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**Assistive device design revolution Quorum Prosthetics: Partnering with FreeForm to create a 3D printed prosthetic socket kit
2.7 million Americans have lost limbs, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2050. 1 For those who have had a lower limb amputation, restorative mobility depends on a prosthesis that both functions properly and fits well. These two factors are closely linked, as poor fit can greatly hinder functionality and comfort.
client：quorum prosthetics
location: United States.
Challenge: Prosthetic socket design.
This is particularly evident in the prosthetic socket, which is the interface between the residual limb and the prosthesis. These sockets are typically made from a plaster type customized for individual users and then laminated with carbon and resin. After many try-ons, the final acceptance cavity is usually made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, or nylon.
The problem is that even the most precisely tailored socket will end up being poorly fitted due to the non-static nature of the residual limb. During the first 12 to 18 months after initial surgery, the shape and volume of the residual limb changes, and its volume fluctuates by as much as 11% or 12% from day to day. This can lead to a malfit in the socket, causing tremendous stress and discomfort and ultimately making it difficult to control the prosthesis.
Quorum Prosthetics, a Colorado-based company, has launched Quatro, a 3D-printed prosthetic socket with a patented design that allows users to alter the volume and compression of the socket with adjustable reels and interchangeable comfort cells, providing a better overall fit and better comfort.
The FreeForm software, developed by Oqton, is the software that allows Quorum Prosthetics to put this idea into practice.
Joe Johnson, CEO of Quorum Prosthetics, has first-hand experience of this design difference. He has been wearing a quatro socket for more than three years.
Quorum Prosthetics uses FreeForm to design its patented 3D printed acceptance cavity (quatro).
The degree of adjustability of the quatro socket is an important reason for its success. The manufacturing accuracy of the conventional receiver cavity is about 3 mm. But the quatro's accuracy ranges from less than a millimeter.
"That's more precise," Johnson said. This is important. When we re-fit, if we lose volume since the last fitting, we can reproduce it precisely inside the receptive cavity in a way that was not possible before. Or, if it can be done, it's just not quite accurate. ”
It is safer to wear a prosthesis with these integrated cells because I can feel the position of my foot in the space. The quatro uses antagonistic forces to transfer compression to the receptive cavity, resulting in better proprioception, which is your sense of limb position and movement. It also provides users with a better, more fitting fit. They can control the fit with a fine adjustment on the knob.Increase the accuracy of haptic technologyQuorum first started using FreeForm in nearly four years after introducing Quatro to the market.Joe Johnson.
CEO of Quorum Prosthetics.
"We have a patent for a very specific design requirement for the quatro socket, and FreeForm perfectly meets that need," Johnson said. Basically, we make custom sockets for each patient, so each shape looks different. But in FreeForm, the layout of the adjustment lines and the entire quatro system have been standardized, making the design process quick and easy. ”
The process begins with a diagnostic socket made by a clinical practitioner, which the Quorum team brings into the FreeForm digital design environment with high-fidelity 3D scanning. Next, Quorum designer Sean McClure arranges substrates, housings, and other CAD-created components within the mold space.
"That's where higher precision really comes into play," McClure said. Traditionally, you can expect accuracy to be around one-eighth of an inch. With freeform, we can be more precise. ”
The quatro uses antagonistic forces to transfer compression into the receptive cavity, resulting in better proprioception or a sense of limb position and movement. ）
Once the component is placed, mold modifications begin in the digital clay model. Freeform includes a range of tools for carving and shaping clay, including razors, knife cutters and scrapers, all of which provide haptic feedback. McClure then traced the edge lines, fabricated the base socket, and went on to design the patented quatro technology.
The haptic technology within freeform allows us to create these very controlled curves, which allows us to incorporate standardized design features within fully customized shapes. This is by no means a template. Our primary goal is to make a receptive cavity that fits perfectly with a particular person and works the way they need it to.At this stage of the process, McClure combined the original solid, clay, and mesh models to produce a final design ready for 3D printing on an HP 4200 MultiJet Fusion printer. The final step in the process is steam polishing to achieve the correct surface quality.Sean McClure.
Quorum Designer.
Increase efficiency with 3D printing
Using more traditional methods, it can take up to 12 hours to create this type of socket design. With Freeform, the Querrum team can complete the design in four to six hours, although some designs may be completed in three hours. When the four sockets are ready, they can be 3D printed at the same time, greatly improving efficiency.
Johnson also noted that a secondary benefit of 3D printing is that it can run unattended at night, which not only improves overall efficiency but also helps avoid the need to hire and retain machine operators during labor shortages.
"Skilled labor is one of the biggest cost centers of any manufacturing company today," he said. And the cost is only going to get higher. Our 3D printer only needs regular maintenance, and it can deliver four receiver chambers in the time it takes for a traditional technician to complete one socket. ”
According to Joe Johnson, CEO of Quorum Prosthetics, FreeForm is critical to their work. )
Expand your reach and change your life
Currently, Quorum is a fast-growing company with a strong footprint in the local Colorado area. Despite its relative youth in the highly competitive medical device industry, Quorum continues to expand its reach purely through word-of-mouth and social**.
"It's usually patients who come to us directly," Johnson said. People with prosthetics tend to be more tech-savvy than the general population. They did extensive research and found us through various platforms. We even got some orders through TikTok. ”
Unfortunately, the main driver in this case is the poor relative quality of the average carbon fiber socket that doesn't provide consistent comfort all the time.
"I wish every amputee had access to a quatro cavity because for me, it was really life-changing," Johnson said. Patients are very excited when they receive their acceptance cavity. They like to have more control over their prosthesis. They feel like they're part of the process. They can even add special logos or patterns to the acceptance cavity. ”
According to Johnson, FreeForm is essential to the work of Quorum Prosthetics, both in terms of functionality and the efficiency it brings.
There is a line on our facility door that reads, 'This is where ideas come to life'. It's really because of freeform. Without the components and haptic technology of the freeform software, we would not have been able to get the job done at the speed we craved anyway.Joe Johnson.
CEO of Quorum Prosthetics.