The Ankle Foot Orthosis is designed to be modular or custom made, and a clinician can send

THE CUSTOMER

Many people are affected by medical conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and cerebral palsy, all of which can cause symptoms in the feet, ankles, knees, and other parts of the body. Often these conditions can be painful and make everyday tasks more difficult, but orthotics can help.

Crispin Orthotics works with the National Health System (NHS) and private patients throughout the United Kingdom. Their expertise in biomechanics enables them to create orthotic devices that can prevent, correct, and/or relieve symptoms of various ailments. Each patient’s individual condition requires an individual solution, which is why their orthotics service covers everything from assessment and fitting to aftercare.

INDUSTRY SEGMENT: HEALTHCARE | Prosthetics and orthotics

APPLICATION VERTICAL: HEALTHCARE | Prosthetics and orthotics

3D PRINTING MAIN BENEFITS

3D printing revolutionizes the way we think about providing orthotic products to customers. The ability to create a device that is individual, exact, and more cosmetic than current orthotics moves the industry forward.

Crispin Orthotics has been researching and developing 3D technology for more than five years and has invested in employees and technology to create 3D printed orthotics.

Not only can insoles can be 3D printed, but orthoses for any part of the body also can be 3D printed, including ankle supports, ankle foot orthoses, spinal supports, wrist braces, and face masks.

3D SCANNING

Any part of the body can be 3D scanned in order to obtain a computer image of the affected area. This process allows Crispin Orthotics technicians to create a model to work with.

3D MODELING

The scan is then imported into an industry-specific Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, Rodin4D. This allows the 3D orthotics technicians to adapt the model to make positional changes such as increasing or reducing the angle of a joint.

Specialists can also add pressure areas and include reliefs for less pressure-tolerant areas.

3D DESIGN

The adjusted model is then sent to the 3D design software where the design team creates a 3D printed orthotic device around the virtual model.

Using 3D printing in orthotics allows for greater freedom to design products with complex geometries and variations in thickness, resulting in devices that cannot be created with current methods of manufacturing.

3D PRINT PRODUCTION

Once the product is designed, it is sent to the 3D printer to be printed.


FINAL PART: APPLICATION

ANKLE FOOT ORTHOSIS

The Ankle Foot Orthosis is designed to be modular or custom made, and a clinician can send either a 3D scan or a plaster model. If they choose a plaster model, they will scan the cast to obtain a virtual image. The design allows for changes in dimension of the calf section and foot plate, as well as adjustments to the diameter of the rods that make up the leaf spring to influence the control that the device provides.

The device is primarily designed for individuals who have a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis or complications arising from a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), which affect muscle control in the lower limbs, particularly in the dorsiflexion muscles. These muscles help provide ground clearance of the foot during the swing phase of gait, prevent the foot from slamming to the ground at initial contact, and also provide some push off at the end of gait.

Crispin Orthotics’ specialists have designed this orthosis to prevent the foot from dropping downward during the swing phase of gait. The leaf spring at the back of the device supports the weight of the foot, and upon initial contact, the ground reaction force creates a flexion movement of the leaf spring, allowing a controlled downward progression of the footplate to prevent the foot from slamming to the ground. Upon progression of gait towards terminal contact, the footplate acts as a leaf spring and stores energy to provide some assistance prior to initiating the swing phase. In addition to the control element of the orthosis, they have designed the leaf spring to incline forward to increase the control and preclude the use of a calf strap, thus making the device more cosmetic, lightweight, and cost-effective. The device can be prescribed in the United Kingdom by a state-registered orthotist.

Specialists have tested the device using HP 3D HR PA 12 and have completed more than 500,000 cycles of repetitive loading without any visual changes within the properties of the orthosis. They are also conducting controlled tests of the orthosis to ascertain its effectiveness for long-term use.

Within the orthotics industry, it is not possible to create a dynamic ankle foot orthosis without using carbon fiber. The carbon fiber system used in orthotics is weaker in compression than the HP 3D HR PA 12 materials used with HP Multi Jet Fusion technology.

Carbon fiber is also non-adjustable, not environmentally friendly, difficult to finish, and very expensive to produce, all problems that can be solved using HP Multi Jet Fusion.

The dynamic 3D printed ankle foot orthosis costs 50% less than producing a carbon fiber product, and Crispin is confident that the device they have designed is more cosmetic and more accurate in fit due to the digital manufacturing process.

SIZES

X: 1.18 in / 3,0 cm
Y: 8.07 in / 20,5 cm
Z: 0.079 in / 0,2 cm

VOLUME

1.57 in3 / 25,7 cm3

MATERIAL

HP 3D HR PA 12

POST-PROCESSING

Bead blasting
Dyed in black
Matt lacquer sealant

COST

$0.87 / 0,71€ per part
$0.62 / 0,51€ Variable cost
$0.25 / 0,20€ Fixed cost


VIEW THE PRINTERS USED

HP Jet Fusion 3D  300/500 Printers
HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210/4200
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE


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