Three 3D-printed coronavirus-fighting products companies are making
Coronavirus fight requires more PPEs, medical supplies
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Hospitals nationwide do not have enough medical devices and personal protective equipment to keep them safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, in the midst of the shortages, many companies are stepping up to the plate to think outside of the box and produce as many PPEs and other necessary products as possible.
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Here are three products 3D companies are making:
Washable, reusable masks
On FOX Business' "The Claman Countdown" on Tuesday, XponentialWorks founder and CEO Avi Reichental revealed the first-ever 3D-printed, knitted, washable and reusable mask.
The mask is produced by the 3D-knitwear company Variant which typically makes customized sweaters.
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"They have created a program that can create this washable, reusable and disinfectable mask, and they are supplying an N95-grade filter [which] can be disposable," Reichental explained to FOX Business' Liz Claman.
Xponentialworks founder and CEO Avi Reichental shows the first-ever washable, reusable and disinfectable mask on FOX Business.
Reichental said Variant has applied for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to designate the product as N95 quality.
"We're very hopeful the FDA can fast-track it because we believe that this could be a game-changer in terms of resupplying hospitals in particular," Reichental noted.
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XponentialWorks plans to provide the software for free on its website so anyone with a 3D-printer can convert their machines and start making these masks.
Split ventilators
One of the more important supplies to help treat patients with coronavirus is a ventilator, but there is a significant shortage in the hospitals.
Example of a ventilator that could be shared
"We kind of got caught with our pants down in terms of our emergency preparedness, not just here in the United States, but globally, and one of the most precious pieces of equipment today is a ventilator," Reichental admitted.
Reichental pointed to the idea of splitting the ventilator so one ventilator can support at least two patients simultaneously.
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"Quite a few other 3D-printing companies around the world are working on this effort to make sure that we can immediately double the capacity of existing ventilators while we add new ones into the supply chain," Reichental said.
3D-printed testing swabs
According to Reichental, Massachusetts' Formlabs is leading the way in the production of 3D-printed nasal swabs.
3D-printed nasal swabs
"We have taken this design and basically are making swabs here locally in California because we have some very high-speed 3D printers ... that can scale these to tens of thousands of swabs weekly until the normal supply and can get them back in the game," Reichental explained.