MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- uLab Systems ® announces an exciting new strategic collaboration with Voxel Dental and LuxCreo, Inc., two other leaders in the orthodontic industry, aimed at advancing the use of direct print aligner technology. All three companies share the vision of transforming the landscape of in-office manufacturing capabilities for orthodontists. Together they will streamline the overall workflow for direct print appliances and further the adoption of this promising technology. "We could not be happier to team up with Voxel and LuxCreo," said Charlie Wen, Co-founder and President of uLab Systems. "This collaboration will enable us to deliver needed advancements in direct print technology workflow, ultimately benefiting our customers and their patients with fast, precise, and cost-effective solutions." Mark Bacino , Vice President of Orthodontic Solutions at Voxel, added, "We're thrilled about the future of direct print aligners with the LuxCreo system. Previously, we were concerned about the lengthy digital workflow, but now, with the integration of uLab's uDesign platform and LuxCreo FastTrack AI, setting up direct print cases is much easier. The reduction in labor time is invaluable, eliminating the need for physically blocking out, thermoforming, cutting, and trimming in-office aligners." Mike Yang , CEO of LuxCreo, commented, "We are excited to partner with Voxel and uLab, uniting our shared commitment to enhance patient care through disruptive solutions. Together, we are advancing the frontier of digital dentistry, empowering doctors with elegant solutions and the ability to create lasting value for their business and patients. This collaboration underscores our collective vision to shape a brighter, more connected future." uLab's uDesign software has been the established leader in digital aligner treatment planning platforms since its commercial launch in 2019. Since then, the company has been focused on creating flexible workflows to empower orthodontists, giving them greater control over their treatment plans and aligner manufacturing. uLab recently enabled direct print capabilities for the uDesign software application and is working with LuxCreo on integrations that will save time for users. Register for an upcoming event to learn more: Hands-On with 3D Printed Aligners: From Treatment Planning to Finished Aligner 1/31/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/21/25 LuxCreo, Inc., Headquarters – Chicago, IL Register Now! https://voxeldental.com/products/luxdemo Digital Workflows for In-office Printing with uLab 3/7/25 Voxel Dental Headquarters – Houston, TX Register Now! https://ulabsystems.swoogo.com/ulabvoxel About uLab Systems uLab's mission is to advance the orthodontic industry with aligner products and digital treatment planning software that let orthodontists take back control of their treatment plans to provide the best outcomes for their patients. uLab sustainably manufactures uSmile aligners in Memphis, Tennessee , recycling over 80% of manufacturing mold materials. uSmile clear aligners, the uAssist concierge service, and the uDesign software are available to orthodontic practices in the USA . To learn more, visit www.ulabsystems.com. Contact: Johanna Beckmen , pr@ulabsystems.com . About Voxel Dental Voxel Dental is the #1 provider of digital orthodontic workflow solutions, offering the industry's top brands along with decades of combined experience in dental technologies. The Voxel team field tests every digital technology we provide to recommend the highest quality tailored solutions for our customers across a comprehensive product line. Focusing on a high-tech, high-touch philosophy, we specialize in 3D printers, intraoral scanners, digital X-ray, laser welding, thermoforming plastics, and wire-bending robotics with an emphasis on providing unmatched education, training, and technical support. For more information, please visit our website at voxeldental.com or call us at 281.789.7270. Contact: Chris Koch , marketing@voxeldental.com . About LuxCreo, Inc. LuxCreo, Inc., is the leading platform for personalized medical and dental devices, dedicated to transforming patient care through innovation, speed, and customer success. We empower doctors to design, create, and deliver same-day treatments that enhance smiles, health, and well-being for a wider variety of patients. Our unique ecosystem supports dental and medical professionals with onsite, scalable solutions and flexible production with laboratory design and production services. LuxCreo helps doctors grow their practices and improve patient care by delivering more customized and effective treatments with convenience and precision. For more information, visit LuxCreo.com © 2024 uLab Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. uSmile and Reva are trademarks and uLab, uLab Systems, uAssist and uDesign are registered trademarks of uLab Systems, Inc. MAR-0001792 Rev 1 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ulab-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-voxel-and-luxcreo-to-revolutionize-direct-print-aligner-technology-302330747.html SOURCE uLab Systems, Inc.
