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Coronavirus: 3D printing to the rescue in the face of a shortage of medical equipment

2020-03-27T08:54:23.580Z


Handymen and large companies work side by side to support hospitals, which lack masks and respirators.


Shortage of masks, lack of respirators, so many challenges awaiting caregivers as hospitals in countries affected by the new coronavirus face an influx of patients. But rather than waiting for deliveries promised by the government, some are now using protective visors and spare parts printed in 3D by individuals and companies.

An Italian start-up thus responded to the call from a hospital in need of valves necessary for the functioning of its respirators. The manufacturer of these parts could not supply them quickly enough and this put the lives of patients at risk. Thanks to a 3D printer, the company was able to produce a hundred valves, allowing the hospital to restart the respirators.

Other startups specializing in 3D printing have offered their help to caregivers who, lacking protective equipment, are particularly exposed to the virus. Copper 3D has thus put online the plans for an N95 mask to be printed in 3D. But the latter is not approved and must still be tested to be used in real conditions, warns the company.

In France, followers of Do It Yourself coordinate to meet the needs of hospitals. The latter are particularly in need of protective visors. Easy to produce and reusable, they are an additional barrier against infection for healthcare staff, but do not replace the mask.

Another initiative noted: a model of Decathlon diving masks has been modified to be adapted to respirators. Aware of the interest of DIY enthusiasts for its equipment, the sports equipment brand shared its 3D plans to allow them to experiment. While specifying that in the absence of convincing tests, no one can guarantee that these masks are suitable for medical use.

Big business follows suit

But individuals and startups are not alone in this race for innovation. The giant HP, very established in the 3D printing sector, has followed suit and has already sent more than a thousand 3D printed parts to hospitals in Canada, the United States and Spain. For the moment, these are contactless door handles similar to those developed by the Belgian startup Materialize, as well as protective visors. But the company is also trying to produce functional protective masks and emergency respirators.

Stratasys, another major player in 3D printing, plans to produce 5,000 protective visors by the end of the week. " The versatility of 3D printing makes it an ideal tool to respond to a shortage of medical equipment, " said its CEO Yoav Zeif.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-03-27

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