Digital transformation in healthcare – by the people, for the people 

Digital manufacturing has been steadily but surely gaining ground in orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). For two decades, practices have been 3D scanning limbs and casts, designing with 3D modelling software, and 3D printing assistive devices. The shift has brought tangible improvements. Practitioners automate repetitive work and reduce exposure to dust. Patients get well-fitting and comfortable devices fast. Good news all-round. 

But, among professionals who haven’t used the tech yet, a nagging question can crop up. And it’s come to the fore with the rise of AI. 

Will digitalisation make my job redundant? 

We spoke with an O&P technician that was troubled by this concern. David Slider is US-based prosthetics expert and amputee. After suffering an accident which left his leg completely unusable, he underwent surgeries for three years with unsatisfactory results. Finally, he decided to have the leg amputated.  

His experience sparked further interest in the field and led him to join the industry. He worked as a technician for fifteen years, and then moved to roles in sales and marketing, always within O&P. 

Digital transformation dilemma

During his time as a technician, he used the traditional, manual methods of the craft. Digital tools, such as 3D printers or 3D modelling software, played no part. Slider had heard of it, but the thought didn’t elicit any enthusiasm. It just made him fear for his job. Until he got to see the process for himself.  

An advocate of the tech, Brent Wright, made Slider a 3D printed prosthesis with an adjustable socket. Wright is a Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist who’s been working with patients and making custom devices for more than 20 years. He was also one of the first CPOs to design prostheses in Geomagic Freeform and 3D print them. Today, digital manufacturing is the backbone of his business. 

He crossed paths with Slider as part of a motion capture study. The university conducting it is looking at how different tightnesses of a prosthetic socket affect a patient’s stability. Wright offered to make a prosthesis with an adjustable socket for Slider, which would allow them to see if a patient could improve stability by tightening it.

Wright and Slider got together one Sunday afternoon. At around 5 pm, Wright took a cast of Slider’s leg. He scanned the inside of the cast, modified it in Geomagic Freeform and designed a prosthesis on top. By 6.30 pm he sent the file to the printer, which was located an hour and a half away. The prosthesis was ready the next day.

Slider put it on and walked. He was mindblown by the result. Adjustable sockets are notoriously hard and time-consuming to fabricate. But Slider got a well-fitting device within a day. The result wasn’t perfect – the prosthesis would need to be tweaked –  but it was considerably better than with the usual methods. 

Understanding technology, understanding people

“I am a very picky amputee when it comes to making casts and I know exactly what I want. I was impressed by this way of making a prosthetic,” Slider told us. Usually he would have to do a minimum of two test versions, but often even three. This time, they went straight to the definitive. 

The experience changed his view of digital tools. “When I first learnt about 3D scanning and 3D printing, I didn’t think it was a good thing. As an O&P technician, I was scared it was going to take my job. After seeing the process, I realised there’s still work for technicians. You still need a person who understands anatomy, who knows where to modify or not to modify. You can’t just apply an algorithm because everyone’s different.” 

Slider saw that the process was faster, but it also involved an O&P expert. “It’s not as simple as taking a phone, 3D scanning a limb, running it through an algorithm, and getting a perfect socket. It’s not enough to understand 3D printing, the technology. You need someone who understands prosthetics and anatomy. You need a CPO,” he said. 

How it all works

To make Slider’s prosthesis, Wright drew both on his expertise in digital transformation and O&P. He made a cast using a system called AirFit, developed by Weigel+ medical. It’s unique for using a membrane and fiberglass cast bandages. The patient stands up and puts their limb into the membrane. Air is pumped into it which causes the limb to compress as if it were in a socket. 

For the rest of the process, Wright used digital tools. He scanned the fiberglass cast, cleaned the scan data in Geomagic Freeform, and designed the socket. 

Slider knows the usual problem areas in his prostheses very well, so he could explain to Wright how to change the model. Since the model is digital, it was easy to apply that feedback and make changes. Wright could register all the information in Geomagic Freeform, make clinical decisions and create a good socket.  

The iteration and speed of modelling with 3D software could never be achieved manually. It’s easy to change a 3D model or to revert to a previous version. With a physical model, you cannot undo changes. You have to make a new one from scratch. 

The process impressed Slider. He could see the benefit for patients and practicioners. A CPO can scan a limb, save it and design a prosthesis from anywhere in the world. The patient can have it printed locally. If the person loses some muscle mass in six months or a year, the CPO can edit the model and have it printed again. The approach replicates digitally what’s done manually in the real world, but it’s faster and cheaper. It allows practices to create more devices, and it helps people get a better fitting and performing device.

See how Geomagic Freeform can help you solve patient-specific design challenges in the digital world.