The history of ocular prostheses and how they are made?
Artificial eye: This type of facial and cranial prosthesis replaces a missing natural eye after enucleation, enucleation. The prosthesis was placed over an orbital implant and under the eyelids.
There are Two types of ocular prosthesis:
1. Custom-made prosthesis: These are made of high-quality acrylic material and are customized to fit the patient’s eye socket (space which holds the prosthesis) accurately and hand painted to match the color of the other eye.
2. Shell prosthesis: made of thin transparent hard plastic material with a central dark disc of paint resembling the cornea.
History of ocular prosthesis:
2900-2800BC: The most ancient documented artificial eye was discovered interred with a female in Shahr-e Sakhta, Iran. This eye was likely crafted from a bitumen mixture and coated with a delicate layer of gold, featuring an engraved iris at the centre with lines extending outward like rays of sunlight.
500 BC: Egyptian and Roman priests were making prosthetic eyes from painted clay attached to cloth in the fifth century BC. These prosthetic eyes were worn externally, outside the eye socket.
1510-1590: The French scientist (Ambroise Paré) is considered the first person to make an artificial eye that was attached to a metal rod that extended around the back of the head to keep the eye in place. Ambroise Paré is also considered the first artificial eyes that were worn inside the eye socket (called "hypoblepharae").
17th Century: Venetian glass blowers were making more realistic prosthetic eyes from glass. These early glass eyes were fragile and easily broken. They were made by skilled glassblowers and lens makers who belonged to the trade guilds.
1930: In 1930, A new material (A medical grade PMMA) was discovered that is used in the manufacture of teeth. in 1932, German scientist Fritz W. Jardon was the first to use acrylic (PMMA) plastic in the manufacture of artificial eyes.
How can we make an ocular prosthesis?
1. Take the impression by ocular try and Alginate
2. Put the impression in the flask to work the artificial eye
3. Uses hot acrylic powder (PMMA) and liquid to create the artificial eye by mixing them together.
4. Uses a special device to make artificial eyes (water bath, microwave oven).
M.Sc. Marrwan Hisham Mohammed
Department of Optical Techniques/ Al Mustaqbal University