Key takeaways
- Define the intended use of each export.
- Count complete cases separately from scan pairs.
- Resolve file gaps before relying on the handover.
What is an intraoral scanner in the sale packet?
An intraoral scanner captures a digital impression inside the mouth. Identify the actual device and software before assessing its files. This entry addresses handover evidence; it supplies no clinical recommendation or equipment appraisal.
3Shape's Unite documentation distinguishes scans from case packages: STL has no color, PLY has adapted color, and 3oxz also carries items such as order forms and patient information. Confirm the actual software version rather than assuming that every scanner works this way. (Source: 3Shape Unite export documentation)
What does an exported file actually prove?
An export shows that a particular output was produced. The reviewer still needs to establish whether the intended receiving software can open it and whether it contains the information required for that purpose. Define the purpose before calling the export complete: sending geometry to a laboratory and preserving a complete case are different tasks.
3Shape's historical 2017 STL announcement excluded proprietary information such as shade measurements and margin lines. This dated example explains why the format matters; it does not establish present compatibility. (Source: 3Shape STL announcement, 2017)
Keep the equipment-value review for ownership, support and price questions. This narrower check asks what information is present in the proposed handover and what remains outside it.
Worked example: files are not complete cases
Assume an authorized technical reviewer uses eight synthetic training cases containing no patient data. Each training case has a required upper scan, lower scan and separate mock order sheet. These are invented test requirements, not a clinical protocol or manufacturer specification.
| Test finding | Cases |
|---|---|
| All required training items present and readable | 5 |
| Both scans readable, mock order sheet missing | 2 |
| Lower scan missing | 1 |
| Total synthetic cases tested | 8 |
Seven cases have both scans, but only five meet the stated complete-case requirement. Counting readable scan pairs as complete cases would overstate success by two cases. The result is five of eight, or 62.5%, for this particular requirement. It is not an estimated failure rate for the scanner, a real migration or other case types.
If the two missing mock order sheets are supplied and verified, seven cases meet the requirement. The remaining case still needs its lower scan. Correcting one kind of omission does not settle the other. Retest the affected cases and retain the result instead of changing the original failed-test record.
How should the team use that result?
Ask the authorized reviewer to name the intended destination, required items and acceptance test. Record the device, software version, export format and test date. Preserve the original files and work on approved copies. A synthetic test can expose a workflow gap without claiming that real records have been checked.
Actual patient information requires the applicable privacy, authorization and records-custody review; a buyer's NDA alone does not authorize unrestricted access. Use the records-transfer guide for that separate work. Successful file tests also do not transfer a vendor license or establish the device's clinical suitability.
Common mistake and summary
Do not accept a folder of readable meshes as proof of a complete case handover. State the purpose, list required information and test the receiving workflow. Carry unresolved files, rights and custody questions to the responsible reviewer before relying on the scanner as part of the purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Is a readable scan a complete case?
Not necessarily. The worked test also requires a mock order sheet, so readable scans alone do not satisfy its stated requirement.
What does five of eight mean in the example?
Five synthetic cases meet all supplied requirements: 62.5% of the eight-case test. It is not a real-world scanner or migration failure estimate.
Does a successful export transfer software rights?
No. The vendor agreement and proposed account change need their own review.
Should this test use unrestricted patient records?
No. The example uses synthetic training cases. Actual information needs the applicable authorization, privacy and custody controls.
Sources
Retrieval dates appear beside each source. Figures retain their stated observation years; retrieval does not make older data current.
- 3Shape Unite export documentation · Retrieved
- 3Shape historical STL announcement, 2017 · Retrieved