 MAGNETIC TRACKING SYSTEM
The loss of an eye can have long lasting emotional affects on any person and Ocularist’s are finding a higher patient demand for better techniques to improve motility.
Inserting any implant into the socket after enucleation of the eye or placing the implant into an eviscerated eye usually achieves motility but this may not fully transfer to the ocular prosthesis.
We have come a long way with new sophisticated porous orbital implants. As this type of implant will integrate with the socket it is possible to drill a small hole into the implant and screw in a peg drive. The artificial eye would have a recess on the posterior surface so the peg would lock up both components. This method of coupling will achieve a method of attaching the prosthetic eye to the orbital implant.
Cos-Metic Pty Ltd Australia has taken the next step to improve the tracking of an artificial eye with the use of magnets.
Magnets were used in the 1950’s to create movement from the implant to the prosthesis. As the magnets were placed under the conjunctiva (the thin layer of skin tissue over the implant) problems accrued with migration, infection, irritation, rejection and necrosis (conjunctiva tissue breakdown caused by pressure from the two magnets making contact).
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With Cos-Medic’s new Magnetic Tracking System a gold plated 1/2mm thick Rare Earth magnet is placed above the conjunctiva by way of a small screw pin with a cup head to hold the magnet and then encased in acrylic. This will cause the magnet to hold its magnetism and prevent magnet extrusion. The prosthetic eye is also manufactured with a Rare Earth magnet that is placed onto the anterior cap of the tracking pin for centering then moulded into the back of the prosthesis by means of impression fitting.
If the implant travels more then the socket will allow the prosthetic eye to travel, some slippage of the two magnets will occur but only when the prosthesis has moved to it’s extreme. The pin magnet will then lock back onto the companion magnet on its return.
Maximum mobility will then be achieved.
The anterior cap of the Magnetic Tracking System can be removed if MRI Scanning is required. |
