields Eye Hospital, where ophthalmologists have designed and implemented this cutting-edge medical application. The printed eye is much more realistic than a traditional acrylic prosthesis, and manufacturing time has been cut from the usual six to two weeks.
In the case of a traditional prosthesis, the patient must undergo a two-hour procedure in order to form the orbit. The prosthesis is then fitted and painted. According to the Moorfields hospital, the 3D printing method should cut the production process of this type of prosthesis by at least half, and the first visit of the patient should not take longer than half an hour.
The prosthesis was printed in PolyJet technology on Stratasys multi-color photopolymer printers. On the one hand, this method allows for the creation of hyper-realistic, full-color objects, and on the other, allows the use of biocompatible and medically certified building materials.
Source: www.bbc.com
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