Orthocare Innovations

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General FAQs

What are the key benefits of Compas™?
How can Compas™ be used for documentation purposes?
Is there reimbursement for Compas™?
How do I make money with Compas™?
What if therapists gained access to Compas™?
What is the warranty on Compas™?

Clinical FAQs

Compas™ seems focused on alignment adjustments to the pyramid at the proximal end of the artificial limb. What about adjustments to the pylon (shift, angle) or to the foot?
Compas™ says my patient's alignment is optimal, but plots of his M/L and A/P moments don't exactly follow the green curve. Is this OK?
How does Compas™ define ideal alignment?
Is the Compas™ system designed for use on Transfemoral or Hip Disarticulation level prostheses?
Can I collect more than 6 steps at a time? I put subjects on a treadmill sometimes.
What if the Compas™ pyramid gets wet?
What if the yellow light on the Compas™ Master Unit is flashing?
What if I cannot establish a connection between the Smart Pyramid™ and the Compas™ software?
What if the Compas™ software is unable to calibrate or the values are out of the range?
What if I am unable to capture live streaming data from the Compas™?

1. What are the key benefits of Compas™?

Saves clinicians time during prosthetic alignment.
Increases patients' confidence, resulting in better outcomes.
Objectively validates what clinicians do.
Affords long-term verification of positive outcomes.
Allows the prosthetist to optimize alignment in such a way to isolate and reduce socket fitting issues in follow-up care.
The objective clinical data and feedback afforded by Compas™ would require an investment of tens of thousands of dollars to acquire the equipment and space modifications to accommodate a gait lab.

2. How can Compas™ be used for documentation purposes?

The Compas™ system is the first outcomes-based measurement tool for practitioners.
Compare Compas™ data from a prior adjustment with an old prosthesis to Compas™ data with a new/revised device; use as comparative documentation.
Print or save Compas™ data to patient's file.
Provide justification to payers of the benefit between the two Compas™ trials.

3. Is there reimbursement for Compas™?

There is informatioin online to assist with this process, see the Presentation and Webinar tab, focused exclusively on reimbursement issues regarding Smart Pyramid™.
Prosthetists have had some success with this provided patient need is tracked and documented in all relevant medical files. We anticipate that planned use of Compas™ in the VA will establish a precedent that will be followed by private insurers and CMS, while helping us achieve the necessary sales volume for a unique code.

4. How do I make money with Compas™?

Compas™ will generate revenue through time savings associated with prosthetic alignment.
Through using Compas™, prosthetists will reduce the number of patient visits for realignment.
We eventually anticipate reimbursement for the Smart Pyramid™ - this would provide increased revenue for virtually every lower limb prosthesis.

5. What if therapists gained access to Compas™?

Our market is prosthetists only.
Although Compas™ makes alignment very straightforward, we believe it is most effective when used by prosthetists who have been trained in, and understand, prosthetic alignment.

6. What is the warranty on Compas™?

The Compas™ Master Unit has a three-year warranty.
The warranty for the Smart Pyramid™ is one year.
Software revisions are free.

7. Compas™ seems focused on alignment adjustments to the pyramid at the proximal end of the artificial limb. What about adjustments to the pylon (shift, angle) or to the foot?

The Compas™ software provides suggested gait alignment changes to help optimize alignment including translation where appropriate. The practitioner can also utilize the Compas™ graphical information to further refine the alignment, as the prosthetist sees best fit. The more the prosthetist uses Compas™, the easier it becomes to help know what best alignment or component alterations are needed to further optimize the prosthesis for the user.

8. Compas™ says my patient's alignment is optimal, but plots of his M/L and A/P moments don't exactly follow the green curve. Is this OK?

Yes! The Compas™ software uses over 7 million controlled gait data samples to determine an average gait graph (green line), to use for comparison to the current gait trial. The green band takes into account this large number of data points, and averages them to determine optimal alignment. Compas™ knows that not every user's gait is "average", and considers a number of factors when analyzing the gait trial.

9. How does Compas™ define ideal alignment?

Orthocare researchers collected over 7 million controlled gait data samples to analyze torque and moment effects of specific alignment deviations. Compas™ software normalizes the patient's gait trial and compares this to gait data for analysis.
Compas™ is a useful tool to allow prosthetists to see the effects of alignment adjustments in a quantifiable way - and can therefore see what could not have been seen previously.

10. Is the Compas™ system designed for use on Transfemoral or Hip Disarticulation level prostheses?

Compas™ software is designed for use on all levels of lower extremity prostheses that can use either a standard four-hole pyramid attachment system or a tube clamp adaptor. The Compas™ software provides useful data for the practitioner about the user's gait, and can be a useful tool in alignment, fitting, and evaluation for all levels of amputation.

11. Can I collect more than 6 steps at a time? I put subjects on a treadmill sometimes.

Under the Control Menu, Compas™ software can be instructed to record data continuously to your computer disk. This is intended primarily for research purposes. In typical clinical settings however, four to six steps are enough to determine alignment parameters.

12. What if the Compas™ pyramid gets wet?

The Smart Pyramid's™ electronics are protected against normal wear and tear, including dirt and surface moisture as long as the Smart Pyramid™ I/O Port Plug is in place. The Smart Pyramid™ should never be immersed in liquid.

13. What if the yellow light on the Compas™ Master Unit is flashing?

This signifies there is a communication issue between the Compas™ Master Unit and the Smart Pyramid™. Check the physical connection from the Compas™ Master Unit to the Smart Pyramid™ and make sure the prosthesis is not weight-bearing and chose Re-Initialize Compas™ System from the Control Menu in the Compas™ software.

14. What if I cannot establish a connection between the Smart Pyramid™ and the Compas™ software?

Make sure the Compas™ Master Unit is fully seated into the Smart Pyramid™.
Make sure a Bluetooth serial port has been added through Windows or OS X.
Make sure the batteries are charged. Batteries should last for 7 hours of continuous run time, and may be replaced with comparable rechargeable or non-rechargeable AA batteries.
Make sure there is no weight on the Smart Pyramid™, except for the weight of the prosthesis itself. Any shifting of weight, such as if a user is standing on the device at the time of initialization, will prevent adequate calibration and may prevent appropriate connection.
Compas™ Bluetooth has a range of approximately 10 meters (30 feet). Make sure the Compas™ Master Unit with Smart Pyramid™ is within the range of the computer.
Make sure the correct Compas™ Master Unit serial number is chosen in the Compas™ software preferences window.

15. What if the Compas™ software is unable to calibrate or the values are out of the range?

Ensure that set-screws have been tightened to no more than hand tightened torques.
Allow the system to come to room temperature.
Make sure that the prosthesis is non-weight bearing and still.

16. What if I am unable to capture live streaming data from the Compas™?

If the Master Unit has been unplugged or come loose during the course of adjustment. Click the Red Stop Button in the Control Panel, followed by the Green Go button. If this does not restart the live stream shut down the software and reconnect the device.