Lab | North Carolina Orthotics and Prosthetics

The NCOPI lab – formally known as Precision Orthotic and Prosthetic; casually referred to as Central Fab – was founded in 2011 in Raleigh, NC. The 6800 square-foot space acts as the fabrication facility for all orthotic and prosthetic solutions required by any of the four NCOPI offices. It is centrally located to the hospitals in Raleigh and Wake Forest, just off of Capital Boulevard.

The lab was built to service a need within NCOPI and the greater O&P community. Our practitioners felt confined by the existing fabrication facility model, which demanded that devices be designed in-office but sent off-site (sometimes out of state) for fabrication. NCOPI leadership decided to bypass the inherently inefficient process of sending devices to external labs, and developed plans for Central Fab. Because the lab is at our disposal 24/7, we are able to provide unparalleled service to patients.

Key Benefits of the On-Site Lab

We are able to offer patients inordinately short turn-around times for device-development. When devices are designed on-site and sent out for fabrication, the process can take days or even weeks. With an on-site facility like Central Fab, we are able to design, build, fit, adjust, and deliver orthotic and prosthetic devices in a fraction of the time.

We offer emergency care around the clock. While, of course, standard care takes place during office hours, we know that issues sometimes arise with orthotic and prosthetic devices that are best treated immediately. Our lab affords us the flexibility to respond immediately if or when you need us. We’ve even been known to make critical adjustments or repairs over holidays.

We are able to extend the lab’s usefulness by using it as an educational tool – both for patients who come to us as the result of a traumatic event, and for patients who have not previously had an opportunity to learn about the device-development process. We find that this level of inclusiveness builds trust and removes the mystery from the process of developing the right orthotic or prosthetic solution, effectively turning practitioner and patient into a team.

We also have the capacity to do educational seminars through our individual prosthetic component providers or manufacturers and can host courses for other healthcare professionals. Alongside the lab, we have a conference room that seats approximately 20 people and is outfitted with audio-visual equipment for PowerPoint presentations, and video viewing.