3D Laser Scanning services and Printing are Making Prosthetics More Affordable

Any prosthetic you see may cost thousands of dollars and sometimes more than that. We have been searching for a better solution that enables people to have more affordable options than ever before. 3D laser scanning services, partnered with 3D printing, has been a substantially rising trend in the prosthetics field. Creating them with this technology has changed many things. 

Prosthetics can now be customized for an individual person making them way more comfortable than ever before. It has also allowed prosthetics to become more budget-friendly, which is something that is very uncommon to find. 

It is not easy work to make prosthetics, and it is even more work to be the one in need of a limb. Now, 3D laser scanning has entered this field and made a massive change in how prosthetics are made. It is exhilarating for the people getting work done and for those helping make new limbs a possibility. 

How do 3D laser scanning services help create prosthetics?

3D laser scanning devices are more accurate at gathering information than any other way. It collects small details that may go missed even by a doctor. That is why this technology is so fascinating. 

Making a customized prosthetic means that one person who is in need of a new limb needs to stand in one spot, and that’s it for them. A doctor or researcher will take a 3D laser scanning device and start scanning the patient. 

The scanner will pick up how wide a person’s features are, where exactly the prosthetic will need to lay, how long it needs to be, and more. The nub will be scanned first, and then the other arm or leg will be scanned for comparison. 

They then use this information to create a full image that allows them to design the prosthetic in a computer-aided-design program or CAD.  

How do they use the 3D printer?

The 3D printer reads all of the data from the CAD and then begins printing. It takes the full image and reads it layer by layer. This is how it prints the object, dissects the image, and prints hard material one layer at a time. 

It may seem like a slow process, but it is actually relatively much quicker than any other way of making prosthetics. This is a more sustainable, cheaper, and comfortable way of making a body part. 

Previously, doctors would have had to create replicas by using molds on the patient. The molds would create a cast, and they would use this to try to make a customized prosthetic. It was uncomfortable for the patient and a long process for the doctor. Often, the prosthetics would need to be adjusted multiple times before a person could use them. 

Final thoughts

3D laser scanning services have shaped our world and allowed us to create opportunities for different people. Most of us would never have imagined getting a budget-friendly prosthetic from 3D printing and scanning. It has allowed us to create objects that are actually affordable and that anyone can use. We are receiving better care thanks to this technology.