Description
Our Perfect Fit assessment system overcomes several difficulties that are often encountered when trying to assess for fitted head protection/helmets. The system gives an exact scan of the shape and size of the client’s head. This scan is then used to produce a millimetre perfect 3D print of the client’s head and this enables us to build a perfectly fitting head protector which will offer maximum protection from the day it is delivered. The Perfect Fit system can also be used to accurately monitor patients’ head dimensions, which is sometimes required by healthcare professionals to monitor swelling or abnormalities.
What advantage does Perfect Fit offer over using a tape measure?
A properly fitted helmet or head protector should be nice and snug all the way around your head. It should not move around and there shouldn’t be any excessive space between the helmet and your head. It should not be so tight that you feel pressure or have any pain points. You can easily perform a “shake test” to check how your head Protection helmet fits. Shake your head around with a helmet on. If it moves on its own or shakes separately from your head, the helmet is too big. Use your hand and move the helmet to the left and right, up and down. The skin on your head should move with the helmet without the helmet shifting on its own. This sort of fit is rarely achievable without our Perfect Fit Assessment system and can mean a head protector is too tight or too loose.
What is involved in a Perfect Fit assessment?
The client is required to wear a lightweight “sock” over their head which has special calibration marks printed onto it. We find that once worn, the client is usually completely unaware that they are wearing it because it is so soft and lightweight. In the case of a client who has proximity issues and does not like strangers being close, a family member or a trusted carer/caregiver can usually fit the “sock” and place a few small calibration stickers on the client’s face, again these stickers are very small and the client usually has no idea that they are there. Once the calibration sock is worn, and the small stickers are applied, there is no further physical contact or touching of the person being scanned.
The scanning process itself…
Using our special app, we can then scan the user and start the scan, which is built with around 40 individual photos. To get the photos, we simply walk around the client, taking photos from a distance as directed by the app. This process normally takes no longer than a few minutes. We find that the client can watch TV, use a tablet or phone, and keep talking or interacting with those around them as normal.
What if the user becomes agitated or upset?
In cases where the client becomes restless or gets agitated, we can break from scanning and resume later; the scan does not need to be completed in one single session and can be resumed minutes or even days later – if needed.
What happens when the scan is completed?
Once our system tells us that it has all the data it needs, we then transfer the data to our server, which will then start working to produce a virtual wireframe model. It is at this point we check the model to ensure that the scan is correct and there are no problems. This normally only takes a few minutes. If there are any areas that are not correct, we can quickly rescan them to rectify them. Once we confirm the scan has been processed without any issues, the scanning is completed and the “sock” can be removed.
3D printing
Once the scanning process is finished, we then simply send the data to our 3D printer. Once the 3D head is produced, we then send it to our fabrication plant, where the process of making the head protection is constructed using the 3D print as a mould.
Benefits of the Perfect Fit assessment service
- Safe and reliable
- Quick and simple process
- Suitable for adults and children of all ages
- Very little physical contact with the person being scanned, especially advantageous if the person being scanned dislikes physical contact or has proximity issues
- Interruptible scanning – If the person being scanned becomes agitated by the process, it can be paused and resumed later – either within a few minutes, hours or even days
- Up to + / – 0.5 mm accuracy
- Allows the head protection to be custom-built around an accurate representation of the client’s head and facial area
- The produced head protection will be the best fit – so is less likely to irritate the client and reduces the chance of the client trying to remove the head protector. Also if the client loosens the head protector or unbuckles it, it should still remain in the correct position on the client’s head, still offering protection from harm
- Measurements can be saved and referred to later, multiple scans can even be obtained over a period of time. The data can be offered to healthcare professionals to monitor any swelling or problems with the client’s head
- The 3D printed head can be used as a “stand” to keep the head protection in good condition and safe when it is not being worn
- Additional head protection can be made using the original scan or the 3D printed head, saving time and of course money.
If you are interested in obtaining a Perfect Fit assessment or have any questions regarding this unique service please contact us.