Description
Overcome shortages with additive manufacturing
Clinicians at the University of Nebraska Medical Center developed a new solution to chronic shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the inventors created a new type of nasal swab that can be used to collect patient samples for testing various contagions, including the novel coronavirus.
The nasopharyngeal swab can be rapidly produced at a relatively low-cost using a filament-based 3D-printer.The swabs are also printed in such a way that gives the swab a reliable tensile strength that reduces the chance of it breaking during a procedure.
Currently in use at Nebraska Medicine, UNMC’s clinical partner, the swabs were printed using polyethylene terephthalate glycol filament, a food-grade plastic that is relatively inexpensive and widely available. Further, PETG is a thermoplastic polyester that is durable, chemically inert and well suited for structural applications.
Clinical testing showed that the printed swabs were just as effective and reliable as more traditional versions already on the market.
The 3D-printed nasal swabs are available for non-exclusive licensing. To learn more about available options or to secure a copy of the 3D printing file, contact Tyler Scherr, Ph.D., at tyler.scherr@unmc.edu.
