TUTORIAL

How to Use the Phits Design Wizard

4 min

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the Phits Design Wizard to design 3D-printed orthotics.

Prerequisites

footscan

Description of the different steps

In the first panel, you decide the general shape of your orthotics. Select the 'Shoe size' based on the sizing protocol, choose the 'Usage' of the orthotics, and select the 'Base' that matches the patient's needs.
The usage will affect the available shoe types and influence the top cover's recommended thickness on the following design panel.
In the second panel, decide the top cover characteristics and change some general properties of the printed base part.
Choose how you want to assemble the insoles, how thick the top cover should be, in what shore value, and whether you want to add a synthetic finishing layer or not.
Note that the 'Thickness' and the 'Hardness' of the top cover are suggested based on the patient's weight and the selected usage in the first screen.
In the lower part of the second panel, you can change the printed base's size for the left and the right side; make sure to check the results of your sizing protocol for this.
In the 'Base type' option, you can choose between the 'Normal' type or the more correcting 'Ortho' type and decide whether you want to have the standard option or the newer 'Slim Phits' version.
You can also choose the 'Mediolateral support.' Go for 'Normal' or select the 'High' option if you want to significantly increase the amount of correction.
On the next panel, you can choose the 'General corrections' of the insoles.
Both options are suggested, but especially for the 'Navicular support,' it is recommended to double-check whether your patient can handle the amount of correction, as this option will influence the height of your medial arch support.
If you also have a 3D scan of your patient's feet, you can see the statically measured navicular height. This extra information helps you to verify the suggested navicular support of your insoles.
The ‘Local stiffness' option is great for showing the added value of 3D-printed orthotics. Change the stiffness of the base in specific areas by clicking on the arrows, or click 'Reset' to go back to the initial suggestion based on the roll-off of your patient, considering the weight.
The ‘Heel corrections' screen has an option to add local cushioning in the heel area in case of 'Fat pad,’ 'Heel spur,' or 'Plantar fasciitis’ issues. Note that this is a top cover solution and is only available for insoles with an EVA top cover.
Other heel corrections are the standard or low 'Heel cup.' The 'Heel wedge' is calculated based on the loading on the medial and the lateral side of the heel zone and the 'Heel offset,' which allows you to add a heel raise in case of a leg length discrepancy.
The ‘Meta corrections' panel has three different types of metatarsal supports and allows you to lower the ‘Lateral edge,’ if necessary.
The 'Meta bar' is only available for the 'Ortho' or the 'Ortho-slim' type, where the 'Metatarsal pads,' the ‘Teardrop,’ and the ‘T-form’ are always available. However, go easy with the height of these pads as 1 or 2 mm will already be significant support for your patient.
The ‘Forefoot corrections' panel is the last one and it gives you five different forefoot correction options. You can go for a medial — 'meta 1-2' — or a lateral — 'meta 5' forefoot correction or choose one of the specific corrections like a 'meta 1', 'meta 2-4' or a 'meta 2-5' forefoot correction. They can go from 2 to 4 mm high and are available in the 'stiff' and 'flexible' options.
Select the 'Personal ID,' which will be printed on the back of the heel cap, and click 'Proceed to checkout' to finalize the ordering process.