Manufacturing Choices for Ankle-Foot Orthoses: A Multi-objective Optimization

Increased interest in additive manufacturing (AM) of medical devices leads to a greater number of manufacturing choices, from processes to product designs, with little research comparing these new techniques. This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization approach for choosing the appropriate process, material and thickness that minimizes production cost and time, and maximizes device performance. We tested our framework with a simulated case study to choose between traditional plaster casting and two AM techniques for an ankle-foot orthosis. This evaluation tool provides early quantitative support for AM, and it can be expanded to fit various patient, clinic and insurance provider needs.