3D printed eye socket

Abstract

The application discloses a 3D printing ocular prosthesis platform, which is prepared through the following steps: S1, designing the shape of the ocular prosthesis platform and dividing the shape into regions; S2, selecting a porous structure for the ocular prosthesis platform in each region and determining the voxel size according to the connecting point parameters of the selected porous structure; S3, voxelizing and fitting each region to form a voxelized interface; S4, filling the porous structure selected in step S2 into each corresponding region to complete the modeling of the porous structure in each region; S5, connecting the connecting points on adjacent voxelized interfaces to each other and converting the connecting lines into solid rod models to complete the modeling of the interfaces; S6, merging the models obtained in steps S4 and S5 to obtain a final model of the ocular prosthesis platform; S7, 3D printing to obtain a bioceramic blank; and S8, high-temperature sintering of the blank to obtain a 3D printed ocular prosthesis platform after porcelain forming. The application can obtain a new 3D printed ocular prosthesis platform, which provides technical support for ocular prosthesis repair.

Description

A 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a 3D-printed prosthetic eye socket. Background Technology

[0002] An orbital implant, an intraorbital device, is used to fill orbital defects resulting from phthalmotomy or removal of intraocular contents, maintaining postoperative aesthetics and preventing deformities. Common orbital implants use porous polyethylene or porous bioceramics. Porous polyethylene has poor bioactivity, often leading to inflammation and exposure, while bioceramics offer good bioactivity, promoting tissue ingrowth and maintaining good fixation. However, the heavier weight of bioceramics can further contribute to ocular deformities. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a lighter, more integrated orbital implant to improve surgical success rates. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention aims to provide a 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece. On one hand, through a multi-structure design, the prosthetic eyepiece significantly reduces its mass while maintaining a certain overall strength, thus avoiding eye deformities caused by weight issues. On the other hand, the bioactivity of bioceramics enhances the integration of the prosthetic eyepiece, thereby increasing the success rate of the surgery.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0005] A 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece is manufactured through the following steps:

[0006] S1: Design the shape of the artificial eyepiece and divide the shape into regions;

[0007] S2: Select a porous structure for the prosthetic eyepiece in each region, and determine the voxel size based on the connection point parameters of the selected porous structure;

[0008] S3: Based on the voxel size parameters of each region, voxelization fitting is performed on each region to form a voxelized interface;

[0009] S4: Fill the corresponding regions with the porous structures selected in step S2 to complete the porous structure modeling of each region;

[0010] S5: Connect the connection points on adjacent voxelized interfaces to each other, and convert the connection lines into solid rod models to complete the interface modeling;

[0011] S6: Merge the porous structure model obtained in step S4 with the interface model obtained in step S5 to obtain the final model of the artificial eyepiece.

[0012] S7: The final model is 3D printed using 3D printing technology to obtain a 3D printed model of the prosthetic eyepiece; bioceramics are used for 3D printing.

[0013] S8: The 3D printed model is sintered at high temperature to form ceramic and obtain the 3D printed prosthetic eyepiece.

[0014] Preferably, in step S1, when designing the shape of the prosthetic eye platform, the shape of the prosthetic eye platform is determined by reverse reconstruction or forward design.

[0015] Preferably, in step S2, when selecting a porous structure, the porous structure is a porous structure formed by connecting nodes and connecting rods.

[0016] Preferably, in step S2, when determining the voxel size, the voxel can be any one of a cube, cuboid, triangular prism, or hexagonal prism.

[0017] Preferably, in step S3, when performing voxel fitting on each region, if the voxel sizes of adjacent interfaces are multiples or have a common divisor, then the multiples or common divisors are regarded as new voxel sizes, so that the two adjacent interfaces completely overlap.

[0018] Preferably, in step S4, when filling the corresponding regions with the porous structure, the porous structure is filled into the corresponding regions in an array manner, and the position of the porous structure is adjusted so that the connection point of the porous structure is located on the edge of the voxelization unit, so that the connection point at the interface coincides with the connection line of the voxelization interface.

[0019] Preferably, in step S5, when connecting the connection points on adjacent voxelized interfaces, the nearest principle is used for connection; when converting the connection lines into solid rod models, the diameter of the solid rods converted from the connection lines on the interfaces of different regions matches the rod size of the porous structure in the corresponding region; the solid rods converted from the connection lines between regions are either variable diameter rods or constant diameter rods whose size is between the characteristic dimensions of the rods in the two regions.

[0020] Preferably, in step S7, the 3D printing technology is any one of fused deposition modeling, laser selective sintering, or digital light processing.

