How 3D Printing Helping in Fighting Against Covid-19?
Published on : Wednesday 15-04-2020
The advent of 3D printing technology is increasingly using to churn out medical equipment for health care staff around the world, since global health is being affected by Covid-19 outbreak. This has not only disrupted health systems globally but socio-economic patterns as well. While critical supply chains in the healthcare sector are struggling to fulfill the rising demand of medical equipment, digital manufacturing companies within the 3D printing space are stepping out to deliver much-needed equipment.
3D printing has come a long way in recent years with the advancements of technology increases. The role of the technology in the current pandemic relies on the rate on which disease is spreading and how quickly manufacturers can adapt their facilities to meet demand. Healthtech companies are leveraging 3D printing at an unprecedented rate to fulfill the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as facemasks, gloves, eye protection, and clothing. The health system is also facing the shortages of Covid-19 testing swabs and kits, respirators, and ventilators.
Now, as companies have stepped out to manufacture more ventilators and respirators, the first 3D printed respirator has been built and approved by medical experts in Spain. Developed by a consortium that involves Consorci de la Zona Franca (CZFB), HP, Leitat, SEAT, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST), and the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, the respirator works as an emergency device that assists patients to breathe for a short period of time.
Ethereal Machines a Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup also has come up with a 3D printing solution to address ventilator shortages. The company, which specialises in technologies associated with computerised numerical control (CNC) machining and 3D printing, is delivering solutions to increase the capacities of existing ventilators, in dire circumstances. Simple 3D printed splitters that segregate the supply of oxygen into two halves have been tried out successfully in Europe. In this context, Ethereal Machines has come up with differential ventilation that is required in cases where the split ratio between two patients from a splitter has to be different.
On the other hand, Massachusetts-based Formlabs which usually sells 3D printers has now recently pivoted 250 printers in its Ohio factory to manufacture up to 100,000 COVID-19 test nasal swabs per day. These machines generally would be building dental product samples for marketing purposes.
Since healthcare organizations and hospitals across the US have been struggling to obtain the necessary tools and equipment to diagnose and treat patients during the Covid-19, Formlabs is set to ship their swabs to some of these facilities, including Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida and Northwell Health in New York City.
In short, as the number of Covid-19 cases globally is continuously skyrocketing, 3D printing technology can be effective in bringing effective cure against the virus, and we believe 3D printing companies have the opportunity right now to prove themselves that they are better prepared for the crisis like a present pandemic as well as for the future.