CARTIS - DIGITAL PROSTHETICS

Delivered by: The National Centre For Product Design + Development Research (PDR) & Morriston Hospital.
Contact: Dr Dominic Eggbeer. deggbeer-pdr@cardiffmet.ac.uk 02920 416 703

CARTIS has dedicated significant effort to evaluate and improve the effective application of computer aided technologies in prosthesis design. The primary goal is to understand patient needs and service requirements offered by highly skilled specialists and develop methods that are sympathetic and appropriate.

Computer technologies have the potential to revolutionise the way prostheses are delivered, but the techniques must first play catch up with decades of skilled craft and scientific endeavour. It would be naïve to think computer aided technologies currently have all the solutions, but through collaborative research, we are beginning to develop clinically viable techniques that meet modern healthcare needs. With this in mind, services can be offered in collaboration with clinical partners. These services are outlined below.

PDR and the Maxillofacial Unit at Morriston Hospital have extensive experience in utilising computer-aided design technologies in prosthesis fabrication. Our bespoke service for prosthetists to plan rehabilitation applies surface scanning techniques, computer-aided design and additive manufacturing. It can:

- Save clinicians time by removing the need to carve a wax pattern.

- Improve accuracy (in terms of edges and mirroring).

- Increase efficiency of repeat prosthesis production.

We can produce the prosthesis form or a mould tool into which you can mould silicone directly.
Every case is unique, and techniques are adapted to suit your specific needs. To date, our unique digital process has been successful in producing nasal, orbital, auricular and brassiere-worn breast prostheses.

Contact us for a discussion on the scope and limitations of digital prosthesis design for your individual application(s). A general overview of our process is given below.

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1. Enquiry / Data

We can receive STL, OBJ or similar 3D files from surface scanners or replica models that we can scan ourselves. We can also segment soft tissue from CT data to obtain pre-surgical contours to assist in design.

Upon obtaining the relevant scan, there are two options for delivering the data to PDR:

> By recorded post, on CD-ROM, including a covering letter with description and contact details to:

                 Dr, Dominic Eggbeer
Medical Applications Group
                 The National Centre For Product Design & Development Research (PDR)
                 Cardiff Metropolitan University
                 Llandaff Campus
                 Western Avenue
                 Cardiff
                 CF5 2YB

(If the disc is encrypted, the password should be sent separately through the post or emailed to deggbeer-pdr@cardiffmet.ac.uk )

> By online upload to PDR’s secure ‘yousendit dropbox’ at http://dropbox.yousendit.com/PDR-Dropbox

(Please mark the files as FAO Dominic Eggbeer and include contact details and description

PDR’s data handling policy is available for download [LINK].

Please supply details of retention mechanisms you wish to exploit (magnets are significantly easier to incorporate digitally).

Upon receipt of the data and requisition form details, PDR will prepare a quotation which will be sent to the provided email address or fax number. Any specification clarifications will be made by phone or email at this stage.

3. Design

To initiate the design activity, PDR can accept a purchase order number by fax or email. For more urgent cases, a clear order request statement can be accepted in writing whilst the PO number is being raised.

We will design the prosthesis form based on techniques such as mirroring anatomy, using pre-surgical data or donor data. We can add any detailing features like skin texture and wrinkles (based on cropped photos of the patient’s surrounding anatomy) where required.

We will liaise with you either through web conference (using PDR’s Join.me account), by online document, or by phone to confirm final design features. Building will only commence after receipt of a signed confirmation of design agreement. We aim to begin the build on the same day as receiving the confirmation.

After building and post-processing, your mould tool will be dispatched by TNT or Royal Mail for domestic locations (DHL for international addresses). The package will include the tool, patient data (if sent via CD-ROM), materials data-sheet, tool extents printout and delivery note.

6. Downstream Activities

Process your prosthesis using the usual lab techniques for colour matching and final fitting.