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Designing and making an open source, 3D-printed, punctal plug with drug delivery system
Twisha Khanna1, John D Akkara2, Vedant Bawa1
1Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
|January 2, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a 3D-printable punctal plug with an integrated drug delivery system for treating dry eye disease. This cost-effective and personalized approach offers a promising therapeutic option for ocular conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Punctal plugs are crucial for managing dry eye disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).
- Advancements in 3D printing offer potential for personalized medical devices.
- Integrating drug delivery systems into punctal plugs can improve therapeutic efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create an open-source design for a 3D-printable punctal plug.
- To develop a punctal plug with an integrated drug delivery system.
- To assess the feasibility and efficiency of 3D printing these plugs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized FreeCAD for 3D design and ChituBox for slicing.
- Employed LCD 3D printing (Crealty LD-002R) with biocompatible resin.
- Focused on creating patient-specific punctal plugs for dry eye management.
Main Results:
- Successfully 3D printed punctal plugs with a suitable structure.
- Demonstrated ease of reproduction without complications.
- Achieved satisfactory results for the designed punctal plugs.
Conclusions:
- 3D printing provides a cost-effective and rapid method for producing personalized punctal plugs.
- The developed punctal plugs with drug delivery capabilities show potential for treating ocular diseases.
- This technology can enhance drug delivery and nasolacrimal pathway management.
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