Caused by the acute acute coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) respiratory syndrome, the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading worldwide. With new changes emerging across the globe with higher infectivity, the world is embracing skyrocketing issues. More than 109.88 million cases have been reported since the virus was first detected in December 2019, and more than 2.42 million have lost their lives.
The pandemic has put a strain on many health care systems around the world. Many countries have faced challenges due to the lack of hospital beds and intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients. The most important problem facing them is the lack of medical equipment in hospitals to cater for the enormous influx of patients in the hospital. These include breathing which is important for respiratory support.
A team of researchers has studied 3D printing techniques for critical equipment needed by health care systems to adequately manage the burden of care resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The team also noted other potential uses of 3D printing in supporting the global fight against pandemic.
COVID-19 supply challenges
At the beginning of the pandemic, many countries were not ready for the introduction of COVID-19 patients. Many hospitals lacked hospitals to deal with the growing number of cases.
There was also a widespread shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) – including an inadequate supply of surgical gloves, exotic faces, disinfectants and test equipment. As a result of this shortage, many health care workers were left unprotected while meeting the needs of patients.
Breathing was scarce at the time of the pandemic, which is essential for supporting the patients’ respiratory system. There are a small number of inhalers, which are emergency devices that help patients breathe for a short time.
What is 3D printing?
To address the equipment shortage, 3D printing can help provide three-dimensional prints as physical objects through a printer. Low-cost desktop 3D printers assist in the production of 3D models and instructions, which have been used to make equipment in the battle against COVID-19.
The 3D printing method, also known as the layered production method (AM), is based on the production theory of layers of many materials such as metals, living cells, powder, ceramics, and liquids. The procedure involves a number of complex 3D geometries using a computer-aided design (CAD) model or a computed tomography (CT) scan.
The 3D method can also create custom organ and scaffolding models to produce and print defective areas directly. This approach offers new opportunities in treatment, especially when it comes to diagnosing and identifying potential organ donations.
The study
In the study, published in the journal Emergency supplies, the researchers identified the role of 3D printing in COVID-19. During the pandemic, more than 100 3D printed PPE designs were used.
The study highlights studies on 3D printing and its use in the current global health crisis. Several Internet libraries such as ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Google News were examined to analyze studies with keywords such as “3D print”, “COVID-19”, and “materials.”
The team will be conducting studies from November 2019 onwards, the date the disease was assumed to have started. They found 195 results in ScienceDirect and 119 results in PubMed. More than 7,500 results were found in Google Scholar, but again there were results.
3D printed equipment for COVID-19
The team found that 3D printing was used to produce PPE, including face masks, face shields, and additional decorations such as mask extensions. The method has also been used in monitoring devices such as swabs, shower devices, swabs, 3D printing lung models, endotracheal tube clamp, door opener, and isolation wards.
The 3D printing method can help save a lot of lives, but there are pros and cons.
In 3D printing, there is freedom of design, depending on the needs of the health worker or patient. It also allows for large-scale customization, waste minimization, and the manufacturing capability of complex structures.
There are limitations such as high costs, limited applications in large structures, and material constraints. Nevertheless, the 3D printing method can open the doors for the technology to be used in a number of clinical contexts.