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Rapid Low-Cost Production of a Patient-Specific Thumb Orthosis Using Smartphone Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)
Konstantinos Papadakis1, Rene D Mileva-Popova1, Krasimir K Yanev2
1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, BGR.
Cureus
|May 15, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a fast, affordable 3D printing method for custom orthoses using smartphone scanners and free software. This accessible workflow allows for same-day production of patient-specific immobilization devices.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Digital Health
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Traditional orthosis manufacturing (e.g., plaster casting) yields heavy, poorly ventilated, and non-removable devices.
- Existing digital workflows for custom orthoses often rely on expensive scanners and commercial software, hindering clinical adoption.
- There is a need for low-cost, accessible methods for producing patient-specific orthoses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a rapid, low-cost workflow for creating patient-specific orthoses.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of using consumer-grade hardware and free software for orthosis production.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a 3D-printed thumb immobilization orthosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a smartphone's LiDAR scanner for 3D limb scanning.
- Employed free software (Meshmixer, Shapr3D) for mesh processing and orthosis design.
- Manufactured the orthosis using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing with polylactic acid (PLA) filament.
Main Results:
- Developed a workflow enabling same-day orthosis production in approximately three hours.
- The resulting 3D-printed orthosis weighed 43g, was ventilated, removable, and provided adequate thumb and wrist immobilization.
- The entire digital process (scanning to modeling) was completed in under one hour.
Conclusions:
- The presented workflow offers a rapid, low-cost, and accessible method for producing patient-specific orthoses.
- This approach is particularly suitable for settings requiring immediate, personalized immobilization, such as emergency departments and clinics.
- Consumer-grade technology and free software can effectively replace expensive systems for custom orthosis fabrication.
