3D PRINTED PPE DENTISTRY’S PLEDGE BY SHARAZ MIR OF BLUEPRINT DENTAL Leave a comment
WHERE IT STARTED
Universities, tech firms and 3D print enthusiasts with their own printers have been responding to the shortage of healthcare workers’ personal protective equipment (PPE) – and in some case more complex hospital medical supplies – by making it themselves. It’s been called a “citizen supply chain”.
Much of this was born out of a situation at a hospital in Brescia with a number Coronavirus patients requiring breathing machines which ran out of the respiratory valves needed to connect the patients to the machines. The original supplier was unable to meet the sudden high demand and the hospital quickly found itself in a crisis. Quick to respond to the situation, the CEO of a Brescia-based engineering firm, used 3D printing to meet the hospital’s demands and, resultantly, patients’ lives were saved.
THE INDUSTRY
Closer to home the dental industry itself, which has adopted 3D Printing quite extensively for the production of various prosthesis also heard the call to action and started a number of movements from both the clinical and laboratory sides of the business.
One notable movement which offers both fundraising to pay for said PPE as well as taking requests for PPE to place them based on demand was the 3D PRINTED PARTS – JOINT DENTAL & MEDICAL COVID-19 INITIATIVE UK & WORLD (https://www.3dprintcovid19.com/) set up by Prof. Adam Nulty who is President of the International Digital Dental Association, a UK based clinician. This multifaceted group is both trying to raise £25,000 to fund the production of PPE, and can help coordinate these dentists and technicians to improve the production capabilities of the UK and indeed foreign countries in an initiative to help the NHS/medical services in general to save lives with providing ventilators, intubators and general parts needed in the fight against Covid-19.
What is hugely notable is how a number of dental labs both large and small have been busy adapting their traditional production processes to manufacturing an array of PPE and accessories even though they have been forced to close during this period. Many labs have been working tirelessly to produce PPE for distribution on a national basis, many who initially we funding the costs themselves. Thankfully a number of donation sites have sprung up and many in the dental industry, especially technicians who don’t have 3D Printers have been donating vast sums to help facilitate the production.
What seems to be a common feature in discussions with those who have been involved in the supply of PPE is how proud they are of the industry in coming together to help facilitate this and so quickly. (Sorry to those not mentioned here, as the list is remarkably, endless!) Speaking with Keith Morgan of Toothworx in Cardiff, who has been exceptionally busy with his 3D Printer, ‘It was amazing to see the unity and networking, a lot of us have been talking and throwing ideas and solutions around it’s been brilliant to be part of, it’s been something else.’ And he is only one of a number of labs both large and small who have been producing PPE now in their 10’s of thousands.
MANUFACTURING
Even the 3D Printer manufacturers have been getting in on the act, two notable projects one in the US is from Ex0ne, a metal 3D Printer manufacturer have been working urgently with its partners, such as Open Health Solutions, an affiliate of digital dentistry provider Core3DCentres, to gain approval and commercialize its customized 3D printed face mask that is completely sterilisable and reusable. Customers can scan their face with a free smart phone app, have a custom-designed face mask 3D printed in a biocompatible and autoclavable surgical resin.
A reusable metal filter 3D printed by ExOne, either in copper or stainless steel, would be inserted into a cartridge on the front of the mask and can also be sterilized and reused.
The other manufacturer is more home grown, from the UK Photopolymer and 3D Printer manufacturer Photocentric. Based in Peterborough, Photocentric who’s other side of the business was being one of the world’s largest craft industry manufacturers saw a downturn in that side of the business and turned to PPE manufacturing. They streamlined a resin printed design for a face visor and are now producing 12,000 visors a day on 15 3D Printers with well over 100,000 pre orders.
In the face of adversity over the past months, we have seen how the UK healthcare sector excels in the support its offering to those affected by this virus. We commend the resourcefulness of our dental laboratories which have shown how the possible future of dentistry can be encouragingly applied to a wider concern.
