The podiatry service was connected with a team from QUT Design Lab who identified an opportunity to improve the consumer experience through the supply chain which would make a significant difference to the accessibility and timeliness for consumers across the North West region.
Led by Assoc. Prof Chamorro-Koc, a partnership with industry was formed between Mount Isa Hospital, QUT, University Queensland Mechanical Engineering School, iOrthotics (a Queensland-based provider of custom orthoses who utilise advanced 3D manufacturing techniques) and My Foot Dr (a private podiatry provider).
Together, the team conceptualised an innovative model to approach the issue. This involved end-to-end reconceptualisation of the supply chain for the provision of orthoses and footwear. A digital workflow solution has been proposed which will see industry development of remote volumetric scanning; this could be undertaken by their local health worker and uploaded to a cloud service. The 3D manufacturing will occur in Brisbane utilising the digital scan and incorporating wearable sensors and smart technologies embedded into the devices.
The orthoses will be sent for fitting locally cutting out considerable cost, time and inconvenience while improving clinical outcomes and transforming consumers’ current experience.
