Nia transfers 3D scan images in real-time, which speeds development

Introduction

Today, 1 in 10 people have access to assistive devices in low-income countries due to a lack of trained personnel, high costs, awareness, and availability. Accelerated orthopedic production, transfers of 3D prints, and access to health records are vital components in providing universal access to mobility devices. Nia Technologies, a Canadian non-profit social enterprise, provide innovative tools for clinicians to improve access to mobility devices for children with disabilities.

Challenge: Sync Large 3D Image Scans Across Multiple Locations  

Before partnering with Resilio, Nia Tech was limited to a reduced snapshot of 3D image scans and could only send smaller versions of an image via emails. Clinicians took 3D image scans of patients using iPads and they needed robust technology that would transfer the scans to their Windows notebooks and back to the main facility in Canada. In order to retrieve the images from the clinical sites, the team was forced to physically retrieve the 3D scanned images via hard drives. They took countless of data retrieval trips between the clinical sites and the central location in Canada. “We weren’t uploading images before Resilio. Information was stored locally and we physically retrieved the data from Canada on a hard drive,” explained Jerry Evans, President & CEO.

Solution: Accelerating Care

The solution was an unrivaled synced and secure network. By partnering with Resilio, Nia Tech could empower clinicians with cutting edge technology that accelerated care for clinic participants. Nia Tech’s four clinical sites are scattered across 3 different countries –  Cambodia, Uganda, and two sites in Tanzania – each site was transferring daily image scans, patient consent forms, and questionnaires back to the central location in Canada. With a secure connection of a growing network of approved devices, clinicians can easily share x-ray scans instantly with a one tap for faster production.

Clinicians first scan the residual limb creating a 3D model and use Resilio to send the 3D model image for customization to fit the patient. Then, the customized 3D model image is transferred via Resilio for prosthetic printing.

"Sometimes we could merely grab a snapshot or screenshot. We couldn’t get the actual 3D object."– Jerry Evans, President & CEO

Impact

Before partnering with Resilio, the clinics were limited to a reduced snapshot of a larger scanned image sent through email. The complete file could only be viewed after it was retrieved by a hard drive. Now, Nia Tech can remotely monitor different file versions and the history of each file created at their clinical sites.

“Now we can retrieve information that is more complete, fulsome, and more robust because we have the ability to transmit large files across the internet,” said Evans.