Purpose: 

Current eye mounts in the ophthalmic wet lab, such as the Mastel-Mandell® eye mount, place the cadaveric eye on a flat surface and do not appropriately simulate facial contours and hand positions when practicing corneal suturing. We describe our design for an innovative, modular 3D-printed cadaveric eye mount with humanoid facial features to better simulate proper hand position and ergonomics when practicing corneal suturing.

Study Design:

Proof of concept study. 

Methods: 

The design for the eye mount had to meet three main requirements: 1) a modular design to facilitate easy cleanup of cadaveric material, 2) appropriate level of suction to maintain fixation of the cadaveric eye and 3) is cost-effective in its design. The markup for this model was created in Autodesk 360. Using the Ultimaker S5 3D printer, our team 3D printed modular components that could be assembled into the shape of a human head and face. Inside these components, we created a unique suction system utilizing commonly found operating room tubing and a Kelly Clamp to maintain suction and fixation of the eye. These individual components could be disassembled and reassembled for easy cleaning. 

Results: 

Videos will be presented in our presentation. The 3D-printed eye mount printed provided good stability via the suction system to maintain fixation of cadaveric eyes filled with saline. The eye in its “socket” protruded similarly to how an eye would be viewed in the operating room with a speculum. Corneal suturing was achieved similarly to that of a human patient, where residents can practice hand positioning on the model’s cheek and forehand to achieve better stability and comfort, as well as readjustment of the wet lab microscope. Cleanup was simple, where the eye could be simply detached and individual components could be washed and disinfected. Tubing could be easily replaced. Overall, the cost of printing this model came to approximately $200 CAD. 

Conclusion: 

This functional 3D printed eye mount design allows for proper draping, suction, and fixation, as well as stability of cadaveric human eyes for surgical training. It also has the added benefit of having facial contours to better facilitate appropriate hand postures and ergonomics in the operating room when handling corneal tissue.

A novel 3D-printed eye mount for surgical simulation in the ophthalmic wet lab

[Poster Abstract Booklet](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGitRGyG9W0FiZ2Xjz6RNO2h7C0XglOL/view)

[Surgical Video Abstract Booklet](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B-IkojrZhXk4AgXzsEQyuE_FwPG1Lvpe/view?usp=sharing)

[To claim Section 2 credits for ePoster review complete this Poster Transcript](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dSAjpIIqFqD4SUbpcc6-PzX65ZPFhA7O)