The coronavirus is currently gripping the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Several parties are deploying 3D printing in the fight against the virus. We list some examples.
Valves for respirators
Massimo Temporelli, founder of Milan-based The FabLab, last week came to the aid of a hospital in Brescia, Italy. The hospital was struggling with a shortage of valves for venturi masks for ventilating patients.
Temporelli enlisted the also Italian company Isinnova. Isinnova CEO Cristian Fracassi brought a 3D printer to the hospital in Brescia. Within three hours, the pair managed to design and print a prototype valve. At least ten patients at the hospital are using the 3D printed valves. Meanwhile, the local company Lonati has also reportedly started printing the valves.
Open Source Mask
The pandemic has created a huge demand for face masks. The masks are crucial to protect healthcare workers while treating corona patients. The demand is also high in the Netherlands and healthcare providers are calling on other sectors to donate face masks.
The Open Source Mask project may be able to help. This 3D-printable mouth mask can be fitted with a disposable filter. A series of Italian designers are making their design for the mouthguard available online for free. The project has no profit motive. Users with their own printer can therefore print the mouthguards themselves for free. Those without a printer can have them printed by an external party.
Further information is available here. At the time of writing, the website is offline for maintenance.
Door opener from Materialise
Belgium's Materialise announced a 3D-printable door opener on Monday 16 March. This door opener attaches to a door handle and simplifies opening doors with the forearm. This prevents skin contact with the handle and should thus prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Materialise is making the door opener design available for free. Users with a 3D printer can therefore print the door opener themselves. Those without a 3D printer can also order them online via the i.materialise portal, where a set of two door openers costs 40 euros.
3D printed houses for quarantine
China deployed 3D printed enclosures as quarantine areas back in February. The stays were printed by China's Yingchuang Construction Technology in mid-February and donated to the hospital in Xianning in the coronavirus-hit Chinese province of Hubei.
The stays are 10 square metres in size and 2.8 metres high. The rooms are equipped with a bedroom and bathroom. The 3D printed stays are also earthquake-proof and insulated.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
