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Eye Hospital Takes Flight with Air Duct Made from Ultem on a 3D Printer
July 18, 2013 | Categories: Industry News
Aerospace company teams with additive manufacturing to further construction on airplane turned hospital seeking to heal blindness around the world.
Orbis is an airborne ophthalmic training facility called a Flying Eye Hospital. By making it possible to bring ophthalmic training to communities around the world, the company’s goal is to eliminate unnecessary blindness. According to Orbis, “…of the 39 million blind around the globe, 80%, or almost 32 million, suffer needlessly.”
To heal blindness, the Orbis team not only performs eye surgeries, but also educates other doctors in the proper execution of eye surgeries through two-way audio-visual links. To be everywhere to aid and instruct as many people as they can, Orbis’ entire hospital and training facility is housed on a converted DC-10 aircraft. Orbis is now in the process of building a new airborne hospital.