The Mobilab & Care research group at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences is working on an automated workflow for the production of personalized aids, such as orthoses and prostheses, among other things. A good 3D scan of, for example, the patient’s leg or stump is the basis for this. However, user-friendliness of the scanner is at least as important as accuracy, says researcher Tom Saey.
The 35 employees of the Mobilab & Care research how you can use technology in healthcare, so that everyone can participate in society. Technology for smarter care. Started from Thomas More’s orthopedics training, the research group has now broadened its field of vision. EU projects are also working on motion analysis, monitoring systems, supporting communication technology and more.
Mobilab & Care of Thomas More University of Applied Sciences develops design algorithms for personalized aids
3D scanning and 3D printing
Tom Saey, originally an orthopedic technologist and Industrial Engineer Electromechanics, is mainly engaged in research into 3D scanning and 3D printing in healthcare. Scanning is an indispensable technology in his work. The scan data are the starting point for the design algorithms that are developed within Mobilab & Care of Thomas More Hogeschool. “We spend a lot of time automating the design process for tools here. Ultimately, we want personalized tools without the step of having to make designs over and over once more,” says the researcher. These devices can be prostheses, but also orthoses and exoskeletons. 3D scanning is the most important first step.
Accuracy and ease of use
Mobilab & Care uses the Artec Eva and Leo 3D scanners for this. The latter is a wireless 3D scanner that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to only capture the data you really need. With the Artec Eva and Leo, the employees and cooperating care providers scan the limbs of the patients or, for example, the stump if a prosthesis needs to be made. “Accuracy is very important for prostheses,” says Tom. The high accuracy of the Artec 3D scanners is less necessary for other applications. What Tom Saey finds particularly important is the ease of use: “Typical for the orthopedic sector is that people are not used to working digitally. Much is still done by hand. If you then want to have people scan, it is important that the scanners are super user-friendly and that they can be operated very intuitively.”
Color overlays can be used to check whether the scanner has collected enough data
Integrated screen
The Artec Leo scores particularly well on this point because this wireless 3D scanner has an interactive 5.5 inch screen on which you immediately see what you are scanning. Tom Saey: “The employees who scan often travel to the patient. Then it is an advantage that the 3D scanner works wirelessly and you do not have to bring an extra laptop.” In addition, it is not necessary to apply markers. Instead, the scanner indicates on the screen with colors whether you are too close to the subject or too far away. Color overlays can be used to check whether the scanner has collected enough data. This is essential, because the design of a prosthesis or other device is made on the basis of the scan data. “If they are not good, the prosthesis may or may not fit properly.”
Automatic design process
The ultimate goal that Thomas More’s research group is working on is an automated workflow from 3D scanning to 3D printing of patient-specific aids such as prostheses and orthoses. To this end, the scan data is first processed in the Artec Studio software, in which all data is combined into a 3D model. Tom Saey likes to work with the Artec software because it gives you a lot of control over how you process the scan data. That is sometimes less with other scanners. “There you have little influence on the end result. At Artec you can go through the scan frame by frame.” At the same time, you can also process the data automatically, a possibility that the students often choose. “Students often resort to the automated workflow. For them it is regarding gaining experience with scanning.” But if you go through the learning curve, you have a lot more influence on the end result. To automate the design step, algorithms have been developed within Mobilab & Care in Rhinoceros 3D. An important intermediate step remains that the orthopedic technologist can digitally adjust the model, for example if more or less pressure is needed at certain points. “Traditionally, they do this by adding or removing some material from the plaster model. This can be done digitally with special software. Whether the prosthesis will fit depends on these corrections.” The prostheses are then 3D printed, nowadays usually with Multi Jet Fusion technology.
Artificial intelligence
In a research project with Orthobroker, Mobilab & Care has investigated whether you can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to perform these corrections automatically. Tom Saey: “AI can perfectly predict the standard corrections. This allows a prosthetist to automate the repetitive tasks in his work. But of course input from the clinical expert is still needed.”
Large scale 3D printing
In the future, Mobilab & Care, together with Thomas More’s sustainable production research group, wants to investigate whether large-scale 3D printing can be used for the production of larger aids such as patient-specific seat shells in wheelchairs. These are now made with vacuum forming, which once more precedes the necessary manual work. It is being investigated whether a digital workflow with 3D design and 3D printing is a better alternative. They also want to see whether it is possible to print with recycled plastics. Again 3D scanning is the starting point.
More information regarding the Artec 3D scanners: 4c, the Benelux dealer for Artec. 4C will demonstrate the Artec scanners during AM for Production on 29 March in ‘s Hertogenbosch.