Patent ID: 6865442

Claim:
A method of milling an orthotic device by using a computer controlled milling tool, the orthotic device defined by a orthotic device upper contour, the orthotic device having opposing anterior and posterior portions thereof, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a workpiece defining a mill plane and a perpendicular axis thereto; b) milling the milling tool into the workpiece along the perpendicular axis to a depth corresponding to the orthotic device upper contour; and c) translating the milling tool relative to the workpiece in the mill plane along a milling path while adjusting the depth of the milling tool to correspond to the orthotic device upper contour to selectively remove material from the workpiece for producing the orthotic device therefrom, the milling path being characterized by a plurality of mill rotations about the perpendicular axis, successive ones of the mill rotations being radially further from the perpendicular axis, given ones of a portion of the mill rotations each having an elliptical section adjacent the posterior portion.