Opinion - Responses on Omega query
Michael Johnson
Description
Collection
Title:
Opinion - Responses on Omega query
Creator:
Michael Johnson
Date:
12/30/2009
Text:
Dear List,
Many thanks to those who responded to my inquiry about their usage
experiences of the Omega Scanner and the availability of C-fabs on the West
Coast.
Before listing the responses I must add that the folks at OWW (Tami Beatty)
and VGM (Chad Hamann) were most helpful and instrumental making possible a
difficult request. I would highly recommend their services anytime.
Fabrication Responses:
I have a Starscanner for sale in Seattle.
Orthomerica is a great cfab in FL.
We currently offer Central Fabrication services utilizing Tracer,
Bioscultor, Medico, and Provel. Our location on the west coast by a primary
UPS hub allows us to receive and process files later than any of the others.
Let me know if can help you with questions or services.
Scott Wimberley COO
Fabtech Systems
Mukilteo Wa
Have used scanner for about 2 years but only for ak & bk. Highly
recommended. Contact Chad Eberhart (chad@itsfabrication .com) Washington
state. Excellent check socket fabrication.
I have used I.T.S. Fabrication for many years for both Shapemaker and
Omega. Chad Eberhart does an excellant job and goes out of his way to get
shapes carved and fabricated quickly and to your specs. Give Chad a call
1-253-435-1770. He's in Puyallup, Washington.
General Omega Responses:
I have lots of experience as both a clinical user and omega trainer. Call me
(name blocked for privacy)
We just got ours. Our first 2 helmets were perfect from Orthoamerica.
Haven't used it on anything else yet.
I use the Omega scanners for cranial and for AFOs, as well as spinal. While
I believe that the Omega Scanners are great tools, I would be wary of
jumping into this. I have three of them and they are quite active, but I
feel that the support structure at Ohio Willow Wood has gone steadily
down-hill. Their Education Director has left recently for Orthomerica and
Touch Bionics has acquired their head programmer and one of their best tech
guys.
Like I said, their scanners are great tools when they work, but nothing is
more frustrating than setting up for a scan at a patient's home or at a
hospital and then not being able to get the scanner to initialize. Tech
support has given us answers like ...yeah, that is a tough one. I am not
sure. Or ...I don't know. We are often left with the ...we'll look
into that., but we rarely hear back on most of them. Our carver has been
unable to correctly carve our AFOs for over two years. After hours on the
phone and visits from their engineers, we were told that they did not know
why, but we could always buy a new one from them, (at a whopping 10%
discount). With well over $200,000 invested in their equipment, I am
bailing on their system. I have purchased a newer more advanced system
including handheld scanners, software and carver
We have this system with the Omega carver and fab all of our own devices
except the 510K helmets. The scanner and software work great for AK, pretty
good for scans over liners for BK that we have tried, and definitely
Helmets. We have not yet tried spinal, and AFO's are still on the learning
curve. I know that OWW released multiple AFO modification tools recently
that I have not had a chance to use but the first few AFO's that we
fabricated from the scans did not have a smooth transition from the midfoot
to the foot plate and were difficult to modify in the software and the ML at
the ankles needed to be adjusted every time. (Trainer) worked with us for
over a year and really helped reduce the learning curve.
We represent Rodin 4D in the US and have a number of O&P clinics using our
system, including Children’s Hospital Boston and Philadelphia. We pair this
wonderful CAD/CAM software of Rodin with the Polhemus FastScan Scanner.
This is simple to use compared to Omega and very portable if you happen to
travel to other clinics.
In fact, we have a couple facilities that decided to discontinue use of
their Omega System and purchase our system because of this and long-term
cost savings.
The Rodin software can handle EVERY O&P application with ease. We give deep
discounts for carvings and products to people that purchase this system from
us. I can go over those long-term savings with you. Equally important, we
would help you build your business with marketing materials, training,
in-servicing, etc. This is where it becomes a true partnership. We need
you to be successful as much as you want to be successful and to gain quick
return on this investment.
End of Responses
Again, thanks to all who have taken the time to respond!
Happy Holidays!
--
Michael S. Johnson, CPO
OrthoPro of Twin Falls, Inc.
