3D-printed eye models: Innsbruck team trains eyelid surgery with Stratasys system

Stratasys and the Austrian medtech company Addion are jointly leveraging 3D printing to transform training in eyelid surgery. Addion and Eyecer.at use the Stratasys Digital Anatomy solution to produce anatomically detailed eye models that are already being used for training at the Anatomical Institute of the University of Innsbruck. The goal is to practice complex procedures on the eyelid and orbital region in a realistic way without having to rely on cadaver or animal specimens.

The new training models are based on Stratasys’ PolyJet technology, which enables multicolour and multi-material prints with tuned elasticity and haptics. Using it, Addion replicates layers such as skin, muscle and fatty tissue as well as ocular structures in a single build job. Different Shore hardnesses ensure that incisions, cauterisation and sutures provide feedback similar to that in the operating room. In addition, rare or complex pathologies can be specifically reproduced, such as traumatic defects or reconstructive scenarios following tumour surgery.

“We can now simulate rare and complex pathologies in a way that is ethical, reproducible, and remarkably realistic,” said Alexander Hechenberger, CEO and founder of Addion GmbH. “By eliminating the need for cadavers or animal models, medical institutions no longer require chilled facilities, while benefiting from safe, consistent, and cost-effective training, without sacrificing the quality of the model. The realism we achieve, you can see it, feel it, and scale it anywhere in the world with the same reliability, is democratizing surgical education, making it more accessible than ever.”

Addion goes a step further by integrating dynamic effects such as simulated blood flow into the printed tissues. Fluids can circulate through channels within the printed body so that bleeding and its control can be practised in a realistic manner. This creates an environment for surgeons in which workflows and complication management can be trained under controlled conditions.

“Digital Anatomy additive manufacturing combines material science and medical insight to replicate the true behavior of human tissue,” said Erez Ben Zvi, VP Healthcare at Stratasys. “Addion’s work with the University of Innsbruck exemplifies how advanced simulation can improve both surgical performance and patient care—helping medical organizations train more efficiently, safely, and at scale.”

The technology is already being used by hospitals, universities and medical device manufacturers for training models, device testing and preoperative planning. Addion’s eye and eyelid models are to be showcased at Formnext in Frankfurt (18–21 November, Hall 12.1, Stand D121) and are regarded as an example of how 3D printing can make medical simulation more practice-oriented and more widely accessible.