Design and Development of a High-Fidelity 3D-Printed Ophthalmic Training Model for Cataract Surgery

Globally, over 10 million people are blind due to cataracts. Cataract surgery restores sight by extracting the opacified crystalline lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. This procedure requires precise maneuvering within the anterior chamber, thus acquiring surgical proficiency involves a steep learning curve which is traditionally addressed through biological wet-labs or virtual reality systems. These methods have limited realistic tactile feedback, supply inconsistencies, ethical concerns, or prohibitive costs. This project aims to design, develop, and evaluate a modular, cost-effective, and high-fidelity 3D-printed physical simulator for cataract surgery training. Patient-specific anatomical geometries from Computed Tomography data are used to establish dimensional fidelity. A modular simulator is subsequently designed, consisting of a synthetic cornea, capsular bag, and lens, all secured within a fluid-retentive orbital housing. 3D printing material jetting technology is utilized to produce the simulator’s components, aiming to replicate the biomechanical and optical properties of the target ocular tissues. The developed prototypes were clinically evaluated by ophthalmic surgeons using questionnaires and direct clinical observation. The synthetic capsular bag (50 µm thick, printed with a Shore 85A composite), accurately replicates the distinct shear-stress propagation required for a realistic Continuous Curvilinear Capsulorhexis. The lens showed strong functional promise for phacoemulsification. The rigid synthetic cornea could not match native viscoelastic compliance, highlighting specific areas for future refinement. Ultimately, this work demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing advanced multi-material 3D printing to produce scalable, high-fidelity models for surgical education. The models have potential to replace biological wet-labs, broaden access to surgical training, and safely accelerate the learning curve for novice ophthalmologists.