Advancing Orthotics & Prosthetics through Digital Innovation with Freeform

Luca Gualerzi, a Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist (CPO), leads Ortopedia Gualerzi, a family business in Italy. Embracing digital workflows, they use Oqton Freeform for designing 3D models. Nobel88, their B2B arm, manufactures and trains other O&P companies. Despite early challenges, they now produce diverse medical devices, including spinal braces and prostheses, with Freeform’s help.

A custom spinal brace for scoliosis correction, designed using Freeform from a 3D patient scan and produced with a milling machine.

Gualerzi mainly utilizes Freeform to create milling files, with occasional use for 3D printing. Certified Prosthetists and Orthotists (CPOs) from all over Italy send scans to Nobel88, which are then transformed into manufacturable models. Each year, they process approximately 5,000-6,000 files using Freeform.

Sculpting and CAD in one software

Freeform bridges the gap between sculpting and CAD software, essential for O&P 3D design. Initially, Gualerzi tried Blender, Zbrush, and Meshmixer, but they lacked CAD capabilities. He also combined Rhino with Meshmixer or ZBrush, but found Freeform to be the most comprehensive solution.

A leg prosthesis was designed using Freeform and 3D-printed on an HP machine with PA12 material. The entire process took under half a workday: 15 minutes for scanning, 45 minutes for design, and a few hours for printing.

The digital advantage

Nobel88 sells Freeform through Teoresi Group and trains CPOs to use it, aiming for widespread adoption in O&P. They advocate digital workflows for increased productivity, allowing CPOs to produce more with tools like 3D scanners, Freeform, and milling machines. To support smaller businesses, Nobel88 developed a compact milling machine compatible with Freeform designs. They believe the future of orthotics involves both 3D printing and milling.