Artificial eyes and manufacture thereof

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an artificial eye for fitting as a whole or partial replacement of a patient's original eye is provided. The method includes providing a digitally acquired image of an iris and transferring the image to a substrate comprising at least the frontal region of an artificial eye.

1 . An artificial eye for fitting as a whole or partial replacement of a patient's original eye comprising a powder material bound together by a binder to form a shaped solid substrate, the binder being selectively coloured in at least in a region thereof to simulate at least an iris portion of an eye. 
     
     
         2 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the substrate is non-planar. 
     
     
         3 . An artificial eye according to  claim 2  wherein the substrate is a dome-shaped, at least in the region that is selectively coloured. 
     
     
         4 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the substrate is a shell-like structure. 
     
     
         5 . An artificial eye according to  claim 4  wherein the binder is selectively coloured on the concave and convex surfaces of the structure. 
     
     
         6 . An artificial eye according to  claim 5  wherein the selective colouring is printed to a predetermined depth below a surface layer of the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . An artificial eye according to  claim 6  wherein the predetermined depth is between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm below the surface. 
     
     
         8 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the powder is a silica based powder. 
     
     
         9 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the powder is substantially white. 
     
     
         10 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the colouring or ink further simulates a sclera portion of the eye. 
     
     
         11 . An artificial eye according to  claim 1  wherein the eye is encapsulated in an acrylic material. 
     
     
         12 . An artificial eye for fitting as a whole or partial replacement of a patient's original eye comprising a shaped substrate upon at least a region of which dye-sublimated ink is applied to simulate at least an iris of an eye. 
     
     
         13 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  wherein the substrate is non-planar, preferably dome-shaped at least in the region where ink is applied. 
     
     
         14 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  further comprising an adhesion promoter to enhance adhesion of the ink to the substrate. 
     
     
         15 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  further comprising a lacquer covering at least the ink. 
     
     
         16 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  wherein the substrate comprises at least in part PMMA. 
     
     
         17 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  wherein the substrate is a bespoke blank shaped to conform to a particular patient's eye socket. 
     
     
         18 . An artificial eye according to  claim 12  wherein the colouring or ink further simulates a sclera portion of the eye.