How to Capture Feet for Custom Orthotics on a Phone or iPad: A Clinic Checklist

For clinic owners, practitioners and clinic staff in Canada. Orthix works only with clinics and practitioners, not directly with patients. This is educational content, not clinical advice. Last reviewed October 3, 2026.

This checklist covers the clinic side of 3D foot capture in the Orthix app: what to set up before the visit, how to capture both feet, what to check in the 3D model, and the common reasons a file gets sent back. If you're still deciding between digital capture and foam, start with our comparison of digital foot capture vs foam impressions.

Do you need a 3D scanner to capture feet for custom orthotics?

Not with Orthix. No dedicated scanner is required. Clinics capture both soles with a modern smartphone or tablet through the Orthix mobile flow, and the app generates a 3D model. The model is attached directly to the order, so there's no file to export and email separately. For a fair comparison of stand-alone scanners, add-on sensors and app capture, see orthotic scanner options.

Other labs and other systems may work differently. If you send orders to more than one lab, check what capture method each one accepts.

What do you need before the patient arrives?

• A compatible phone or iPad, charged, with the Orthix app ready. If you're not sure whether a device is compatible, ask us before your first patient, not during the visit.
• A registered, verified clinic account. Clinics register and verify their practice once, and then the team works in one secure workspace for patients and orders.
• The patient record and assessment started. The structured digital assessment saves as a draft, so you can start it before capture and finish it after.
• The room. This is general good practice for any phone or tablet capture: an uncluttered floor area, even lighting without strong shadows or a bright window behind the foot, and enough space for the clinician to move around the foot. Then follow the positioning the app shows.
• Consent. Tell the patient what you're capturing, why, and who will receive it (see the consent section below).

How do you capture both soles, step by step?

1. Open the patient's order in the Orthix app and confirm the patient details.
2. Prepare the feet. Bare feet, with socks and any loose clothing pulled clear of the area the app asks you to capture.
3. Start the capture and follow the on-screen prompts. The app guides positioning and lighting. Don't improvise a different angle or position.
4. Capture the first foot, then the second. Every order needs both soles.
5. Retake anything that isn't clear. Blurred, dark or partial captures are the most common thing to fix. Retaking it now costs a few seconds. Retaking it after the lab asks means recalling the patient.
6. Let the app build the 3D model, then review it before you submit (next section).

What should you check in the 3D model before you submit?

The app generates a 3D model of each foot. Review it before you submit, with the patient if that's useful. Quick checks:

• Is it complete? Both feet are there, and nothing in the area you captured is cut off.
• Is it the right patient and the right side? Check left and right against your assessment.
• Does it match what you saw clinically? If something looks wrong, recapture rather than explain it in a note.
• Is the prescription filled in? Choose the orthotic type in the order form and complete the assessment fields. See Products for the types you can order.

The 3D preview and the app's capture guidance support your work, but they don't replace it. Orthix's Terms describe them as decision-support aids that "may contain errors or approximations", and the clinician remains responsible for clinical suitability.

Why do files get sent back, and how do you avoid it?

The Orthix lab team reviews every order before fabrication. If something is missing or unclear, we'll tell you through the platform. The two most common reasons are:

• Incomplete or unclear captures. Fix this at the chair (step 5 above).
• Missing prescription or assessment details. The order can't be fabricated until the lab knows what to make.

The fabrication clock starts at lab acceptance, which is when we confirm the order in the platform or by email, or start production. Typical fabrication is 5–10 days after lab acceptance, and volume and product type can vary. A clean file is accepted sooner. Our turnaround guide explains how to measure this in your own clinic.

What about patient consent and privacy for foot captures?

Foot captures and 3D models are personal health information, so treat them the way you treat any clinical record.

• Get meaningful consent. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the BC and Alberta privacy commissioners' joint Guidelines for obtaining meaningful consent say that people should understand what is collected, who it is shared with, and why. For an orthotic order, that means telling the patient that captures of their feet go to the lab to make their orthotics.
• Know which privacy law applies to your clinic. It depends on your province and your type of organization. The OPC's summary of privacy laws in Canada is a good starting point, and your college may have additional rules.
• Keep captures in the order, not on personal devices. Use a clinic device where you can, and capture inside the app so everything stays with the order.

Under Orthix's Privacy Policy, your clinic is responsible for patient consent before uploading patient information, and Orthix processes it as a service provider to fulfil the order. Orthix applies encryption in transit and follows healthcare-appropriate security practices.

When should you use a foam impression instead?

That's a clinical decision, and it stays with the clinician. Foam impressions are still accepted by Orthix if you prefer them for a particular patient.

On the research side, a 2025 double-blinded randomised controlled trial in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders compared insoles made from foam-box casts with insoles made from direct foot scans in 114 participants. Pain, function and foot health improved similarly in both groups. The direct-scan group reported greater satisfaction and adherence, needed fewer manual adjustments, and had lower overall costs. That trial used a direct foot-scanning system in an NHS orthotic service, not a phone app, so treat it as evidence about digital capture in general, not about any specific product.

How does phone or iPad capture fit into an Orthix order?

1. Complete the assessment online in the Orthix app.
2. Capture both soles on a phone or iPad.
3. Review the 3D model and submit the order. It reaches the lab when you submit, with nothing to pack or ship.
4. The lab reviews and accepts the order. Typical fabrication is 5–10 days after lab acceptance.
5. Finished orthotics ship to your clinic. Lower Mainland clinics can also use local pickup or courier.
6. Track status, message the lab, and reorder later from the patient's digital record.

Most teams are comfortable placing their first digital order within one guided session, and we can review your first few orders with you. For the full lab side, see how custom orthotics are made. If you're comparing labs, see our custom orthotics lab for clinics across Canada.

Ready to try phone or iPad capture? Register your clinic or book a demo. Questions? Call +1 (604) 447-2880 or email info@orthix.ca.