An approach for simulating the fitting of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses using 3D printing technology.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new approach to simulatethe fitting process of rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses using 3D printing technology.

METHODS: A hemispherical or parabolic 3D model was created using 3D Builder or Tinkercad software. The horizontal and vertical diameters and the hemispherical or ellipsoid height were adjusted to simulate different morphologies of the corneal anterior surface. After exporting the file in stereo lithography (STL) format, a solid model was printed using a 3D printer and was used to simulate RGP contact lens fitting.

RESULTS: Limited by the precision of the entry-level 3D printer which was used in this study, the print-outs of the corneal models were crude, but the models were tested for their ability to simulate common corneal morphologies with no corneal astigmatism and different axial corneal astigmatism. Compared with some built-in simulation programs for corneal topography, the solid models generated by 3D printing could well simulate the positioning of the lens under the influence of gravity and the eyelid, as well as lens eccentricity or the bubbles under lenses caused by an improper wearing method.

CONCLUSION: 3D printing technology can be well applied in the simulation of RGP contact lens fitting, which may become a new teaching method in optometry.