| imes, diseases of the human eye or injury can require | | | | worn by Americans originated in Europe. German |
| that an eye be removed through an eye surgery | | | | craftsman were typically regarded as the best |
| called either enucleation, evisceration, or orbital | | | | manufactures of the prosthetic eye during this time. |
| exenteration depending on how much of the | | | | However, due to the circumstances of World Was I, |
| components of the eye socket must be removed. | | | | high quality German artificial eyes became harder to |
| There are many reasons why the eye may need to | | | | obtain. Therefore, between the two world wars, the |
| be removed including injury, cancer, advanced | | | | glass eye found itself competing with a new prosthetic |
| glaucoma, congenial eye diseases or other common | | | | eye made of plastic. The movement from glass to |
| eye diseases. In these cases, many people opt to | | | | plastic introduced a more affordable prosthetic eye |
| wear an artificial eye, also known as a prosthetic eye | | | | that was capable of being mass-produced. |
| or an ocular prosthesis, rather than an eye patch. | | | | Modern Ocular Prostheses |
| Artificial eyes are often called glass eyes, but this term | | | | Although mass-produced artificial eyes are widely |
| is no longer accurate since currently, artificial eyes for | | | | available, many people now opt to have artificial eyes |
| humans are made from methyl methacrylate, a high | | | | custom made to achieve a closer match for the |
| quality medical-grade acrylic. Ocular prostheses are | | | | missing eye. The first step in having an ocular |
| not to be confused with visual prosthesis, which | | | | prosthesis created is to be measured. In order to get |
| actually work to restore vision. With an ocular | | | | an accurate measurement, an impression, or mold of |
| prosthesis, the wearer will be blind on the affected | | | | the eye socket is made from wax. This impression |
| side. | | | | helps in defining the correct position of the iris, the |
| History of the artificial eye | | | | amount of curvature of the artificial eye, and it's size. |
| The first known prosthetic eye for humans was found | | | | And even though prosthetic eyes are manufactured |
| in 2006 in Iran and is estimated to be almost five | | | | and composed of acrylic, the artisan elements, which |
| thousand years old. That eye was made from a close | | | | were so proudly defined by the German craftsmen of |
| relative of plastic, bitumen, which is a tar-like paste. | | | | the late 1800s and early 1900s, still remain. In the |
| Eventually, in the 1400s, artificial eyes were actually | | | | modern process of prosthetic eye creation, the iris is |
| made out of glass, which was a break-through in | | | | hand-painted and based on the existing eye of new |
| terms of appearance. Not a lot is known about artificial | | | | owner. These modern artisans are called ocularists. |
| eyes during ancient times, but they were apparently | | | | The first step in obtaining an ocular prosthesis is |
| common enough for William Shakespeare to be | | | | contacting an ocularist. He or she can meet with you |
| aware of them in the late 1500s since he mentions | | | | to help you determine if an artificial eye is right for you |
| “glass eyes” in King Lear. In their | | | | and help you get the process started. |
| heyday, in the early 20th century, many glass eyes | | | | |