What Are Prosthetic Eyes Made Of?

Prosthetic eyes are used when the natural eye has been surgically removed. Over the years, prosthetic eyes have been made of a variety of materials including the glass eye of lore.

Modern Prosthetic Eyes

• According to the website artificialeye.com, medical-quality PMMA acrylic is currently used for prosthetic eyes. PMMA stands for polymethyl-methacrylate, and according to Boedeker Plastics, PMMA is "is optically transparent, unaffected by moisture, and offers a high strength-to-weight ratio." Custom Ocular Prosthetics notes allergies to PMMA are highly unlikely because the material is very bio-compatible after being surgically inserted.

Other Materials

• Some prosthetic eyes are made of cryolite glass. These are a decided minority to the acrylic eyes.

Prosthetic Eye Appearance

• Prosthetic eyes are manufactured to the specifications of the patient. The finished product is shaped and colored to match the patient's natural eye.

Glass Eyes

• Glass was commonly used for prosthetic eyes until World War II. According to the website artificialeyeclinic.com, the eyes were made by German glass blowers. The American military developed plastic prosthetic eyes during the war.

Partial Prosthetic Eyes

• In cases where the eye ball is damaged and does not function, a scleral shell may be used. The shell is painted or finished to match the good eye and worn over the damaged eye ball to give a more normal appearance.