3D printing is a unique technology that allows treating diseases that cannot be treated in any other way. For example, 3D printing demonstrated unique capabilities in ophthalmology, particularly for the treatment of the front and back of the eye (Sommer & Blumenthal, 2019). The possibility of personalization for each patient is a distinguishing feature of this technology, which maximizes the possibilities of medical practitioners. 3D printing appeared 10 years ago and has been actively used for more than 5 years (Sommer & Blumenthal, 2019). More broadly, 3D printing enables the production of organs, customized prostheses and implants, medical devices, and anatomical models. In ophthalmology, 3D printing enables the development of tools to help detect eye diseases, personalized diagnostic and therapeutic devices, and the printing of contact lenses and intraocular implants.
Reference
Sommer, A. C., & Blumenthal, E. Z. (2019). Implementations of 3D printing in ophthalmology. Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 257(9), 1815-1822.