3D Foot Scanning for Podiatry & Orthopedic Clinics
Common Clinic Use Cases of 3D laser scanners
Elinvision’s scanner family – iQube S, iQube, and S3DT – covers the full range of clinical 3D foot scanning needs, from fast plantar impressions in a small treatment room to comprehensive full-foot assessments in multidisciplinary clinics. iQube S and iQube are portable 3D plantar foot scanners designed to capture highly accurate models of the sole, arch and heel in just a few seconds, making them ideal for busy practices that produce custom insoles every day.
S3DT complements these devices as a full-foot 3D scanner that can capture not only feet but also foam impression boxes, casts and even shoe lasts, giving clinics and partner labs a complete digital workflow from first assessment to finished orthoses or footwear.
Custom Insoles in-house
For clinics that want to produce custom insoles in-house, iQube S and iQube provide a fast, space-efficient way to capture the plantar surface in 3D. Both scanners use advanced camera systems and achieve 0,5mm (iQube S) and 1mm (iQube) precision, delivering rich plantar data for CAD/CAM design while keeping scan times in the 5–7 second range. The compact housing with an integrated step makes it easy to position the patient in a natural, weight-bearing stance, so the resulting digital impression closely matches how the foot loads inside a shoe or orthosis.
Clinics that collaborate closely with external orthotic labs can extend this workflow with S3DT, especially when they also handle foam boxes or plaster casts. S3DT digitizes these traditional impressions into clean 3D files, allowing the lab to work entirely digitally while the clinic keeps its established casting habits where needed. Together, iQube S, iQube, and S3DT create a flexible in-house insole pipeline: direct plantar scans for routine cases and full-foot or foam/cast scans for complex ones.
Diabetic Foot Screening & Monitoring
For diabetic foot care, early detection of pressure-prone areas and subtle shape changes is critical. iQube S offers calibrated 2D/3D texture mapping alongside the 3D geometry, allowing clinicians to visualize calluses, discoloration, previous ulcer sites and orthotic marker lines directly on the digital foot model. Combined with repeat scans over time, this enables objective monitoring of how the plantar surface evolves and how well offloading insoles are performing.
S3DT adds value where a broader view of the limb is necessary – for example, in patients with deformities, Charcot foot, or where casts and foam boxes are still used for complex therapeutic footwear. By digitizing these impressions and full feet with high-resolution 3D data and optional texture, S3DT helps multidisciplinary teams collaborate around a single, shared digital model of the diabetic foot, from screening through to protective footwear and orthoses.
Flat Feet, High Arches, Plantar Fasciitis
Conditions such as pes planus (flat feet), pes cavus (high arches) and plantar fasciitis all benefit from precise documentation of the plantar contour and arch geometry. iQube S and iQube generate detailed 3D models of the sole, including arch height and length, helping clinicians relate symptoms to measurable structural features and design orthoses that modify loading patterns effectively.
When deformities extend beyond the plantar surface – for example, when rearfoot alignment, forefoot varus/valgus or ankle position must be considered – S3DT’s full-foot capture lets clinicians and labs assess the entire limb segment in 3D, not just the sole. The combination of plantar scanners (iQube S / iQube E500) and a full-foot system (S3DT) gives clinics a scalable toolkit: fast plantar scans for typical flat-foot or fasciitis cases, and full-foot scans for complex biomechanical assessments and advanced orthotic designs.
Recommended Scanners for Clinics
Elinvision offers a compact scanner lineup that fits most clinic profiles: iQube as the standard portable plantar scanner for fixed locations, and iQube S as an ultra-portable option when you need to move between rooms or sites. Both capture detailed 3D plantar geometry and texture, supporting diagnosis of flat feet, high arches, plantar fasciitis, diabetic foot and ulcers, as well as everyday custom insole work.
For clinics that also cooperate with orthotics labs or handle more complex cases, these plantar scanners can be complemented by the S3DT full-foot scanner, which captures the entire foot, foam boxes and casts in 3D while still fitting into a clinical workflow.
iQube — standard portable plantar scanning
iQube is designed as a high-precision, clinic-based plantar scanner with a larger scanning area and higher accuracy (down to 0.5 mm), making it ideal for practices that want very detailed plantar data for orthotic design and documentation. It supports weight-bearing positioning so you can capture the foot under load, reflecting how the plantar surface behaves inside footwear and insoles. This makes it a natural choice for clinics running a steady volume of custom insole prescriptions and structural assessments.
Because iQube is intended for a more stationary use inside treatment room, it suits clinics where patients come to you, and where consistent, repeatable scan conditions are more important than extreme portability. The multi-camera optical system and 2D texture capture help you document pressure-prone areas, calluses and markings directly on the 3D model.
iQube S — ultra-portable/mobile clinics
iQube S takes the same plantar-focused concept and shrinks it into an ultra-portable scanner that weighs only a few kilos and fits into cabin luggage, while still providing ~1 mm accuracy and 5–7 second scan times. It’s a strong fit for mobile podiatrists, outreach clinics, or multi-room practices where the scanner needs to move during the day.
Like iQube, iQube S supports full-weight, semi-weight and non-weight-bearing scans, plus calibrated 2D/3D texture mapping, so you can use it for diagnostics (flat feet, high arches, plantar fasciitis, diabetic foot) and for producing custom orthotic insoles. Optional side-steps and mounting kits make it easy to integrate into cramped rooms or temporary setups, while a simple USB connection keeps the IT side straightforward.
Typical Clinic Workflow of a 3D Foot Scanner
Patient positioning
The patient steps onto the scan surface in the desired posture – typically full weight-bearing for insole design, or semi/non-weight-bearing for specific diagnostic questions. Heel laser and side steps (for iQube S) help maintain consistent positioning.Fast 3D scan acquisition
In 5–7 seconds, the scanner captures a detailed 3D plantar model along with color texture, including arch height, skin markings and any clinician-drawn reference lines.Review and annotation
On the clinic PC, you review the scan, check alignment, and (if needed) add notes or measurements. The high-resolution model lets you visually explain findings to the patient, improving understanding and treatment acceptance.Export to CAD / orthotic lab
The scan is exported in standard 3D formats (STL, PLY, OBJ) and sent to your own CAD/CAM workflow or an external orthotics lab. This replaces messy plaster casts or foam boxes with clean digital files.Follow-up and monitoring
For chronic or high-risk patients (e.g., diabetic foot), repeat scans can be compared over time to track changes in plantar shape, offloading effectiveness and orthotic fit, building a digital record alongside your clinical notes.
FAQ (Frequently asked questions)
For a fixed, single-site clinic with a dedicated exam room, iQube is often the best fit thanks to its very high accuracy and larger scanning area. If you frequently move between rooms or visit external locations, iQube S offers similar clinical capabilities in a lighter, more portable form factor. If the clinic is producing more complex orthotics or custom footwear then the S3DT full foot scanner is the optimal choice.
Both iQube and iQube S typically complete a scan in about 5–7 seconds, which is fast enough to fit into normal appointment slots without slowing down your workflow.
iQube and iQube S are widely used to support diagnosis and treatment planning for flat feet, high arches, plantar fasciitis, diabetic foot and ulcers, as well as general biomechanical issues that benefit from precise plantar geometry.
Yes. Scans can be exported in STL, PLY and OBJ formats (plus image formats like JPEG/PNG for texture), which are standard in most orthotic CAD/CAM systems and lab workflows.
Absolutely. The same plantar scans used to diagnose and document conditions are also suitable as the digital impression for custom insole design, so you don’t need separate devices for assessment and production.
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