COP Conference, Glasgow | November 17th – 19th
Find out all Firefly will be offering at this year’s #COPC16. We’re introducing 3D scanners, hosting two workshops and launching our new over the counter NSOLS orthotics.
New Firefly Order Forms
At Firefly Orthoses we have updated our order forms. Firefly’s product range, specifically our line of Specialised Devices has expanded. Adding these devices to our offering has resulted in some slight changes to our Firefly prescription order forms.
Why use Firefly’s digital fillable order forms?
With greater numbers of our customers migrating to capturing patient foot data using iPads and tablets our digital order forms are becoming increasingly important. In our clinics we are actively using Sharp Shape’s AOMS TOT technology which incorporates
an iPad and Structure Sensor scanner.
The iPad app streamlines the process of naming, scanning, file-transferring all in one package, while it is simple enough for a trained office assistant to use and to avoid errors. Email and/or DropBox can be used as the carrier to transfer data, including a 3D OBJ file, a JPEG file and a text file, which contains necessary ordering information. The scanning dimensions are designed for feet in mind, to ensure highest resolution and accuracy with the sensor.
At Firefly we are increasingly receiving digital orders where the file and prescription are emailed to our Lab. To increase efficiency of time, you can now download Firefly’s prescription forms to your iPad, fill the form and capture the imaging using your iPad and submit all the data (image file and digital prescription) in one email. This significantly reduces lead times, removing the need to rely on the time it takes to post plaster of paris casts or foam boxes. Adobe Reader is required when filling in our digital prescription forms on an iPad. The native Apple program ‘Preview’ is not suitable for filling out our forms digitally. More info is available here on using Firefly’s Digital Order Forms.
Firefly Standard Device Order Form
Our Premium Device order form has been replaced by the new Standard Device form. This new form provides for prescriptions that require functional, dress [men’s or women’s], sport and mould devices.
On the new form you’ll find all the Optional Spec, Posting, Additions and Modification options as per usual.
Firefly Specialised Devices Order Forms
Our new Specialised Device order form takes account of our expanded range of devices for Diabetics and Rheumatoid Arthritic patients.
These devices are categorised into three groups: Accommodative, using Rubberflex shell, Hybrid, using Polypropylene [flexible] shell and Functional Devices, using a Polypropylene semi-rigid shell.
Some of these devices are suitable for both Diabetic and Arthritic patients.
The control level for each device type is indicated on the new forms too.
Firefly Richie Brace Order Form
There are no major changes regarding the Richie Brace order form. The form presents the various Richie Brace AFOs, including the Dynamic Assist, Richie Soccer, Little Richie for younger patients, Richie Gauntlet and Richie Solid.
The form also provides notes on pathology specific prescriptions along with casting techniques on the rear of the form.
If you have any further information regarding our new digital forms, contact us via phone or email [email protected]
Camp Surf Social Good // Scholar Sponsorship
This month Firefly is looking to the water. Located on Ireland’s north west coast Firefly, like the people of this region, is inspired by the Atlantic Ocean. Surf culture has, in recent decades, exploded in Sligo, further strengthening the connection between the people and the ocean.
Camp Surf Social Good is the brain child of local surfer, researcher, change maker [amongst other things] Easkey Britton and takes place between October 13th and 16th in Ericeira, Portugal. The event is ‘a gathering of 18 leaders, founders and wave makers from around the world.’, with the tagline where social innovation & creativity meet the sea.
Firefly Sponsors Surf Social Good Scholar
Firefly is sponsoring a section of the gathering; The Surf Social Good Scholar. The recipient of the award this year is Iranian snowboard and surf pioneer, Mona Seraji.
Mona Seraji – Surf Social Good Scholar recipient
At age 15, Mona’s skis slipped off her car roof and broke. Mona replaced them with a snowboard. Soon after she blazed a new trail for Iranian women in the sport.
In February 2016, Mona made history as the first Middle Eastern person, male or female, to compete in the Free Ride World Qualifier in Switzerland. Her days as a competitor are winding down, but she plans to empower the next generation. She has qualified as an international snowboard instructor, children’s instructor and coach. Her goal is to coach the first female competitor for the 2024 Olympics.
In 2014 she co-created the grassroots surf community @wesurfiniran in 2014. Mona is also a graphic designer and PR manager of the Redline Team in Tehran.
Earlier this year Mona was selected as one of 50 people from around the world that have shown real courage and inspiration, for BBC Outlook Inspirations.
Follow Firefly at Camp Surf Social Good on site and twitter
You can follow Martin’s trip to Surf Social Good in Portugal here and across our twitter feed @FireflyOrthoses. Hopefully we’ll get some footage of Martin on a surf board! Now that would be interesting. This short video from NBC News tells a little more about Mona’s story.
Firefly visit Medtech hub of United States
Martin McGeough outside Medtronic’s HQ
This week Firefly Orthoses is visiting the mid-west of the United States. Firefly’s Martin McGeough makes up part of an Irish delegation from 18 Irish life science companies who have travelled. Martin is representing one of a number of Irish medical device companies.
The Irish Minister for the Environment and Small Business, Pat Breen TD, is leading the travelling party for this Enterprise Ireland trade mission.
The group is visiting the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, one of the largest medtech clusters in the United States – home to approximately 700 companies in the field of medtech.
The mission aims to highlight Ireland as a key hub for innovative life sciences solutions and to explore business and research opportunities in the Twin Cities area.
Of the traveling companies, 13 fall into the sub-supply category who produce products and services that can be provided to the medical device manufacturing sector. While the remaining five provide finished devices. As a provider of custom made foot orthoses, Firefly Orthoses makes up one of the finished devices companies.
