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Cara Negri, CP, is the lead prosthetist at Gainesville Prosthetics in Gainesville, Florida. She has been using the Galileo program for almost a year and a half and has printed everything the program offers, including check sockets, flexible inners, cosmetic covers, and copoly sockets.
But her secret to success with the program is trusting the process. “I look at Galileo like it’s a second technician,” she mentioned. From working with the helpful digital designers to letting the printer do its thing, there are a lot of different layers that save Cara time.
“It’s a beautiful thing trusting in something that isn’t just your skillset - it’s the Galileo team making a printable file and ensuring it prints well. The modifications are up to us to communicate,” she said.
Cara’s favorite aspect of being a prosthetist is always being up for a challenge and thinking outside the box. Her biggest challenge with Galileo has been to not touch the mold and to put her faith into Galileo design techs. But she’s had to realize that the way she initially learned isn’t the only way.
“I’ve learned that I don’t have a special sauce,” she said. “I can spend 3 hours modifying, or I can have Galileo do it for me.” When Cara first started with the program, Galileo set her unique design templates up by discussing her modification preferences.
She has since adapted those preferences a lot. “There is a learning period, but I’m in a really good place with Galileo. I have learned how I measure and how that translates into the socket they design.”
One thing Cara warns against is measuring too tightly. You can fit a socket if it comes out too large and then easily reduce it from there by clicking a simple revise button in the Galileo web portal. “Don’t be too aggressive to start,” she advised. “As prosthetists, we have this weird goal of achieving a 0-ply fit right off the bat, but that might not happen right away.”
Once you get into a good groove with the print sizing and design, the printer is like a magic weapon. “I can start prints remotely from my bed!” Cara exclaimed. “It brings me so much joy to come in the morning and have a socket already completed on the printer. It’s like Santa’s little elves worked overnight to get me a Christmas present.”
Cara admits that challenges may arise throughout the journey, but she is up to the task. For example, Cara described how, although the material may not be completely transparent, she likes the way it heats up and stretches. “The benefits definitely outweigh the challenges,” she said.
And you can always overcome the challenges with the Galileo program’s awesome team on your side.
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