The Time is Right for 3D Scanning in O&P
The AAOP Annual Meeting in Chicago was the first opportunity that Comb was formally introduced to the O&P industry. The three-day meeting included a live workshop focused on the importance of 3D scanning and the future of the digital workflow, live demonstrations at the Comb booth, and conversational feedback surrounding various industry applications for the technology. It is clear that 3D scanning is no longer stigmatized as “out of reach” and the entire field is ready to explore attainable options to implement the digital workflow.
3D Scanning Workshop
On the first Wednesday of the Meeting the Comb team held a workshop for other attendees that focused on the future of 3D scanning in O&P. When a poll of the room was taken, a surprising majority of the room responded that they are currently scanning or have scanned before. Knowing that this practice hasn’t yet become the go-to strategy for fabrication in O&P, the majority response was indicative of the market-readiness for scanning and supporting technology.
Wrapping up the workshop, all attendees had the opportunity to scan a series of mannequins with the Comb scanning app – a BK, KAFO and TLSO model were available. While the app was designed specifically for ease of use and adoption, seeing practitioners and fabricators comfortably scanning subjects on their first or second scan was still encouraging to see.
Feedback from visitors
Comb was exhibited at the Meeting for three days – during which all attendees had the chance to test the scanner. Interestingly the pattern of scanning familiarity amongst attendees continued over to interactions held at the Comb booth. About twenty-percent of attendees were regularly scanning in their everyday roles, about fifty-percent had scanned before but weren’t thrilled with available technology, twenty-percent were interested in scanning and actively trying to learn more and the remaining ten-percent were being introduced to scanning for the first time.
A question in particular continued to resurface from a decent number of visitors – what happens next? For a portion of the industry, the digital workflow needed to be explained from end to end in order to fully understand the value of a scanner. Understanding that scanning is just one piece of the puzzle, there is an opportunity to increase throughput from the average O&P facility to a Central Fabrication in order to easily solve “what happens next” for individuals who do not have a preexisting process in place. Since the scans from Comb are available in .OBJ or .STL format they can be easily uploaded into almost any design software – meaning Comb can be substituted into the beginning of any existing digital workflow without interrupting subsequent steps.
The opportunity to save time and money, simplify current processes, and improve the standard of care for patients were hot topics of discussion at the Comb booth. With technology becoming more accessible, the barrier for widely adopting scanning in O&P continues to lessen.
Attendees Loved
Based on market feedback, the most favorable feature of Comb was that no additional hardware was needed for scanning. As long as the app was downloaded to an iPhone X or newer, the app uses the built-in front facing camera to scan the subject.
The close-range scanning distance of Comb was also a popular subject of discussion. The scanning sweet spot for Comb is between six and ten inches from the subject, with a maximum range of fifteen inches, allowing for easy rotation around the patient. When taking a scan, it is more efficient to scan closer to the shape instead of scanning from a far distance.
Area of Potential Development
A few attendees also expressed the desire for scanning the inside of an existing socket. While Comb was not designed for this functionality, a live test at the Meeting proved that this functionality was possible. The Comb team has taken this into account and is in the process of assessing this feature.
What to Expect Next from Comb
In the coming weeks Comb will be available to the entire industry for download – if you would like to sign up for a free trial, please click the button below.