The coronavirus COVID19 outbreak has left hospitals and health systems across the world scrabbling for equipment to fight the virus: masks, gowns, respirators are all in short supply. In some areas, there’s simply not enough equipment to go around; in others, equipment is just not getting to the places it’s needed. Could 3D printing offer an alternative way to get vital equipment into the hands of the doctors and patients?
The drive to use 3D printing to manufacture vital medical materiel was driven largely by makers and hobbyists, who quickly grasped that their home and business machines could be repurposed to generate a range of healthcare equipment. An Italian 3D-printing startup, Isinnova, recently began printing much-needed Venturi valves for hospitals after hearing about a shortage. Venturi valves are used to change the oxygen…
