We have already explained that a complete 3D scan of the patient’s arm forms the basis for a customised splint design. So let’s take a closer look at how this 3D scan works.
As you may know, we live in a 3D world. This means that we humans perceive our world in three dimensions: depth, width and height. In maths, these dimensions are described by the x, y and z coordinates in a coordinate system. This allows any point, surface or body to be clearly represented within this space. And we can thus recreate practically any real object (such as a plaster model of a hand) in digital form.
The first step is to ensure that the object to be scanned can stand out strongly from the background and that there are no avoidable measurement errors. The object is then scanned from different angles using the 3D scanner in order to capture all data, such as shape and structure.
In the final step, this data is then processed into a digital three-dimensional object. If you take a closer look at this digital copy in CAD or CAM software, you will realise that it consists of lots of small triangles (known as “polygons” in technical jargon). This means that almost any shape can be modelled.
This three-dimensional model can then be used to customise the splint design in the design software and thus adapt the fit precisely to the patient.