EPlus3D

Breakthrough 3D Printed Bionic Eye Could Restore or Enhance Sight

Metal AM Markets

Share this Article

[Image: University of Minnesota, McAlpine Group]

For a long time, blindness was an irreversible condition, and that’s still true about many forms of it. If a person’s eyes or vision are damaged badly enough, there’s only so much medical professionals can do to restore function. If a person loses an eye, realistic-looking prosthetics can be created, but they’re for cosmetic purposes only. But what if prosthetic eyes could actually restore sight? That’s what a team of University of Minnesota researchers are hoping for.

In a paper entitled “3D Printed Polymer Photodetectors,” the researchers detail how they created what could eventually lead to an actual “bionic eye” by 3D printing photoreceptors on a hemispherical surface.

“Bionic eyes are usually thought of as science fiction, but now we are closer than ever using a multimaterial 3D printer,” said Michael McAlpine, a co-author of the study and University of Minnesota Benjamin Mayhugh Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

McAlpine and his team were also responsible for a recent study that could lead to the regaining of function for people with spinal cord injuries. They have also created a bionic ear, an electronic fabric that could serve as bionic skin, and electronics that can be printed directly on human skin, as well as lifelike 3D printed organ models.

The researchers used a custom-built 3D printer to print onto a hemispherical glass dome. They used a silver particle base ink, which dried in place uniformly rather than running down the curved surface. They then used semiconducting polymer materials to print photodiodes, which convert light into electricity. The entire process took about an hour.

According to McAlpine, they were able to achieve 25 percent efficiency in converting the light into electricity using the 3D printed semiconductors.

“We have a long way to go to routinely print active electronics reliably, but our 3D-printed semiconductors are now starting to show that they could potentially rival the efficiency of semiconducting devices fabricated in microfabrication facilities,” McAlpine said. “Plus, we can easily print a semiconducting device on a curved surface, and they can’t.”

The next step, he said, is to create a prototype with more light receptors that are even more efficient. The team also hopes to find a way to print on soft hemispherical material that can actually be implanted into a real eye. If they manage to do that, they may be able to restore or improve sight.

“My mother is blind in one eye, and whenever I talk about my work, she says, ‘When are you going to print me a bionic eye?'” McAlpine said.

Maybe soon, in fact. 3D printing has been used to provide help to visually impaired people through things like tactile maps and books, but it hasn’t claimed to be able to restore sight. That could change if the University of Minnesota team is able to make further progress with its research – one day, it may even be possible for those who have lost one or both of their eyes to see again.

Authors of the paper include Sung Hyun Park, Ruitao Su, Jaewoo Jeong, Shuang-Zhuang Guo, Kaiyan Qiu, Daeha Joung, Fanben Meng, and Michael C. McAlpine.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

 

Share this Article


Recent News

Venture Formed to Develop Distributed 3D Printing Network in UAE

Custom 3D Printed Surgical Tools Pushed Forward via restor3d and Formlabs Partnership



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Formlabs Breaks New Ground with Alumina and Silicone 3D Printing

Formlabs announced a suite of major innovations at the 2023 Digital Factory Conference in Boston’s SoWa Power Station, with implications set to transform industries from automotive to healthcare. The company...

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: September 10, 2023

This might possibly be the longest webinar and event roundup we’ve ever done at 3DPrint.com—that’s how many offerings there are this week! I won’t waste your time in this introduction...

3D Printing News Briefs, August 23, 2023: Sales & Distribution, Parametric Modeling, & More

In business news today, nano3Dprint announced its latest strategic distribution partnership in Asia, Snowbird Technologies is Meltio’s newest sales partner, and EOS North America launched its AMTurnkey Service. Continuing with...

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: August 20, 2023

In this week’s roundup of 3D printing webinars and events, Stratasys continues its North American tour, and 3D Systems starts its Additive Insights Roadshow. There’s an Automation Expo in Mumbai,...