This Guy Received World's First 3D Printed Eye Prosthetic, And It Looks So Real
Verze received the eye on Thursday while it was first checked for size earlier in November. According to the hospital, it the first fully digital prosthetic eye created for a patient
3D printing is really touching new heights every day! Besides helping engineers and creators, 3D printing has multi-faceted uses in the healthcare industry.
A British man on Thursday became the first patient in the world to be fitted with a 3D printed eye. Revealed by Moorfields Eye Hospital in a press release, 47-year-old Steve Verze's left eye is completely 3D printed.
World's first 3D printed eye
Moorfields Eye Hospital /CNN
World's first 3D printed eye prosthetic
Verze received the eye on Thursday while it was first checked for size earlier in November. According to the hospital, it the first fully digital prosthetic eye created for a patient.
The hospital added that the eye is more realistic than its alternatives, with "clearer definition and real depth to the pupil."
Unsplash
Other prosthetic eyes usually have an iris which is painted onto a disc and then adjusted in the eye socket. This method prevents light from entering the "full depth" of the eye, something that this 3D printed design is able to achieve.
Also read: 3Dirigo, World's Largest 3D-Printed Boat Was Built In Just 3 Days
3D printing is extremely accurate and efficient with the right directions. In fact, such prosthetic printing is also considered less invasive. Usually, moulds of the eye socket are taken manually before a fake eye is built. With 3D printing, the design is created digitally after scans.
Uncredited
To create a balanced and natural look, scientists scanned Verze's functional eye as well. The 3D image was sent to Germany to be printed, after which it was sent back to the United Kingdom, where Moorfields Eye Hospital's ocularist polished it further.
Also read: Israeli Doctors Recreate Jaw Of Badly Injured Soldier Using 3D Tech
What are your thoughts on this fantastic achievement through 3D printing? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of tech and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
Citation
Spary, S. C. (2021, November 25). British man given 3D printed eye in world first, hospital says. CNN.
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