4400 Chennault Beach Rd.    Mukilteo, Washington    98275          

Virtual-Foot Imaging System and Ortho-Pose Foot Positioner

 

ipadscanner

 

The Virtual-Foot Imaging System is a method for obtaining foot impressions for fabrication of custom foot orthotics.

The following components have been integrated to develop the system:

¨ iPad  tablet computer

¨ Structure Sensor 3D structured light scanner

¨ AOMS TOT scanning software by Sharp Shape

¨ Ortho-Pose Foot Positioner

This combination of technology creates an economical, compact, highly portable, simple, high definition wireless hand held foot scanner system.

Major benefits of the Virtual-Foot Imaging System are:

¨ Improves clinic efficiency, saves time/money

¨ Simple to use

¨ Provides the lab with a perfect digital model of the foot resulting in higher quality orthotics

¨ Eliminates messy, costly, time consuming plaster/STS casting and shipping

¨ Eliminates handling, shipping, expense & environmental impact of foam impression boxes

¨ Quicker orthotic turn-around time

¨ Improves treatment outcomes & patient satisfaction

¨ Easy to move from room to room & clinic to clinic

The Ortho-Pose Foot Positioner is a new device that holds (poses) a persons’ foot in the non-weightbearing subtalar neutral position and holds the first ray in a maximally plantarflexed position while obtaining scan images required for fabrication of custom orthotics. This device also allows the practitioner to capture an image of the posterior aspect of the heel in order to allow frontal plane (rearfoot to forefoot) balancing.

 The Ortho-Pose Foot Positioner does not apply pressure to the 5th metatarsal head area which deforms that important contact area. The sulcus bar fits ergonomically into the sulcus space just like a practitioners’ thumb is placed when holding the foot to take a plaster cast. Maintaining the natural surface topography in this area is critical for proper biomechanical design and fabrication of functional orthotics.

  Tips on Using the AOMS TOT System

Without using an Ortho-Pose Foot Positioner, one person needs to operate the iPad AOMS TOT scanner while another person positions the patients' foot.

The person positioning the foot should be on the left side of the patient when holding the left foot. And on the right side when holding and scanning the right foot.


Grip the foot by using the left index finger under the 4th & 5th digits and the left thumb on dosal aspect of the digits for the left foot.  Use your right hand when you position and scan the right foot.

Do not apply pressure directly beneath the 5th metatarsal head in lieu of grasping the 4th and 5th digits. Otherwise you will distort the 5th metatarsal head topography which is a critical landmark in orthotic fabrication.

Of course the person holding the foot needs to be at the side of the extremity and not between the foot and the scanner.

Some practioners will either dorsiflex the hallux or put downward pressure on the dorsal aspect of the 1st metatarsal head in order to place the forefoot in correct positition relative to the rearfoot.

Start the AOMS TOT app (program) on the iPad.

Enter the name and select either left or right.

Aiming Mode:

Hold the iPad so that it is on the same plane as the plantar aspect of the foot.

The iPad should be held about 20” from the foot. Move the iPad until the foot is inside bounding box on the screen.

Make minimal alignment changes until a flickering reddish layer covers the surface of the foot.

You may have to move the iPad closer or farther away, tilt it up or down or angle it from left to right or right to left.

You need to start by aiming at the plantar aspect of the foot. BEFORE YOU TAP THE SCAN BUTTON, LINE THE SCANNER UP WITH THE BOTTOM (PLANTAR ASPECT) OF THE FOOT.

Once the reddish layer is covering the surface of the foot, tap the Scan button on the screen. Give the scanner time to apply the white “plaster layer”.

Slowly and smoothly move the iPad medially to capture the medial aspect of the foot. Then move to the lateral aspect of the foot and then to the posterior aspect of the heel.

It is critical that you capture the posterior aspect of the heel. That allows us to balance the forefoot to the rear-foot when we are doing the cast correction in the lab.

Tap RESTART if you see “holes” in the “plaster” or if you loose the bounding box.

Once all surfaces of the foot are covered with the white “plaster”, tap the DONE button to end the scanning mode.

View the scan/image on the screen to verify the quality. If you are not satisfied with the scan, tap the BACK button and continue to scan again.

Then tap Save. The email window will pop up. Verify the info and then tap the UP arrow. That sends the scan file to the lab via email.

Then tap: Back.

Then tap Continue and enter either left or right (obviously the opposite foot from the first scan).

Repeat the above starting with the aiming mode.

To force quit on the AOMSTOT app, double click the iPad Home button, in the app switcher, swipe up on the app.

Even though you click Send and hear the swoosh sound that the scans are sent, the email does not actually get sent if the sender’s and or the receiver’s emails are not configured correctly &/or the sender’s wifi is not connected.

So, if you get a message from the lab that your scans have not been received and you are sure you “sent” them, go to your email box and see if it is in your “sent” folder.

If it is not in your sent folder, look to see if you have “Outbox” showing and if the email is in there. If so, resend the email to the lab
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