Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients lives by 3D printing valves
Many have been asking what the implications of the current Covid-19 pandemic are going to be on additive manufacturing as an industry. The relationship between coronavirus and 3D printing is not entirely clear, mostly because we are very far from understanding what the long, medium and even short terms implications of the pandemic are going to be on global supply chains.
Additive manufacturing may be able to play a role in helping to support industrial supply chains that are affected by limitations on traditional production and imports. One thing is for sure though: 3D printing can have an immediate beneficial effect when the supply chain is completely broken. That was, fortunately, the case when a Northern Italian hospital needed a replacement valve for a reanimation device and the supplier had run out with no way to get more in a short time.
The original valve (on the left) and its 3D printed twin.
One of the biggest immediate problems that coronavirus is causing is the massive number of people who require intensive care and oxygenation in order to live through the infection long enough for their antibodies to fight it. This means that the only way to save lives at this point – beyond prevention – is to have as many working reanimation machines as possible. And when they break down maybe 3D printing can help.
https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/covid-19-3d-printed-valve-for-reanimation-device/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Ten yrs ago when my son told me what they could do, in quasi-disbelief, I said "you're kidding."
Now, if we could just fix Fux viewers' brains. 😜
