Paracontour System - Foot Scanner

Traditionally Orthotists have relied on taking impressions or plaster casts of their client’s feet to manufacture foot Orthoses. This can lead to incorrect manufacture of the foot Orthosis as even tiny errors in measurement are magnified at each stage of the process. By contrast the Paracontour System quickly and accurately records 3 Dimensional data and images of the plantar surface (sole) of the foot. The System has five major constituents.

3D Foot Scanning

There are two types of parocontour scanners.

The Original 3D Foot Scanner

A strip projection scanner quickly scans the plantar surface of the foot and the image is captured and recorded by the integrated video camera.

The Portable 3D Foot Scanner

As the name suggests the main advantage of this scanner is its unique portability. In contrast to the original scanner it uses a harmless fanned laser light to capture the 3D image of the planter surface of the foot.

Both scanners are highly accurate and provide a fast and reliable method of producing a 3D image of the planter surface of the foot

The data is then transferred to the Paromanager software which produces a 3D model of the foot on screen alongside the recorded video image.

Orthosis Modelling

The Paracontour modelling software allows the Orthotist to adapt and add components, such as metatarsal pads or heel raises, to the scan to build up the individual Orthosis for each foot.

Paracontour Milling Machine

Following modelling, the Orthosis is ready for manufacture. The London Orthotic Consultancy is one of the few clinics in the UK that has this CADCAM facility on site.

The milling machine receives information from the modelling software. It then mills the exact insole shape from a block of EVA material. It can manufacture complex designs and is highly accurate to 0.5mm. It allows for a highly detailed prescription of the Orthosis. The EVA material comes in different densities to allow for different biomechanical requirements. The Orthoses are carved and shaped according to the data sent from the Paramanager software; they are fitted and checked before final trimming.

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