According to Enterprise Ireland:
Despite the global recession, the Irish life sciences sector has continued to grow and has evolved into one of the leading global clusters with direct employment of 50,000 people and exports of more than €50 billion annually.
Enterprise Ireland Itinerary
Today (Monday) Martin and the group pay a site visit to Medtronic. Medtronic is a global healthcare solutions company committed to improving the lives of people through our medical technologies, services, and solutions .
Tuesday sees the group visit the Mayo Clinic a nonprofit organisation committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing.
While Wednesday sees the delegation visit Boston Scientific.
Speaking before the party departed for the US, Kevin Sherry, Executive Director Global Business Development, Enterprise Ireland said:
A priority for Enterprise Ireland is to ensure that companies start, scale and innovate, and Ireland’s life sciences sector truly reflects how well this is working. The triumph of the sector is not just down to the country being recognised globally as a leading manufacturing hub for medical technologies — it’s also down to the sector embracing innovation and collaboration as vital to its success. This Trade Mission to the Twin Cities is an enormous opportunity for further developing productive relationships and partnerships between indigenous and multinational enterprises that will enhance and grow this dynamic sector for the future.
To keep a breast of our visit to the US’s mid-west follow Firefly Orthoses on twitter.
Claire Forbes visits Firefly
Claire Forbes, Jersey based podiatrist visits Firefly Orthoses where she picked up her new custom made foot orthoses.
Delrin: the high strength shell for ultra thin orthoses
Introducing DELRIN®
You want your patient to feel the benefits of the orthoses you prescribe and not to feel the orthoses in their shoes. Firefly strive to produce the most discrete custom made foot orthoses on the market.
With this in mind, we are delighted to announce our latest shell material, DELRIN®. DELRIN® is a crystalline plastic engineered for strength, stiffness and wear resistance comparable to industrial metals.
The material is employed across multiple industries, including high load mechanical applications, such as gears, door systems, conveyor belts and health care delivery devices. The material combines low friction and high wear resistance which has seen it replace metals in many industrial scenarios in temperatures ranging from -40•C to 120•C.
But what does this mean for foot orthoses? As regards orthotic thickness, roughly half as much DELRIN® is required as that of a standard Polypropylene shell. Therefore, 2.5mm DELRIN® = 5mm Polypropylene to create the same level of support and can still be heat adjusted in the manner of a standard Polypropylene shell.
DELRIN® Applications
It is suitable for fabricating low-profile dress orthotics and orthoses for obese patients, and its compact density and high tensile strength facilitate ultra-thin orthotic production for any patient. A thin 2-mm composite shell can support over 200lbs and control ranges from semi-flexible to very rigid.
Limitations of DELRIN®
- Heel cup must be less than 20mm
- Arch cannot be higher then 22mm
- Cannot have a full High Medial Flange
- If you want a 50% Medial Flange the actual arch height and the Medial Flange together cannot be above 22mm.
- The higher the arch height is the higher the flange will go.
DELRIN® (Acetal Homopolymer) Overview.
- Good dimensional stability
- Low moisture absorption [DELRIN® can work in wet environments with little effect on the performance or dimensions]
- Excellent machinability
- High fatigue endurance
- High strength and stiffness properties
- Superior creep and impact resistance
- Chemical resistance to fuels and solvents
- Natural grade is FDA, NSF and USDA compliant
- Good wear and abrasion properties.
If you wish to find out more about using DELRIN® as a shell material in your Firefly prescriptions, contact us via email via email or telephone 00353 71 91 49494.
Podiatric Sports Medicine Conference 2016 | London
Firefly Orthoses will be attending the forthcoming Podiatric Sports Medicine Conference at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, 2016.
Northern Ireland public holiday disrupts Firefly lead times
We wish to bring to your attention, the forthcoming public holiday in Northern Ireland will extend Firefly’s lead times for all items in transit during the period.
July 12th is recognised as a public holiday in Northern Ireland. As such, Royal Mail state there will be no postal service operating on both July 12th and 13th.
If you are sending casts or foam boxes to Firefly or, expecting delivery of Firefly devices, we wish to advise there may be a delay of two to three days due to Royal Mail’s cessation of services on the stated dates.
This is outside of the control of Firefly Orthoses. We appreciate your patience during this period.
Podopaediatrics Conference 2016, Birmingham.
Firefly Orthoses will be attending Podopaediatrics on July 1st. The event takes place at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham City Centre. Claire Carr will be attending the event for Firefly.
Firefly attend Foot Health 2016 | Kettering Conference Centre
Yes, yes, we’re attending I-FAB 2016 in Berlin this week, but we’re also maintaining our presence locally too! Firefly Orthoses is attending Foot Health 2016 at Kettering Conference Centre this week. You’ll find us at stand 50. Make sure you stop by and say ‘hello’!
Foot Health is now well established as the largest independent conference for podiatrists in the UK. FootHealth 2016 will return to centrally located Kettering Conference Centre.
Invited delegates will include Podiatrists, Physiotherapists, GPs and other interested health professionals.
Make Sure to visit stand 50 and say hello to Firefly’s Claire.
On hand will be Claire Carr, flying the flag for Firefly at the event. Claire will have a full selection of Firefly custom made orthoses samples, including OTCs and info on the Richie Brace AFOs.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Firefly Orthoses, make sure to leave your contact details with Claire and we’ll include you on our mailing list. Claire will also give you an overview of the benefits of being a customer of Firefly Orthoses.
Foot Health 2016 has it’s own facebook page where you can keep up to date on any relevant information ahead of and during the conference. We look forward to seeing you there.
Firefly Conference Stand – Foot Health 2016