HP Inc., along with Go 4-D – a 3D printed medical orthotics industry visionary announced that it is modernising the process used to create custom orthotics by using technologies such as biometrics and 3D printing. Orthotics is a field of medicine concerned with design and manufacture of artificial devices called orthoses that help correct musculoskeletal problems.
As a part of the alliance, Go 4-D will distribute HP’s FitStation platform throughout the North American medical market. The HP’s FitStation platform is made of a combination of 3D foot scanning with dynamic gait analysis that enables both orthotic recommendations and 3D printed custom orthotics. This orthotics are prescribed using each person’s unique biomechanics, which in turn allow Go 4-D to manufacture precise, comfortable and cost-effective orthotics using HP’s Jet Fusion 3D printing systems.
The new way of manufacturing orthotics replaces old but still preferable subjective orthotic manufacturing techniques which involve creating orthotics using vacuum-forming plastic over a positive of the positive. The subjective manufacturing method is filled with loopholes as it does not take into consideration dynamic measurements into design of the device. In addition, the materials used in subjective manufacturing also limit the functional capabilities of the orthotics. However, the FitStation platform eliminates all the issues of subjective manufacturing.
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The FitStation platform uses specialized hardware and software components to capture an individual’s unique 3D foot scan, dynamic gait and pressure data. This data is automatically analyzed to provide manufacturing instructions for 3D printed custom foot orthotics.
Speaking about how the FitStation platform powered by HP is reinventing the design and manufacturing of orthotics, Edward Ponomarev, General Manager, Commercial Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, FitStation powered by HP said, “Given their extensive experience and knowledge of the custom orthotic industry, Go 4-D and FitStation powered by HP are perfectly positioned to pioneer the digital transformation of custom 3D printed orthotics into the medical market.”
“FitStation is a truly transformative platform that supports HP’s journey to reinvent how the world designs and manufactures with commercial 3D technologies,” added Ponomarev.
“Our goal is to provide healthcare practitioners with the ability to precisely prescribe a true custom 3D printed product for optimal biomechanical function and comfort,” said Paul Linton, Chief Executive Officer at Go 4-D.
“FitStation is becoming a disruptive enabler by solving a critical need for modernizing a new era for custom orthotics used for work, sports and daily activities,” added Linton.
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Go 4-D has decades of experience in custom orthotic industry and has clear understanding of the pitfalls of manual, subjective, error-pane manufacturing. By combining the 3D and dynamic quantitative data from FitStation, along with practitioner’s clinical experience, Go 4-D has eliminate errors of subjective manufacturing. With the help of FitStation platform, practitioners can now design more precise orthotic that is 3D printed with high accuracy, specificity and design features that were impossible to manufacture using traditional manufacturing methods.
“There is a distressing need for custom orthotics that are made right the first time and are not thick or bulky and can fit the patients’ footwear. We are revolutionizing the orthotic business for clinics, and HP’s FitStation platform will allow us to capture precise analytical data and manufacture an orthotic that provides precise correction in a lightweight design that fits in most shoes. This data will be used to create exciting products that will help patients’ feet function properly and alleviate pain or discomfort,” concluded Dr. Lori Yarrow, Chief Customer Officer, at Go 4-D when explaining how the company revolutionising the orthotic business for clinics.
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