762 North College Road
Suite A
Twin Falls, ID 83301
208-733-0505
734-0766 fax
Many thanks to those who responded to my inquiry about their usage
experiences of the Omega Scanner and the availability of C-fabs on the West
Coast.
Before listing the responses I must add that the folks at OWW (Tami Beatty)
and VGM (Chad Hamann) were most helpful and instrumental making possible a
difficult request. I would highly recommend their services anytime.
Fabrication Responses:
I have a Starscanner for sale in Seattle.
Orthomerica is a great cfab in FL.
We currently offer Central Fabrication services utilizing Tracer,
Bioscultor, Medico, and Provel. Our location on the west coast by a primary
UPS hub allows us to receive and process files later than any of the others.
Let me know if can help you with questions or services.
Scott Wimberley COO
Fabtech Systems
Mukilteo Wa
Have used scanner for about 2 years but only for ak & bk. Highly
recommended. Contact Chad Eberhart (chad@itsfabrication .com) Washington
state. Excellent check socket fabrication.
I have used I.T.S. Fabrication for many years for both Shapemaker and
Omega. Chad Eberhart does an excellant job and goes out of his way to get
shapes carved and fabricated quickly and to your specs. Give Chad a call
1-253-435-1770. He's in Puyallup, Washington.
General Omega Responses:
I have lots of experience as both a clinical user and omega trainer. Call me
(name blocked for privacy)
We just got ours. Our first 2 helmets were perfect from Orthoamerica.
Haven't used it on anything else yet.
I use the Omega scanners for cranial and for AFOs, as well as spinal. While
I believe that the Omega Scanners are great tools, I would be wary of
jumping into this. I have three of them and they are quite active, but I
feel that the support structure at Ohio Willow Wood has gone steadily
down-hill. Their Education Director has left recently for Orthomerica and
Touch Bionics has acquired their head programmer and one of their best tech
guys.
Like I said, their scanners are great tools when they work, but nothing is
more frustrating than setting up for a scan at a patient's home or at a
hospital and then not being able to get the scanner to initialize. Tech
support has given us answers like ...yeah, that is a tough one. I am not
sure. Or ...I don't know. We are often left with the ...we'll look
into that., but we rarely hear back on most of them. Our carver has been
unable to correctly carve our AFOs for over two years. After hours on the
phone and visits from their engineers, we were told that they did not know
why, but we could always buy a new one from them, (at a whopping 10%
discount). With well over $200,000 invested in their equipment, I am
bailing on their system. I have purchased a newer more advanced system
including handheld scanners, software and carver
We have this system with the Omega carver and fab all of our own devices
except the 510K helmets. The scanner and software work great for AK, pretty
good for scans over liners for BK that we have tried, and definitely
Helmets. We have not yet tried spinal, and AFO's are still on the learning
curve. I know that OWW released multiple AFO modification tools recently
that I have not had a chance to use but the first few AFO's that we
fabricated from the scans did not have a smooth transition from the midfoot
to the foot plate and were difficult to modify in the software and the ML at
the ankles needed to be adjusted every time. (Trainer) worked with us for
over a year and really helped reduce the learning curve.
We represent Rodin 4D in the US and have a number of O&P clinics using our
system, including Children’s Hospital Boston and Philadelphia. We pair this
wonderful CAD/CAM software of Rodin with the Polhemus FastScan Scanner.
This is simple to use compared to Omega and very portable if you happen to
travel to other clinics.
In fact, we have a couple facilities that decided to discontinue use of
their Omega System and purchase our system because of this and long-term
cost savings.
The Rodin software can handle EVERY O&P application with ease. We give deep
discounts for carvings and products to people that purchase this system from
us. I can go over those long-term savings with you. Equally important, we
would help you build your business with marketing materials, training,
in-servicing, etc. This is where it becomes a true partnership. We need
you to be successful as much as you want to be successful and to gain quick
return on this investment.
End of Responses
Again, thanks to all who have taken the time to respond!
Happy Holidays!
--
Michael S. Johnson, CPO
OrthoPro of Twin Falls, Inc.
762 North College Road
Suite A
Twin Falls, ID 83301
208-733-0505
734-0766 fax
Citation
Michael Johnson, “Opinion - Responses on Omega query,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/231009.
