Custom-made artificial eyes using 3D printing for dogs: A preliminary study

PLoS One. 2020 Nov 20;15(11):e0242274. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242274. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Various incurable eye diseases in companion animals often result in phthisis bulbi and eye removal surgery. Currently, the evisceration method using silicone balls is useful in animals; however, it is not available to those with impaired cornea or severe ocular atrophy. Moreover, ocular implant and prostheses are not widely used because of the diversity in animal size and eye shape, and high manufacturing cost. Here, we produced low-cost and customized artificial eyes, including implant and prosthesis, using computer-aided design and three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. For 3D modeling, the size of the artificial eyes was optimized using B-mode ultrasonography. The design was exported to STL files, and then printed using polycaprolactone (PCL) for prosthesis and mixture of PCL and hydroxyapatite (HA) for ocular implant. The 3D printed artificial eyes could be produced in less than one and half hour. The prosthesis was painted using oil colors and biocompatible resin. Two types of eye removal surgery, including evisceration and enucleation, were performed using two beagle dogs, as a preliminary study. After the surgery, the dogs were clinically evaluated for 6 months and then histopathological evaluation of the implant was done. Ocular implant was biocompatible and host tissue ingrowth was induced after in vivo application. The custom-made prosthesis was cosmetically excellent. Although long-term clinical follow-up might be required, the use of 3D printed-customized artificial eyes may be beneficial for animals that need personalized artificial eye surgery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Dogs
  • Durapatite / chemistry
  • Eye Enucleation / veterinary
  • Eye, Artificial*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Polyesters / chemistry
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional*
  • Prosthesis Design / veterinary
  • Prosthesis Implantation / veterinary
  • Ultrasonography

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polyesters
  • polycaprolactone
  • Durapatite

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Global Research and Development Center (GRDC) Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2017K1A4A3014959) and NRF-2018R1D1A1B07050014 (https://www.nrf.re.kr). This work was also supported by the research grant of the Chungbuk National University in 2017 (https://www.chungbuk.ac.kr). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.