Researching New O&P Pathways

Anyone can adopt new technology—but not everyone can actively partner in its creation. Snell Prosthetics & Orthotics (SPO) is proud to have earned the trust of respected O&P industry leaders, energetic innovators, and academic visionaries who brainstorm better, brighter ideas. That trust continues to make it possible for us to support the development of state-of-the-art solutions that enable, empower, and change lives.

As a preferred beta test site, SPO serves as a proving ground for new prosthetic and orthotic technologies during their final development. Beta testing offers an opportunity for real users of O&P components and devices to “test drive” new products under careful supervision, in order to detect any quirks or anomalies that should be addressed—it affords an independent third-party evaluation before the product is released to the public. Tests of this nature can’t be conducted in a lab, or within a staged environment; human responses provide the true litmus test, developers agree:

“The human element is absolutely needed,” says Greg Schneider, CP, R&D Prosthetist, Ottobock, “–and this is where we rely on companies like Snell P&O to help us identify suitable patients to test with during product development and to help us by giving their valuable feedback on the usability of the device from a prosthetist’s perspective—and to confirm, most importantly, that the device functions in a way that provides maximum benefit to the patient.”

Snell’s history of involvement and active support of research and development projects spans more than five decades and includes:

an above-knee socket design utilizing CADCAM software and software programs
a prosthetic shape capturing and modification component known as the T-Ring™
a multiaxial K2 prosthetic foot-ankle
patient trials and education involving protocol development for a new microprocessor knee
a myoelectric hook terminal device
a K3 hydraulic foot-ankle component
testing and development of electronic medical software
3-D printed sockets for transtibial patients
fabrication, fitting, and testing of new socket materials and techniques
and more to come…

What our beta testing partners say about Snell Prosthetics & Orthotics:

“One of the huge benefits of working with SPO is their skilled clinical staff. The breadth and depth of the organization also gives us access to a wide subject pool for our market preference studies; when that subject pool is currently using competitive products to the one(s) we’re developing, we can get feedback about how the product that we’re developing would be performing comparatively.”

“The effectiveness of a market preference study relies on excellent communication under tight time constraints. Snell’s participation is also an important part of our regulatory compliance, so their reliable communication is valuable to us.”

“A lot of clinicians think participating in product development sounds like fun…but then realize it can get in the way of your everyday clinical practice, and you’re generally not compensated for it in monetarily. Snell invests their time because they’re interested in being on the cutting edge of what’s being introduced in the field; they do it to help the profession and to help advance the O&P industry.”

“Snell P&O has shown their value as a test partner by approaching new products with an open mind and providing timely feedback during product testing—which is incredibly helpful. “One of the things we look for in choosing a beta testing partner is a site that wants to do testing for the sake of helping advance the O&P industry. Snell has been a very eager participant when it comes to product testing, and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. They have been genuinely enthused to test new products and have been good about providing clear and honest feedback.”

“Snell Prosthetics & Orthotics has worked closely with SPS over the years on various website features and enhancements. As we made improvements, Snell had been a critical part of our testing process prior to launch. They provided invaluable feedback on general functionality, design, and ease of use to ensure the best experience for all our customers.

“SPS chose Snell to beta test new features and enhancements because they are a true partner! They have always provided detailed and specific feedback on various website functions which gives us direction to make improvements. With multiple locations and a dedicated purchasing manager, collaborating with Snell allows us to ensure our enhancements serve their whole organization as well as our entire customer base.”

“We searched the country and explored several sites of folks who did these studies before we selected Snell P&O to work with us, and we’re very excited to have them on board.

“We chose Snell to be a part of our early testing on products because they’re a regional leader in the orthotics and prosthetics world; they’ve garnered a tremendous amount of respect from the community over the course of decades.

“And frankly, on top of that, they’re also just extremely nice guys! It’s been our pleasure to work with them.

Into The Future

“I don’t need a crystal ball to show me that the path to O&P’s innovative future looks very promising!”

Jeremy Crowell, BOCPO – Vice President of Clinical Services, brings an impressive list of credentials and credits to his role as Principal Investigator for SPO’s current and intriguing future beta test projects and partnerships. His specialized training includes a focus on sensitive interaction with human subjects and objective interpretation of their feedback.

Still more exciting beta testing partnerships lie ahead as SPO receives invitations to join new partners in taking quantum leaps into tomorrow’s O&P science; and Crowell shares his enthusiasm:

“Manufacturers of products that are going to benefit our profession in the near and upcoming future have requested us to be part of that development in beta testing for a broad array of products—ranging from feet that are coming into the market, socket designs that are coming into the market, and even a lot of the new microprocessor feet and knees that are coming in the market. And they’re choosing SPO because of the size and caliber of our patient population, as well as our reputation for reliability and unbroken trust.