![]() The prototype is tested on the patient and modified to improve the design. Next, the impression is used to make a positive plaster cast for use as a reference for carving a wax or clay prototype for the affected side. ![]() This process typically involves taking an alginate-gel or plaster impression of the contralateral ear if available (microtia is unilateral in 74–93% of cases 13, 14, 15, 16) to obtain patient specific ear morphology which can then be mirrored and the impression-taking process has been described as invasive and uncomfortable 12, 17. (1994) found that the average time to produce a prosthesis was 14 h 9 min 11 while Mohammed et al. The traditional hand-crafted fabrication process, however, is lengthy and retails $2,000–$7,000 per prosthesis 7, 9, though the manufacturing costs may be as low as $1,000 10. Children with microtia and their families have been shown to suffer psychologically 3, 4 and use of a prosthetic or implantable solution can provide emotional relief 3, 5.Įxternal ear prostheses are typically manufactured from medical grade silicone due to its skin-like appearance and mechanical properties 6, 7, 8. Microtia is a congenital malformation of the external ear that affects approximately 2 in 10,000 births 1, and is diagnosed in varying degrees of deformity from a slightly smaller ear to the complete absence of the external ear (known as anotia) 2. This advanced manufacturing framework provides potential for non-invasive, low cost, and high-accuracy alternative to current techniques, is easily translatable to other prostheses, and has potential for further cost reduction. This contrasts with traditional hand-crafted prostheses which range from $2,000 to $7,000 and take around 14 to 15 h of labour. An injection method with smoothed 3D printed ABS moulds was also developed at a cost of approximately $155 for consumables and labour. The average cost was approximately $3 for consumables and $116 for 2 h of labour. These were processed using software to model the prostheses and 3-part negative moulds, which were fabricated on a low-cost desktop 3D printer, and cast with silicone to produce ear prostheses. Three-dimensional scans were taken of ears of six participants using a structured light scanner. In this paper, we present an advanced manufacturing framework employing three-dimensional scanning, computer-aided design, and computer-aided manufacturing to efficiently fabricate patient-specific ear prostheses. Traditional fabrication is costly, uncomfortable for the patient, and laborious involving several hours of hand-crafting by a prosthetist, with the results highly dependent on their skill level. Craniofacial prostheses are commonly used to restore aesthetics for those suffering from malformed, damaged, or missing tissue.
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