A research team in Germany has developed an AI-driven digital process for manufacturing ocular prostheses that yields higher-quality results more quickly than manual processes.

Prosthetic eyes are used by patients who have suffered eye loss due to serious injuries or illness. According to Moorfields Eye Charity, in the UK 60,000 to 70,000 people and over eight million people worldwide wear a prosthetic eye.

Ocular prostheses are not new. They date back to the 1950s when ocularists would custom-make them to match the patient’s eye socket shape. They would then painstakingly handpaint an iris to replicate the patient’s remaining eye.

In 70 years these methods have not changed much. The process still requires highly skilled ocularists using manual processes. While digital design has somewhat accelerated the development process, it still requires substantial expertise and time: around eight hours.

The disadvantages of this artisanal process means that many variables are involved, and one ocularist...