From tragedy, a wonderful real-world use of 3D printing to make orthotics

[Quartz]

BBC article here.

Before:

Getting an orthosis, though, is a drawn-out process, involving different appointments, at different locations. And there is one “horrific” stage, Samiya says, when children have to remain absolutely still for up to an hour as a plaster of Paris mould is made of their body.

Now:

Andiamo does not use plaster casts. Instead, a 3D scanner is swept over the child’s body for between 60 and 90 seconds. Inside the scanner a number of high-speed cameras take photographs from different angles and these images are then digitally stitched together to make a 3D image, which can be fed into a 3D printer.
“These children are already stressed and in pain, coming to appointments is never fun - but we have been able to turn some of that experience around and get the children excited about the 3D printing,” says Samiya.
And the aim is to reduce waiting times from months to 48 hours. So far they’ve got it down to two weeks.

I think this looks to be a wonderful use of new technology.

[Iggy]

A lightbulb moment indeed.

Producing custom fit orthotics seems like a natural use for 3D printing. I wouldn’t be surprised if it revolutionizes the orthotics field. Might be hard pressed to find people doing it the old way in a few years.

[Nava]

One of the seminars we had while I was in grad school was from a Canadian organic chemistry professor, who had a blind graduate student. In Orgo, spatial information is super important, so how do you manage to make decent models (beyond “balls and sticks”) for someone who can’t see?

Their team had come up with a machine that built models out of planks of plastic, according to the results calculated by the simulation software. By having different elements have different surfaces, he could see them in the model.

I don’t know if and how much current 3D printing tech is based on their work; at the time, they were working on getting appropriate patents. But AFAIK, that tech was built precisely in order to assist someone with a disability It could make the blind see!

[Doctor_Jackson]

I saw this recently and it made me smile! 3-d printing a pair of shoes for a the world’s tallest teen, cutting the cost per pair by 50 to 75 percent. Not inconsequential when custom made shoes are the only option.