[0021] Preferably, in step S7, the bioceramic is any one or more of hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate, and biphasic calcium phosphate.

[0022] Preferably, in step S8, high-temperature sintering is performed at a temperature of 1000-1300℃.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0024] On the one hand, the present invention achieves good connection between different structures through interface interconnection, realizes the design of porous models, the design process is simple and direct, easy to understand and operate, and has low requirements for designers. Moreover, the design process is free from difficult non-interactive operations such as porous structure functionalization, shape and interface functionalization, and programming design. The interactive operation reduces the modeling difficulty and can realize the transition and connection between most porous structures, which has wide adaptability.

[0025] On the other hand, through multi-structure design, this invention greatly reduces the weight of the prosthetic eyepiece while ensuring good mechanical strength, thus avoiding facial deformities caused by excessive weight of the prosthetic eyepiece. During 3D printing, bioceramics with good bioactivity are used for 3D printing. As the main component of the prosthetic eyepiece, the bioceramics can promote tissue ingrowth, improve the integration of the prosthetic eyepiece, and reduce the risk of prosthesis failure. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structural definition of the porous structure described in this invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the construction process of a 3D-printed artificial eyepiece according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece of the embodiment shown in Figure 2 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the construction process of a 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to another specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and technical features described in this application can be combined with each other. It should also be pointed out that, unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "comprising" or "including" and similar words used in this invention refer to elements or objects preceding the word that encompass the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0033] This invention provides a 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece, which is manufactured through the following steps:

[0034] S1: Design the shape of the artificial eyepiece and divide the shape into regions.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the shape of the prosthetic eyepiece is determined through reverse reconstruction or forward design. The shape is derived from the shape of a tissue or organ reconstructed from medical image information, or from a shape designed forward using software such as CAD or SolidWorks according to actual needs.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, when dividing the shape into regions, the region division is performed according to the specific application requirements of the prosthetic eyepiece; specifically, the division is performed based on the shape and property distribution results obtained by topology optimization, or according to the geometric shape distribution of the shape, or based on theoretical calculation results.

[0037] When applying this invention, the shape of the prosthetic eye can be arbitrarily customized according to the requirements, and the corresponding internal hole structure is divided into regions according to the external size and shape, so as to better meet the requirements of clinical lightweight and tissue integration.

[0038] S2: Select a porous structure for the prosthetic eyepiece in each region, and determine the voxel size based on the connection point parameters of the selected porous structure.

[0039] In one specific embodiment, the selection of the porous structure is based on the specific application requirements of the porous model in each region. As shown in Figure 1, the porous structure is a porous structure formed by connecting nodes and connecting rods, such as a diamond structure, an octahedral structure, a BCC structure, etc.

[0040] In one specific embodiment, when determining the voxel size based on the connection point parameters of the selected porous structure, the key is to place the connection point on the edge of the voxel, rather than being limited to the size and shape of the repeating unit. The voxel can be a cube, cuboid, triangular prism, hexagonal prism, etc.

[0041] It should be noted that the porous structure in different regions can be different or the same, and the voxel size parameters can also be different or the same.

[0042] S3: Based on the voxel size parameters of each region, voxelization fitting is performed on each region to form a voxelized interface.

[0043] In this step, the voxel size parameters of each region obtained in step S2 are used to perform voxelization fitting on each region. After voxelization fitting, the interface is adjusted so that each region is independent and does not intersect with other regions. If the voxel sizes of adjacent interfaces are multiples or have a common divisor, the multiples or common divisors are regarded as new voxel sizes, so that the two adjacent interfaces completely overlap.

[0044] In this invention, the designed external interface is transformed into a voxelized interface through voxelization, which avoids the need for functional expressions of the interface in other modeling methods. It can be flexibly applied to various interfaces, especially reverse-reconstructed interfaces, and reduces the requirements for the designer's mathematical level.

[0045] S4: Fill the corresponding regions with the porous structures selected in step S2 to complete the porous structure modeling of each region.

[0046] In one specific embodiment, when filling the corresponding regions with porous structures, the porous structures are filled into the corresponding regions in an array manner, and the positions of the porous structures are adjusted so that the connection points of the porous structures are located on the edge of the voxelization unit, so that the connection points at the interface coincide with the connection lines of the voxelization interface.

[0047] In the above embodiments, filling porous structures using an array method makes it applicable to most periodic porous structures, avoiding the requirement for functional expressions of porous structures (such as minimal surfaces) in other modeling methods, thus having a wider range of applications and lower modeling difficulty.

[0048] S5: Connect the connection points on adjacent voxelized interfaces and convert the connection lines into solid rod models to complete the interface modeling.

