Manufacturing of Porous Polyethylene Ocular Implant by Three Dimensional Printing

Abstract

In enucleation and evisceration, porous polyethylene ocular implants have been used to replace eyes of patients to restore function or aesthetic appearance effectively since they permit fibrovascularization and direct suturing of extraocular muscles. Traditionally, they are produced by sintering the particles below their melting temperature in a mould to create a porous structure. In this study, the feasibility of using new mould-less three dimensional printing process to manufacture high porosity and large pore size ocular implants was investigated and compared its properties with the traditionally manufactured sample