Italian Design company MHOX claims that they are only a few years away from being able to produce a 3D printed eye. The group says that, “…it’s possible to print organic body parts that function as well as or even better than our natural ones, and that includes the eye. After all, 3D printers have already created prosthetics and bone replacements,” according to allaboutvision.com.
MHOX’s “bio-printed” eye would be paired with what the company calls a “deck”, the technology that actually connects the eye to the brain. This deck would allow users to interchange their augmented eyes without surgery. The MHOX website claims that the proposed eye could potentially provide patients with better than 20/20 vision with a “hyper-retina.” The eyes would be printed with a needle that drops cells that lump together to re-create different tissues with different functions in the eye.
So how far-fetched is the idea, really? Well, the design group claims to already have prototypes to serve three different functions. They call the models: EYE HEAL, EYE ENHANCE, and EYE ADVANCE.
- EYE HEAL: replaces standard eye functionality, providing a cure to sight deseases and traumas
- EYE ENHANCE: sharpens sight up to 15/10, thanks to its hyper-retina. Moreover, the included visual gland allows the opportunity to aesthetically filter the visual signal. Filters (vintage, black and white, …) can be activated or changed swallowing EYE pills.
- EYE ADVANCE: on top of the other models’ offer, provides the ability to record and share the visual experience, thanks to the included gland that supports wi-fi communication. Once activated the wi-fi mode through the EYE connection pill it is possible to connect the EYE like an external camera for several devices.
But rest assured, if all of this sounds like something out of a crazy end of the world sic-fi movie, none of this is actually hitting the market any time soon. Rough estimates have the products hitting the market by 2027. In the mean time, you should probably leave your eyesight in the hands of good people like us at nJoy Vision, no printer ink or funky pills necessary!
