Studies suggest that 2050 will see nearly 3.6 million individuals with limb loss, and this figure is just for the US alone! As such, the prosthetics industry would have to keep up with the ramped-up demand without compromising quality, durability, and comfort.
A bulk of the potential problems could be solved by streamlining the socket creation process. After all, it is the starting point of prosthetic design. The socket is the portion of the prosthetic interface with the patient’s residual limb. As such, it plays a vital role in determining the fit, control, and build of the prosthetic. Creating the socket traditionally involves processes like plaster casting. This is time intensive and heavily dependent on the prosthetists’ skills and experience.
Because of this, it is time to overhaul such a cumbersome process with efficient innovation. Enter 3D limb scanning. With it, the time and effort it takes to make the best prosthetic possible for everyone is greatly altered, allowing those who need them to have the prosthetic they both need and deserve quickly.
Let’s take a closer look at 3D scanning and what exactly it means for prosthetic designs.
What Is 3D Scanning? How Can It Be Used for Prosthetics?
3D scanning is the process of analyzing a real-world object using high-precision technology like lasers, photogrammetry, or structured light scanning. It captures all the details required to digitally recreate the physical object’s shape and appearance, including colors and textures.
The data collected thus creates 3D models representing the original object, which can then be used as a base for related 3D projects. From this very definition, it is evident that 3D scanning can be used to design prosthetics efficiently. The technology can come in handy to scan the residual limb. The 3D model created thus can then act as a base for designing the socket or the prosthetic in its entirety.
Advantages of 3D Limb Scanning
3D limb scanning comes with the following advantages:
Non-Contact, Non-Invasive
3D limb scanning is completely non-invasive because the 3D scanner will never come in physical contact with the residual limb. Whether a 3D scanning booth or handheld 3D scanners are used, they will capture all the necessary details from different angles from a distance and without any direct physical contact.
Quick
Unlike plaster casting which can take a few hours, 3D scanning is quick and seamless. A single scan in a 3D scanning booth can take as little as 10 seconds for a full-body scan! Portable 3D scanners may take a few minutes to construct the 3D model (provided you sit still), but either way, a few minutes is vastly shorter than a few hours, saving valuable time.
Accurate
Just because 3D scanners can do the job quickly does not mean they compromise on the quality of the scan. 3D scanners leverage high-precision technology to give highly accurate results. The scans are consistent and reliable even when set on repeat under the same conditions.
High Resolution
If swiftness and accuracy were not compelling enough reasons to make a case for 3D scanning, the technology seals the deal by adding in the fact that every scan is in high resolution. 3D scanners are capable of detecting shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and more that may not be apparent to the human eye.
Affordable Prosthetics
Cost efficiency is an indirect benefit of 3D limb scanning as well. 3D scanning opens up the possibility of 3D printing prosthetics. Such prosthetics are found to be cheaper, more lightweight, and more valuable than their traditional counterparts. At the same time, 3D scanning customizes the prosthetic design, which is a major development we will discuss in detail in the following section.
Can 3D Scanning Customize Prosthetic Limb Designs?
Until recent times, prosthetics came with sockets having standardized shapes and sizes. Patients had to use items like gel and foam liners to enjoy some amount of customization. In a way, the wearer had to mold their residual limb to force fit the socket which caused discomfort and took away from the usability of the prosthetic.
However, all of that is changing with the adoption of 3D limb scanning. 3D scanning lays the foundation of socket design customization as per the specific needs of the patient and vice versa.
It starts with the prosthetist taking a 3D scan of the residual limb. As stated already, the process will be seamless, painless, and quick. This 3D limb scan will help with the creation of the 3D model of the residual limb. This model can now be used as the base to reverse engineer the prosthetic socket design.
As such, the socket would be built around the residual limb, making the prosthetic a natural extension of the body. The resulting prosthetic socket would be tightly coupled with the shape and size of the residual limb, thereby offering a snug fit. Accordingly, it would minimize discomfort in using the prosthetic while granting greater control and expanding its value. This greatly helps those wearing prosthetics to wear them more regularly.
3D limb scanning can also be used to scan the other functional limb to ensure that the volumetric and surface measurement of the prosthetic complement the specifications of the existing one. Such a design consideration ensures that both the limbs’ load-bearing capacity and general usability are comparable. This quality becomes even more valuable if you are getting specialized prosthetics made, such as those for high-impact sporting events, as these design considerations help optimize overall performance.
What to Expect During 3D Limb Scanning
Prosthetists typically use handheld 3D limb scanners rather than a full-body scanning booth. These structure sensor scanners could be mounted on devices like iPads. The process will be non-invasive, non-contact, quick, and effortless.
If you are interested in getting the 3D limb scanning process done, it’s important to know what to expect during the scanning appointment itself:
- You will be made to sit elevated on a patient examination table and asked to extend the residual limb as much as possible. You can use your hands to support the limb but make sure that it is positioned well above the socket trim lines, or else it may interfere with the 3D scanning to reproduce incorrect limb shape.
- The prosthetist will then move the device to the same level as the limb to scan the lateral side. They will observe the scan from the viewfinder and control the degree to which the limb needs to be scanned.
- Once they have determined the optimum distance to perform the scan, they will start scanning. They move the camera up and down to capture more detail of the limb from different angles.
- After the lateral scanning is complete, they will slowly move to the anterior portion while maintaining a consistent distance from the limb. They will then sweep the scanner down to the distal end of the limb and continue to the posterior to gain maximum coverage.
- Finally, they will move to the medial side. Once again, they will move the camera to get details from different angles.
- They will then review the captured scan and upload it to the editing software, where they will finetune the design further.
That’s it! That’s all it takes to get your 3D limb scan done.
Shaping the Future of Prosthetics
There is no contest that 3D limb scanning is changing the face of prosthetics—specifically, the sockets. Socket design customization welcomes a host of benefits, starting with the ease of using the prosthetic.
Whether using 3D scanners to decrease the cost of prosthetics or to design high-performance prosthetics, Fit Prosthetics has the right set of tools and technologies to make it happen. We manufacture true-to-design and true-to-fit prosthetics that infuse wearers with comfort and confidence, improving their quality of life. We aim to offer our customers the ultimate care by combining cost-efficiency with fast turnaround times. For any and all questions, reach out to us today.