[0049] In one specific embodiment, when connecting connection points on adjacent voxelized interfaces, the nearest connection principle is used. This avoids connecting rods crossing or traversing the interface, and prevents a single connection point from generating too many connecting lines. The connecting lines on the interface are the edges of voxel units, which can also be further subdivided.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, when the connecting line is converted into a solid rod model, the diameter of the solid rod converted from the connecting line at the interface of different regions matches the rod size of the porous structure of the corresponding region; the solid rod converted from the connecting line between regions is a variable diameter rod or a constant diameter rod with a size between the characteristic dimensions of the rods in the two regions, so as to achieve the size transition between the two regions.

[0051] S6: Merge the porous structure model obtained in step S4 with the interface model obtained in step S5 to obtain the final model of the artificial eyepiece.

[0052] S7: The final model is 3D printed using 3D printing technology to obtain a 3D printed model of the prosthetic eyepiece; bioceramics are used for 3D printing.

[0053] In one specific embodiment, the 3D printing technology employs any one of fused deposition modeling (FDM), laser selective sintering (LSS), and digital light processing (DLP), with DLP preferably being used to fabricate a high-precision prosthetic eyepiece. The bioceramic is any one or more of hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate, and biphasic calcium phosphate, with hydroxyapatite preferably selected as the component of the prosthetic eyepiece.

[0054] S8: The 3D printed model is sintered at high temperature to form ceramic and obtain the 3D printed prosthetic eyepiece.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, high-temperature sintering is performed at a temperature of 1000-1300℃, preferably 1200℃, to ceramicize the prosthetic eyepiece. It should be noted that the purpose of high-temperature sintering is to ceramicize the bioceramic; the sintering time varies with the temperature, and the specific time can be determined based on the selected temperature.

[0056] In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece of the present invention is prepared through the following steps:

[0057] (1) Design the shape of the artificial eyepiece;

[0058] In this embodiment, the shape and interface of the prosthetic eye platform are formed through forward design, as shown in Figure 2a. The size of the prosthetic eye platform is a spherical prosthetic eye platform with a diameter of 22mm.

[0059] (2) Divide the shape of the artificial eye platform into regions, and select a porous structure for the artificial eye platform in each region;

[0060] The prosthetic eye platform is divided into an inner porous structure (a spherical region with an internal diameter of 17 mm) and an outer porous structure. The inner porous structure is a diamond structure with a porosity of 80%, while the outer porous structure is a diamond structure with a porosity of 60%. In this embodiment, the porous structure and porosity enable the prosthetic eye platform to be lightweight, thus meeting the needs of human prosthetic eyes.

[0061] (3) Determine the voxel size based on the connection point parameters of the selected porous structure;

[0062] The inner porous structure has a lattice size of 1 mm cube, and the outer porous structure has a lattice size of 1.5 mm cube. Initially, the voxels of the porous structure are generally considered to be parameters of the lattice structure. However, the lattice structure represents the smallest three-period repeating unit, which does not necessarily mean it is identical to the definition of a voxel unit. According to this invention, the basic components of the porous structure are considered to be connection points and connecting lines. In this embodiment, the lattice size of the inner porous structure is 1 mm, and the lattice size of the outer porous structure is 1.5 mm. The information on the connection points and connecting lines of both indicates that they can be subdivided into voxel sizes of 0.75 mm. This is based on the fact that even with 0.75 mm voxels, the connection points are still located on the voxel edges. Therefore, in this embodiment, a new voxel size of 0.75 mm is used as the voxel for both the inner and outer porous structures.

[0063] (4) Based on the voxel size parameters of each region, voxelization fitting is performed on each region to form a voxelized interface, as shown in Figure 2b.

[0064] (5) Fill the corresponding regions with the porous structures selected in step (2) to complete the porous structure modeling of each region;

[0065] (6) Connect the connection points on adjacent voxelized interfaces to each other, and convert the connection lines into solid rod models to complete the interface modeling;

[0066] (7) Merge the porous structure model obtained in step (5) with the interface model obtained in step (6) to obtain the final model of the artificial eye platform. The results are shown in Figure 2c (cross-sectional view of the artificial eye platform) and Figure 2d (overall view of the artificial eye platform).

[0067] (8) The final model is 3D printed using 3D printing technology to obtain a 3D printed model of the prosthetic eye; in this embodiment, 3D printing is performed using DLP printing technology and the selected material is hydroxyapatite.

[0068] (9) The 3D printed model was sintered at high temperature to form ceramic, and the 3D printed prosthetic eyepiece was obtained. The result is shown in Figure 3. In this embodiment, the high temperature sintering temperature was 1200℃, and the final mass of the 3D printed prosthetic eyepiece was about 1.7g, which achieved the requirement of lightweight.

