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We explore how foaming TPU, belt printers, and clinician-led automation can bring custom foot orthoses in-house, cut costs, and reduce lead times from weeks to hours. Fredrik from CADmed shares what actually works, what doesn’t, and how remote design plus per-pair pricing changes the game.

• why automation increases clinician control rather than removes it
• carving versus printing tradeoffs on speed, finish, and cost
• foaming TPU benefits including smoother surfaces and less waste
• belt printers for continuous TPU production and better surface feel
• FDM advantages over powder bed fusion for insoles
• practical lattices and gradients without overengineering
• decentralizing production to clinics for faster delivery
• remote design, slicing, and printer control with per-pair pricing
• scaling systems for reliability, repeatability, and low friction

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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We trade trade-show gloss for real-world tactics, then lay out a three-step plan to bring 3D printing into O&P without risking patient care or cash flow. From Bambu-level starters to automated check sockets, we show how to start lean, learn fast, and scale what works.

• Formnext’s shift from machines to applications
• Materialise Bricks for modular workflows and costing
• Multi-material metal, gradient parts, and smarter tooling
• Affordable LPBF and the desktop print farm surge
• Start with a low-cost printer and print clinic tools
• Outsource complex adjustable sockets to free capacity
• Automate transtibial check sockets for speed and margin
• Scanner choices from budget to pro with trade-offs
• A three-tier roadmap to adopt and scale digital O&P

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We record on the road to the mothership to fit a 3D-printed adjustable suction socket using AirFit casting and compare loaded scans to raw scans. David shares his crash-to-career journey, why adjustability matters for neuromas and daily volume, and what makes the Americus foot feel lighter and livelier than it looks.

• AirFit casting under load versus direct scanning 
• Four-scan workflow and remote 3D fabrication 
• Suction plus adjustability for volume and hotspots 
• Flexible inner swaps for quick tuning 
• David’s neuroma history and fit lessons 
• Merecus foot layup, split keel, and energy return 
• Social media as connector, career builder, and patient support 
• Choosing a prosthetist who listens and offers trials 
• Safety, waste, and smarter ovens in the lab 
• Why 3D printing speeds care and improves revenue cycle

Find David: YouTube The Adventurous Amputee • LinkedIn David Slider • Instagram Pirate Peg Leg and The Adventurous Amputee

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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We sit down in the Guatemalan jungle with filmmaker Todd Biss to explore how craft, ethics, and faith shape stories that fund care and protect dignity. From ad-agency polish to nonprofit trust, we trace how small crews, better audio, and sharp editing turn hope into motion.

• origins in photography and ad-agency production
• defining success through beauty, trust and client outcomes
• on-location logistics, tech scouting and studio control
• nonprofit storytelling with trauma-aware practices
• lighter gear, better mics and sensor gains
• editing as a puzzle with multi-length deliverables
• hooks that respect attention without hype
• tripod versus handheld choices for tone
• audio upgrades that elevate any video
• clinic systems from forming to fitting
• Adonis’s first steps and renewed hope
• faith-driven work and why it matters
• pricing, discounts and sustainable impact
• where to find Todd Biss online

Find Todd at “Todd Biss Productions” on Google, LinkedIn, and Instagram

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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Two sentences from PDAC can potentially change the course of manufacturing history for O & P: additive manufacturing is now explicitly acceptable for coding prosthetic devices that meet existing HCPCS descriptions. We unpack what that clarity means for clinicians, patients, vendors, and payers, and how to adopt 3D printing.

• Why PDAC’s language ends the gray area for 3D‑printed prosthetics
• What PDAC and DME MAC do and how they shape coding
• How to match additive devices to existing L code descriptions
• Documentation discipline to avoid denials and audits
• FDA’s proactive stance and signals to industry
• Medicare vs Medicare Advantage realities for reimbursement
• When new codes help vs when they stall at zero pay
• Scaling care amid workforce shortages using digital workflows
• Using additive to improve fit, speed, and repeatability
• Practical steps to start: scanning, CAD, materials, records

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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We share a personal update and then dive into how injuries, curiosity, and tough feedback shaped a modular myoelectric hand that is lighter, repairable in minutes, and priced for wider access. Ryan Saavedra of Alt-Bionics walks through additive manufacturing choices, PDAC approval, and a roadmap linking prosthetics with humanoid robotics.

