3D‐Printing to Mitigate COVID‐19 Pandemic
Akshay Kumar K. Padinjareveetil, Martin Pumera
Abstract
3D-printing technology provided numerous contributions to the health sector during the recent Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several of the 3D-printed medical devices like personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators, specimen collectors, safety accessories, and isolation wards/ chambers were printed in a short time as demands for these were rising significantly. The review discusses some of these contributions of 3D-printing that helped to protect several lives during this health emergency. By enlisting some of the significant benefits of using the 3D-printing technique during an emergency over other conventional methods, this review claims that the former opens enormous possibilities in times of serious shortage of supply and exceeding demands. This review acknowledges the collaborative approaches adopted by individuals, entrepreneurs, academicians, and companies that helped in forming a global network for delivering 3D-printed medical/non-medical components, when other supply chains were disrupted. The collaboration of the 3D-printing technology with the global health community unfolds new and significant opportunities in the future.