[0069] In another specific embodiment, similar to the aforementioned embodiments, a 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece was also fabricated. The construction process of the final model of the prosthetic eyepiece is shown in Figure 4, and the physical result of the 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece is shown in Figure 5. Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of the interface cross-section of the prosthetic eyepiece, Figure 4b is a front view of the interface cross-section structure of the prosthetic eyepiece, clearly showing the morphology of the connection between the internal structure and the outer surface. Figure 4c is a schematic diagram of the voxelized interface of the prosthetic eyepiece, and Figure 4d is a schematic diagram of the final model of the prosthetic eyepiece. It should be noted that the interface structure in this embodiment is a combination of spherical and cylindrical channels. The interior is a square-pore structure with a voxel size of 1.2 mm, and the exterior is a diamond structure with a voxel size of 0.8 mm. The outer voxel is adjusted to 1.2 mm, so the two parts share a single interface. The lightweight macroporous structure inside is connected to the outer surface, ensuring that after implantation, tissue fluid and cells can quickly enter the middle of the prosthetic eyepiece, which is beneficial for tissue ingrowth. The prepared prosthetic eyepiece has a diameter of 12 mm. It was fabricated using DLP printing technology with hydroxyapatite as the raw material and sintered at 1250℃. The final mass is 0.37 g.

[0070] In summary, this invention, based on the construction characteristics of most porous structures, achieves the interconnection and transition between two structures through the core idea of ​​connecting points with lines. It utilizes two core methods—voxelation interface and array filling—to unify the connection points of the porous structure with the interfaces of different regions, thus achieving a good connection between structures and producing a 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece with a more natural transition. Furthermore, the 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece of this invention meets the requirement of lightweight design through its porous structure, and improves the integration of the prosthetic eyepiece by using bioceramics, thereby increasing the success rate of the prosthetic eyepiece surgery. Compared with existing technologies, this invention represents a significant advancement.

[0071] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece, characterized in that, The procedure involves the following steps: S1: Designing the shape of the prosthetic eyepiece and dividing the shape into regions; S2: Selecting a porous structure for each region of the prosthetic eyepiece and determining the voxel size based on the connection point parameters of the selected porous structure; when selecting the porous structure, the porous structure is formed by connecting nodes and connecting rods; S3: Performing voxel fitting on each region based on the voxel size parameters of each region to form a voxel interface; when performing voxel fitting on each region, if the voxel sizes of adjacent interfaces are multiples or have a common divisor, then the multiples or common divisors are regarded as new voxel sizes, so that the two adjacent interfaces completely overlap. S4: Fill the corresponding regions with the porous structures selected in step S2 to complete the porous structure modeling of each region; when filling the corresponding regions with porous structures, the porous structures are filled with the corresponding regions in an array manner, and the positions of the porous structures are adjusted so that the connection points of the porous structures are located on the edges of the voxel units, so that the connection points at the interface coincide with the connection lines of the voxel interface; S5: Connect the connection points on adjacent voxel interfaces to each other, and convert the connection lines into solid rod models to complete the interface modeling; when connecting the connection points on adjacent voxel interfaces to each other, the nearest principle is used for connection; when the connection lines are converted into solid rod models, the diameter of the solid rods converted from the connection lines on the interfaces of different regions matches the rod size of the porous structure in the corresponding region; the solid rods converted from the connection lines between regions are either variable diameter rods or constant diameter rods whose size is between the feature sizes of the rods in the two regions; S6: Merge the porous structure model obtained in step S4 with the interface model obtained in step S5 to obtain the final model of the prosthetic eyepiece; S7: Use 3D printing technology to 3D print the final model to obtain the 3D printed model of the prosthetic eyepiece; bioceramics are used for 3D printing; S8: Sinter the 3D printed model at high temperature to obtain the 3D printed prosthetic eyepiece after it becomes ceramic.

2. The 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, when designing the shape of the prosthetic eye platform, the shape of the prosthetic eye platform is determined by reverse reconstruction or forward design.

3. The 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, when determining the voxel size, the voxel can be any one of a cube, cuboid, triangular prism, or hexagonal prism.

4. The 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, In step S7, the 3D printing technology adopts any one of fused deposition modeling, laser selective sintering, and digital light processing.

5. The 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, In step S7, the bioceramic is any one of hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate, or biphasic calcium phosphate.

6. The 3D-printed prosthetic eyepiece according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, In step S8, high-temperature sintering is carried out at a temperature of 1000-1300℃.

Images