How can 3-D printing help save lives during COVID-19?

Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), has encountered a new problem caused by the pandemic. A hospital in the northern Italian town of Brescia ran out of vital replacement valves for “reanimation” machines. These machines are used to aid the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 patients and make sure they can breathe. But the supplier was overwhelmed and unable to meet the demand for new valves. 

Fortunately, a solution was quickly identified. A local 3-D printing company, Isinnova, heard of the hospital’s plight and designed a prototype valve. It proved successful, so they began printing more, delivering 100 valves to the hospital in just 24 hours. Each valve takes about one hour to print, and the BBC reports that a second hospital has already gotten in touch with the company to request more valves. Isinnova has teamed up with another local 3-D printing company, Lonati, in order to help meet demand. 

They have no plans at this time to release their valve design publicly, due to concerns that it could be replicated incorrectly. “The valve has very thin holes and tubes, smaller than 0.8 m — it's not easy to print the pieces,” said Isinnova CEO Cristian Fracassi. “Plus you have to respect not [contaminating] the product — really it should be produced in a clinical way.”