Efforth
The project that seeks greater EFFiciency and EFFectiveness in ORTHopaedics
The production of patient specific products, such as orthopaedic or podiatric soles, ankle-foot orthoses, prostheses and corsets, always is associated with measurements, a design phase and a production phase. The orthopaedist or podiatrist can do this by using a variety of techniques. For measurements, for instance, he can use plaster, wax, blueprint, foam box, 2D or 3D scanning. The techniques for production, on the other hand, could be i.a. thermoplastic vacuum forming, casting of composite materials, manual shaping of metal parts, milling and 3D printing.
Although in most cases the traditional techniques are still used at the workshop, innovative techniques such as 3D scanning, milling and 3D-printing could lead to better reproducibility, shorter lead time, better and other mechanical properties, less waste and a greater design flexibility. This allows for a greater group of patients to be helped better.
Then why aren't these new techniques not yet adopted in the orthopaedic workshops?
One of the reasons for this is that lead time, reproducibility and economic feasibility of the measuring and production processes are not widely known. In addition, the mechanical and functional properties of the final products are not recognized for all the tools.
Another reason is that for some orthopaedic applications, intermediate steps in the process of 3D scan to printed final product are missing or inaccessible for orthopaedic businesses.
Therefore, MOBILAB - Thomas More Kempen will develop several cases, in which:
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The production of patient specific products, such as orthopaedic or podiatric soles, ankle-foot orthoses, prostheses and corsets, always is associated with measurements, a design phase and a production phase. The orthopaedist or podiatrist can do this by using a variety of techniques. For measurements, for instance, he can use plaster, wax, blueprint, foam box, 2D or 3D scanning. The techniques for production, on the other hand, could be i.a. thermoplastic vacuum forming, casting of composite materials, manual shaping of metal parts, milling and 3D printing.
Although in most cases the traditional techniques are still used at the workshop, innovative techniques such as 3D scanning, milling and 3D-printing could lead to better reproducibility, shorter lead time, better and other mechanical properties, less waste and a greater design flexibility. This allows for a greater group of patients to be helped better.
Then why aren't these new techniques not yet adopted in the orthopaedic workshops?
One of the reasons for this is that lead time, reproducibility and economic feasibility of the measuring and production processes are not widely known. In addition, the mechanical and functional properties of the final products are not recognized for all the tools.
Another reason is that for some orthopaedic applications, intermediate steps in the process of 3D scan to printed final product are missing or inaccessible for orthopaedic businesses.
Therefore, MOBILAB - Thomas More Kempen will develop several cases, in which:
- a comparative study of both different measuring and production processes as well as of final products will be carried out, resulting in guidelines for the expert.
- codes of good practice will be developed, explaining how the process from scan to product could be implemented in a company.
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