4/4/2022
I have continued to make further progress in creating my final product this past week. This involved carving out the shape of my model even more. I worked on hollowing out the eye, which will be the area where the vitreous humor is and in which the lens will be placed. I struggled with making the inside shape consistent in radius and be smooth. Sandpaper once again helped with this, along with first sketching the shape onto the thermocol. For the lens and cornea, I have found it challenging to accurately represent them and the process in pediatric cataract surgery with materials. As I was planning to show the lens as saran wrap around playdoh, I also hoped to be able to easily take the playdoh out piece-by-piece to show the process of a vitrector’s cutting and suction. However, since saran wrap would not withstand its shape without the inside playdoh, I may have to reconsider. Additionally, it is difficult to find anything that could be used as the cornea and I have looked into the shaping of plastic through heat as an option. I have also continued to brainstorm possibly adding an educational pamphlet to my final product that would explain my model, further helping to demonstrate how pediatric cataract surgery works. Thus, as I continue in my final week of final product work, I need to get creative with my decisions as I face various obstacles.