SensAble Technologies, Inc®, a leading provider of 3D modeling solutions and haptic devices, announced that its customer, Kallisto, a provider of 3D technologies as well as rapid prototyping and manufacturing solutions to the orthotics and prosthetics industry, is showcasing a major new version of its BYOSYS® solution at Europe's leading industry event, the Orthopädie + Reha-Technik show, which opened in Leipzig, Germany today. BYOSYS Version 2.0 is based on custom design software developed by SensAble Technologies and integrated by Kallisto, along with a SensAble PHANTOM® haptic device, into a total solution for creating custom orthotics and prosthetics for upper and lower extremities that treat conditions ranging from scoliosis to severe foot deformities.
“By utilizing technology, clinicians will not only be able to produce more accurate prosthetics in less time, but also be able to easily manipulate the digital files to modify the prosthetic designs as the patient progresses”
With BYOSYS Version 2.0, O&P professionals can more easily create customized corrective devices that maximize their patients' comfort - and can be produced with digital precision for optimal fit and efficient, time-saving design and carving. While the first generation BYOSYS software required a scan of the patient's anatomy, this new version also incorporates templates that allow practitioners to leverage all the advantages of digital design without requiring them to use a hand-held scanner as a source for patient measurements. This provides many of the smaller O&P facilities with an affordable, entry-level digital pathway for designing custom orthotic and prosthetic devices. All BYOSYS users have the option to either outsource production, or use in-house foam carvers or other fabrication equipment.
The European orthopedic support devices market alone is set to reach an estimated $725 million USD this year1 - dominated by many small shops without the resources for large equipment purchases. Kallisto's BYOSYS Version 2.0 allows O&P practices of all sizes to automate and streamline their processes - with an easy to use, intuitive approach that can eliminate many weeks of delay from an initial patient meeting to the delivery of a final, wearable device.
"By utilizing technology, clinicians will not only be able to produce more accurate prosthetics in less time, but also be able to easily manipulate the digital files to modify the prosthetic designs as the patient progresses," said Pascal Erschler, CEO of Kallisto. "We've seen instances where our BYOSYS system has shortened the time of delivery of a scoliosis brace by 2 full weeks - and allowed the scan, design and manufacture of a final foam model in about 1 hour instead of 6 hours spread over several days. Our new version includes all the virtual, variational and parametric tools that orthopedic specialists need to create custom fitting orthotics and prosthetics efficiently - all in one easy to use package. It also provides O&P professionals with an electronic record to facilitate government reimbursements."
BYOSYS Version 2.0 includes an industry-standard PC running specialized BYOSYS Sculptural CAD software for O&P design developed by SensAble, and a SensAble PHANTOM® haptic (force feedback) device which practitioners use instead of a computer mouse. The haptic device allows the orthopedic specialist to actually feel the 3D "digital plaster" model - allowing them to take advantage of years of expertise in traditional sculpting and carving methods - and providing an easier transition into the digital realm. Users sculpt what they see on screen just as they would when working with physical plaster or foam, and can more easily and accurately modify the anatomical form to ensure that prosthetics will fit correctly and provide needed support or corrective pressure.
While the new BYOSYS version still supports the use of 3D scanners, as in previous BYOSYS versions, it also allows clinicians to measure their patients manually and input measurements using pre-set templates with size, gender and common upper and lower extremity measurements that the user can easily adjust. From there, the user can create a working model, and by slicing the data and restacking the segments, can design a device that best meets the patient's medical requirements. Once completed, the digital model can be exported as an STL file and either fabricated locally on a carving machine, similar to a giant lathe, where it is milled in foam; or sent to a fabrication center for outsourced production.
"O&P is a field where practitioners still create the majority of orthotics by hand, using carving and sculpting methods invented during the Civil War," said Dr. David Chen, chief technology officer of SensAble Technologies. "However, advances in digital technology and customized solutions, such as Kallisto's BYOSYS, will rapidly change this. When you combine faster and more accurate fittings and manufacturing for the patient with all of the benefits to working digitally for the practitioner, we believe there is tremendous growth potential for O&P solutions like this."
Kallisto is demonstrating the new BYOSYS Version 2.0 and holding discussions with potential new distributors in France and Germany at the Orthopädie + Reha-Technik show, Hall 1, Stand C29, in Leipzig, Germany today through May 15.
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