Patent ID: 7356379

Claim:
A method of fabricating a prosthetic socket for a residual limb of an amputee, the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying a series of landmarks on the residual limb of the amputee; (b) manually measuring the residual limb using the series of landmarks as points of reference to generate measurement data in relation to certain of the landmarks; (c) inputting the measurement data into a software tool based upon the manual measurements taken from the residual limb in step (b); (d) correlating, with the assistance of the software tool, the measurement data with a three-dimensional template of a residual limb to generate a three dimensional electronic representation of the residual limb of the amputee; (e) designating at least one point on the three-dimensional electronic representation of the residual limb taken from the group consisting of: of knee center, mid patella tendon, tibial tuberosity, distal tibia, patella tendon bar, medial flare, interosseous groove, apex of gastrocs, fibula head, lateral condyle, and medial condyle; (f) customizing, with the assistance of the software tool, and with reference to the at least one point the three-dimensional electronic representation, wherein the customizing step includes a step taken from a group consisting of: (f1) building onto the three-dimensional electronic representation, (f2) removing from the three-dimensional electronic representation, (f3) smoothing a surface of the three-dimensional electronic representation, and (f4) adding to the volume of the three-dimensional electronic representation to account for one or more prosthetic limb components to be positioned within a prosthetic limb socket fabricated from the three-dimensional electronic representation (g) manufacturing a physical three dimensional representation of the residual limb of the amputee using the customized three-dimensional electronic representation; (h) molding a material at least partially over the physical three dimensional representation of the residual limb to form a prosthetic socket; (i) embossing a unique indicia onto a transfer substrate; and (j) debossing the unique indicia onto a prosthetic component by impressing the transfer substrate into the prosthetic component; wherein the unique indicia includes at least one of: a name corresponding to the prosthetic recipient, a manufacturer indicia; an approximate date of manufacture of the prosthetic component; an approximate time of manufacture of the prosthetic component, and a device identifier.