Derek Robertson throws for school-record 536 yards and Monmouth surprises Stony Brook 55-47Pritzker CHICAGO — Days after President-elect Donald Trump’s "border czar" said planned mass deportations of undocumented immigrants would begin in Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker again gave assurances that Illinois would protect all immigrants while also repeatedly saying he shared a desire to deport undocumented people convicted of violent crimes. “Let me be clear up front: Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported. I do not want them in my state. I do not think they should be in the United States,” Pritzker said Wednesday at an unrelated event in Chicago. The governor said he’d work to protect migrants seeking asylum, documented immigrants and undocumented people who had been living, working and paying taxes in the U.S. for many years. Homan Those remarks echoed his promises last month to shield his state from Trump administration policies he sees as damaging, declaring just after the election: “You come for my people, you come through me.” On Monday, Tom Homan, Trump’s handpicked head of border issues, said at a Northwest Side Republican event that the mass deportations promised by the Trump administration will “start right here in Chicago,” according to news reports. Asked whether he’d work with Homan, Pritzker said he would work “just as I do every day, federal, state and local enforcement, on other matters.” The governor said he would be “open to a dialogue” with Homan as part of the Trump administration but reiterated his belief that Homan doesn’t have the authority to carry out the types of mass deportations Trump has talked about. Trump made concerns about immigration a key issue in his campaign, and while Homan’s position isn’t part of the president-elect’s Senate-confirmed cabinet, he figures to play major role in guiding border policy from the White House. Pritzker criticized Homan for “making a political speech at a political township organization and attacking the people that you’re going to serve shortly.” “When you take on the office of governor, you serve all the people while you’re serving in this position and I would expect that he would do the same in his position,” Pritzker said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
DBG Announces First 45 Day Results with VAYNERCOMMERCE resulting in a 224% increase in digital revenuePHILIPPI, W.Va (WV News) — Philip Barbour’s MacKenna Halfin ended a storybook career of high school volleyball with a third Class AA state title in four years last week. She and the rest of the senior Colts made the state championship match in all four seasons. In the state tournament, MacKenna had 20 or more kills in all three matches, totaling 67 kills in 11 sets while also collecting 41 total digs. “I think that once that switch flipped, she just started swinging,” Philip Barbour coach Heather Halfin said. “The passes got better, but I honestly felt like she couldn’t be stopped.” Coach Halfin calls her one of the most dominant players she has coached. It’s a pretty tall order considering the program has now won seven state titles and has been to the state tournament for 23 consecutive seasons. “I think that she’s one of the best,” coach Halfin said. “I’ve seen some really good players come through my program and others that are incredibly solid players. When I evaluate a player, I try to look at the total player. It’s not just how hard they hit the ball or how well they serve or set. I try not to just pick one aspect. I try to look at everything, and MacKenna is truly a total player.” Her career closes with unreal stat totals — 2,058 kills, 1,590 digs, 357 blocks, 151 aces and over 1,233 serve receives. With MacKenna serving as a middle in her final three seasons, coach Halfin calls her stats the stuff of legend. “I would chance to say that there are only a few middle blockers in West Virginia that have hit 2,000 kills,” coach Halfin said. “McKenzie Carpenter did for me. If you find more, they are usually the players that coaches are still talking about — Aana Wherry from Parkersburg and Cameron Yoho from Tyler Consolidated are two I can think of. To get to that number as a middle is unheard of. Those players are legends.” Her reasoning is due to MacKenna playing an unconventional position for a team’s strongest hitter. More often than not, that player plays on the outside and receives the more optimal set. “If you go to a hitting camp, you’ll have 75 out of 100 kids playing outside hitter,” coach Halfin said. “Because that push outside is an easier ball to adjust to, she has learned to adjust to sets coming from different areas of the floor.” Instead, MacKenna, as a middle blocker, is a centerpiece of the defense while also being a player that can read the floor from multiple angles and send the ball in either direction. “She can pound the ball from everywhere and cut the ball like no one I’ve ever seen,” coach Halfin said. “That’s something that her national and other travel coaches have pointed out about her — Anyone can be a good hitter with a good setter, but she adjusts so well to anything she is given. “That’s not an indictment of our setters, though,” coach Halfin continued. “They are trying to force the ball to her in the middle. If you watch high-level volleyball, you know that the ball is set to the outside more often than not. It’s the easiest set.” It shows that her game has plenty of potential as she will play volleyball collegiately next fall. “I’m confident that if she was an outside hitter, she could’ve had 3,000 kills,” coach Halfin said. “I think it makes her a more versatile player because she is able to get to any ball and kill it. I’ve seen her get a ball from everywhere on the court.” But while MacKenna will hit a ball with the force that makes players scatter, her defensive prowess sets her apart. “She struggled a little bit in the beginning of the championship game, but her back-row play has gotten really good,” coach Halfin said. “We’ll watch college games, and she can tell you exactly where the ball is going to be hit. She reads the court so well, and that makes a good player. She can read every spot.” Coach Halfin is quick to point out just how impressive 1,000 digs can be for any player, but she then points to how it is especially impressive for hitters to reach that mark. “Back row is out of your control,” coach Halfin said. “You are adjusting to where the other team is placing the ball. Any time that someone digs the ball 1,000 times, you have kept someone from a point 1,000 times. It’s impressive.” MacKenna, a middle blocker, had over 1,500. “Having 1,000 good digs is insane when it’s not your only job,” coach Halfin said. “It’s impressive when a libero or defensive specialist does it, but when you wear multiple hats, it becomes super. Any front row player getting that is impressive.” With the end of MacKenna’s career comes the end of coach Halfin’s time coaching her daughter. She calls her a true competitor and looks forward to watching her continue to grow. “She’s been listening to me gripe as a coach since she started going on trips with me,” coach Halfin said. “I remember her being in an infant seat and coming along. I don’t really think there was a turning point for her competitiveness until she was a freshman.” Coach Halfin points back to a team camp in the summer before MacKenna’s freshman season. “She had let a ball drop to the floor,” coach Halfin said. “She didn’t play it because someone called it out, which I didn’t know. I jumped all over her, ‘We don’t let a ball drop. You should know that.’ Of course, you’re always harder on your kids.” “She looked at me and was tearing up,” coach Halfin said. “So I took her out until she was okay. After the game, I remember looking at her and telling her that when she’s on the court, I am no longer her mother. I am coach. I told her to let me coach her.” “Alyssa Hill was a senior that year, and she just goes, ‘Listen MacKenna, your mom has made all of us cry at some point,’” coach Halfin said. “And I was like, no way. And then Emily (Denison) raises her hand and says, ‘Raise your hand if Halfin has made you cry,’ and they all did. After that, she realized not to take coaching personally.” Four years later, MacKenna will be remembered as one of the best to ever do it. “I would say that it’s hard to be her because she’s my kid,” coach Halfin said. “I have big shoulders, so people can say what they want to. She’s earned every second she was on the floor. There was never a question. She has also shared me as a mom since she has been alive, so that is hard, too. Once she got used to it, it all worked out.”
