Eye cancer may not be on the forefront of many people’s minds. However, this deadly disease afflicts 2,700 new Americans every year. Though many patients can be saved thanks to a surgical procedure known as exenteration, the resulting hospital bills have historically been prohibitive. Fortunately, as has been the case for many other medical cases our Seattle 3D printing company has described in the past, 3D printing may be providing new solutions.
The big problem faced by many eye cancer survivors is the cost of prosthetic eyes. These prosthetics are highly expensive, and not always covered by their health insurance. A facial prostheses may cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and, even when a patient can afford one, they may have to wait weeks at a time for their prostheses to be completed. This is where 3D printing is coming into play.
Through the use of topographical scanning, researchers at the University of Miami were able to scan the undamaged side of a patient’s face to build a model of what the damaged side should look like. The information gathered here is sent to a printer designed to create a mask of injection-molded rubber, specially colored to match the patient’s skin. Through the use of this technology, more patients may be able to quickly and effectively put aside their eye patches and return to their normal, comfortable lives, all thanks to 3D printing.
