INNOVATION |
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Year : 2018 | Volume
: 30
| Issue : 3 | Page : 209-215 |
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The magic of three-dimensional printing in ophthalmology
John Davis Akkara1, Anju Kuriakose2
1 Department of Ophthalmology, Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre, Angamaly; Department of Glaucoma, Westend Eye Hospital, Cochin, Kerala, India 2 Department of Ophthalmology, Jubilee Mission Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, India
Correspondence Address:
John Davis Akkara Westend Eye Hospital, Kacheripady, Cochin - 682 018, Kerala India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/kjo.kjo_86_18
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The technology of three-dimensional (3D) printing has evolved over the past few years with cumulative improvements in the resolution, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and speed of this highly customizable manufacturing process. Ophthalmologists have designed multiple 3D printed smartphone based fundus cameras with some of the designs available as open-source for all to download and 3D-print. Now, the technology has been used for anything from eyewear and medical devices to printing of live cells and tissues like an artificial cornea. It also has uses in education and surgical planning. The author had the opportunity to work with a 3D printer and make some of these models. The future is bright for innovations in this field as we are only beginning to understand the capabilities of this technology. |
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