Steve Verze, 47, and an engineer from Hackney, east London, was given his left eye on Thursday and had it tested for the first time earlier this month.
The hospital says the eyes are more realistic than other alternatives and designed for “clearer definition and true depth of the pupil”.
Other prosthetic eyes include an iris that is hand-painted on a plate, which is then inserted into the eye socket.
However, their design prevents light from entering the “full depth” of the eye, the hospital added in a statement.
As well as looking more realistic, the procedure is considered less invasive.
To fit traditional prosthetics requires taking a mold from the eye socket, while in 3D prosthetic eye development, the cavity is digitally scanned to create a detailed image.
Verze’s functional eye is also scanned to make sure both eyes are the same.
Ability to cut wait times ‘in half’
The 3D image is then sent to Germany for printing before being shipped back to the UK, where it is perfected and polished by an ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
“I’ve needed a prosthetic since I was 20 years old and I’ve always felt self-conscious about it,” Verze said in the press release.
“When I leave the house, I often glance in the mirror and don’t like what I see. This new eye looks great and based on 3D digital printing, it gets better and better,” he said. to add.
Moorfields Eye Hospital says 3D printing has the potential to “halve” the time to develop a prosthetic eye, from six weeks to about two or three weeks.
A spokesperson told CNN that a clinical trial with more patients will begin soon.
Professor Mandeep Sagoo, clinical lead of the project at Moorfields Eye Hospital and professor of ophthalmology and eye cancer at University College London, said in a statement he was “excited” about the potential of the method. new development.
Speaking ahead of the implantation, Sagoo said: “We hope the upcoming clinical trial will provide us with real proof of the value of this new technology, showing how different it can be to others. with the patient.”
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