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A Novel Technique for CAD/CAM Assisted Digital Ocular Prosthesis

Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, a report of a technique for CAD/CAM assisted digital ocular prosthesis.

Conventional techniques for fabricating custom ocular prostheses (COPs) are time-consuming, complex, and prone to many technical errors. This report describes a digital workflow for constructing an ocular prosthesis using computed tomography integrated with digital technologies. The outer region of the healthy eyeball was segmented to produce the top surface of the prosthesis, while the contour and bottom surface were segmented from the tissue bed of the anophthalmic socket. The iris position was determined by tracing the optical nerve and confirmed by superimposing the patient's facial scan onto the soft tissue model of the computed tomography. Using these parameters, an STL file for the ocular prosthesis was generated and 3D printed. The iris was then printed via UV technology using digital photographs of the patient's contralateral eye; characterization of the sclera and the final layer of clear acrylic resin were done conventionally.

The method proposed in this technique replaces the manual processes (eye socket impression, wax model, molding in acrylic, and painting the iris by hand). The average effective time required for fabrication using this technique was 2.5 hours.

The primary limitation of this method is covering the printed ocular prosthesis with a clear acrylic coating. This manual task is still necessary to create COPs for patients, as most types of 3D printed clear acrylic resins do not offer the required clarity for the outer surface of the ocular prosthesis.

Tahmawy, YA, Mohamed, FSE, Elfeki, SA, Abd-ELLAH, ME. A novel technique for CAD/CAM assisted digital ocular prosthesis. J Prosthodont. 2023; 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13777

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