• user and clinician pain points shaping design choices 
• modular finger architecture for fast field repairs 
• nylon 12 and MJF for strength, weight, and cost 
• tolerancing to reduce lash and improve reliability 
• pricing philosophy, PDAC approval, and reimbursement nuance 
• EMG control foundations, firmware over AI for stability 
• balancing service bureaus vs in-house manufacturing 
• funding from bootstrap to mission-aligned investors 
• product roadmap focused on hands and higher DoF 
• cross-pollination between prosthetics and robotics

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What if everything we think we know about human walking is oversimplified?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Steven Gard a biomedical engineer and leading gait researcher.  We unpack the real biomechanics behind prosthetic design. From artificial heart labs to O&P innovation, Dr. Gard shares surprising insights on:

• Why shock absorption and “energy return” don’t always behave the way prosthetic marketing suggests
• How soft tissue acts as a natural spring, changing everything about how force is transmitted through a limb
• The ongoing debate between ischial containment, subischial, and elevated vacuum sockets — and why no design is one-size-fits-all
• Where microprocessor knees and 3D printing fit into the future of mobility
• The missing link between engineering theory and clinical practice

Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or just prosthetics-curious — this episode reframes gait in a way you’ve never heard before.

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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Credit card rewards expert Colin Stroud reveals how O&P practice owners can transform regular business expenses into valuable rewards through strategic credit card usage. He explains the mechanics behind credit card rewards systems and how business owners can maximize returns on spending they would do anyway.

• Single practitioner O&P clinics typically spend $15,000-$20,000 monthly on components
• Larger clinics can spend $100,000-$200,000 monthly, generating substantial reward potential
• Credit cards offer both cash flow advantages and rewards generation simultaneously
• Cash back options typically max out at 2-2.5% return on spending
• Points-based flexible currencies can yield 5%+ returns when redeemed strategically for travel
• Rewards are considered rebates rather than taxable income
• Multi-owner practices can divide points proportionally among partners
• LinkedIn content marketing has driven Colin's entire business growth without paid advertising
• The "arbitrage opportunity" of points redemption delivers significantly higher value than cash back

Visit Colin on LinkedIn (Colin Stroud - with one L) or at gosomewhereworld.com to access his free newsletter and guides on maximizing credit card rewards.

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Brent Wright shares his experiences from the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) conference, highlighting innovations in 3D printing, data-driven technologies, and revealing his groundbreaking polar printer project for prosthetic sockets.

• AOPA attendance exceeded 2,000 people with 165 exhibitors including 30 new vendors
• Digital Showcase featured case studies for prostheses and orthoses using scanning technology
• Blasingtech impressed with 3D printing capabilities, producing foot orthoses in 30 minutes
• AI-designed scoliosis braces are outperforming experienced clinicians with better correction angles
• Radii's socket design algorithms now match skilled clinicians in patient comfort and feedback
• Tennr software helps clinicians identify missing documentation needed for insurance approval
• Brent reveals the "Vortex" - a polar printer with non-planar toolpaths creating sockets in under 2 hours
• Non-planar polar printing produces significantly stronger sockets than traditional layer printing
• Vortex printers are already in production with three units being prepared for clinical testing

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode!

If you are interested in the Vortex DS1 please follow this link: Vortex DS1 3D Printer - Advanced 3D

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We catch up with Niles from Leonard Industries, our first-ever returning guest, as he reveals game-changing innovations in prosthetic and orthotic fabrication technology. This episode explores how new manufacturing tools are making fabrication faster, safer, and more consistent while helping address the industry's technical workforce challenges.

• Leonard Industries has expanded by acquiring a machine shop with enhanced capabilities
• Their revolutionary Wave Oven cuts heating time from 20 to 7 minutes using targeted infrared technology
• The oven creates consistent results with wider work windows, eliminating the need to flip materials
• Safety innovations include emergency stops, magnetic starters, and controlled heating
• Multiple oven models accommodate different fabrication needs, from standard to large KFO applications
• The "toast test" demonstrates heating consistency by showing how evenly bread slices brown
• Leonard Industries will showcase their technology at the upcoming AOPA conference
• The company has helped establish safer educational environments at O&P schools
• Niles emphasizes making fabrication more accessible to new technicians through consistency and automation
• Their aluminum construction ovens use less energy while providing more precise heating control

Visit the Leonard Industries booth at AOPA to see live demonstrations of their new fabrication technology, including the Wave Oven, dust collection systems, and fume extractors.

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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