Hospitals, systems leverage 3D printing capabilities during pandemic

As it became clear shortages of N95 respirator masks would stymie providers and put them in grave danger as they responded to COVID-19, hospitals around the nation began to brainstorm ways to boost supplies.

For many health systems, 3D printing capabilities have served them well—helping to create face masks, test kit swabs and ways to adapt and repair breathing machines.

The technology that was just a few years ago called an industry game-changer because it offered options to create cheaper medical devices and supplies is helping providers navigate the dangers of caring for the nation’s pandemic victims.

Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, and Duke University in Durham, N.C., are among those that have leveraged their internal 3D printing capabilities. UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif., teamed up with its medical students.

They’ve all produced face shields, which help prevent contamination of N95 masks and prolong their use as they’re being rationed. Face shields also prevent face-touching, which is essential to stop the virus’ spread.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month warned that 3D-printed equipment is “unlikely to provide the same fluid barrier and air filtration protection as FDA-cleared surgical masks and N95 respirators,” providers say that’s not what they’re looking for.

“This isn’t meant to replace N95 masks,” said Evan Levine, senior director of academic and media technologies at Duke’s Office of Information Technology. “This is not full protection. This goes directly in front of your mask, and this would stop anything that (comes at your face). The real goal here is to prolong the life of the N95.”

The process has faced some bumps as staffers struggle to remain comfortable and cool under several layers of personal protection equipment during shifts that can last 18 hours these days.

At Duke Health, 25 nurses from various disciplines tested the protective barriers in the system’s simulation lab. Some said they wanted the shields to be narrower so they could more easily access their stethoscope, but those who were intubating patients preferred a full-face design.

Most of the 3D face shields are made of polycarbonate, the material recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC requires that the face and neck be completely covered.

Duke University has created about 600 face shields since beginning the project in mid-March. The system will clean about 100 shields at once, in-house, said Matthew Stiegel, director of occupational and environmental safety at Duke Health. It will take up to two days before the shields can be back on units for use again, he said.

A component of the face shield that’s proven more difficult to mass produce is the headband, which can take up to four hours to create with 3D printing. That’s where local manufacturers can help. Duke quickly found a partner willing to help increase their production to as many as 10,000 per week.

Duke Health planned to deploy the face shields on units last week before an expected surge of COVID-19 patients. “We’re lucky to be a little ahead of the ramp-up of need here in North Carolina,” Levine said.

Other novel uses of 3D printing during the pandemic include producing nasal swabs to address shortages for COVID-19 testing. Both Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and Northwell Health in New York have been able to produce thousands of swabs a day, enabling them to test more patients for the virus. Northwell also successfully designed a 3D-printed adapter to convert a common bilevel positive airway pressure machine into a functional invasive mechanical ventilator.