The Covid-19 pandemic, shortage, and interrupted supply chains have spurred innovations and significant improvements in personal protective equipment. Here are four tech advancements in PPE since COVID-19:
Table of Contents
1. 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing
Face shields, masks, and clothing such as Keswi’s scrubs were some of the most needed pieces of personal protective equipment once the pandemic broke out. 3D printing or additive manufacturing was one of the most significant technological advancements that responded most promptly and adequately to the unexpected demand and shortage of PPE. It emerged as a new manufacturing process with enormous potential to develop complex equipment in a short time with little human intervention.
As such, 3D printing proved to be an exceptional technology to deal with the ongoing pandemic that required human interactions and contacts to be cut down to a minimum. Furthermore, the capability to customize equipment per the needs of medical staff with a considerably shorter product development cycle and at a lesser cost, put 3D printing technology at the forefront of battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are some of the most significant benefits and advantages of using 3D printing for PPE manufacturing:
a. Cost
The complex and customized PPE produced with 3D printing technology comes at a lower cost than with traditional manufacturing technologies, where customized products can be very costly.
b. Time
With the COVID-19 outbreak, medical professionals worldwide were in dire need of PPE products that could be produced and delivered quickly. 3D printing proved to be a technology that had products made in lesser time, responding promptly to the increased need for PPE equipment.
c. Quality
3D technology can improve products’ quality by inputting the quality raw materials during the post-processing stage of development.
d. Risk reduction and flexibility
PPE needs to fulfil many requirements to reduce the risk of exposure to various contaminants, viruses, and bacteria. Conventional technologies are not as flexible as 3D printing to produce specific PPE which may require changing shape and size.
e. Strength to weight ratio
Materials such as lightweight and functionally graded materials are effectively produced with 3D printing technology. Creating components for medical applications with better strength to weight ratio remains more difficult for traditional manufacturing technologies.
6. Waste reduction
3D printing is becoming known and much celebrated for being an environmentally viable manufacturing technology as it produces less waste.
2. Innovative Face Shields
The COVID-19 outbreak presented unique challenges and opportunities for innovators to help healthcare workers mitigate the risks of infection, discomfort, and pain that come with wearing goggles for a more extended period.
With traditional supply chains not being able to service the demands and need for PPE, people from 86 countries gathered and engaged in voluntary production to collectively produce 25 million face shields. The techniques they used varied from 3D printing, laser cutting to injection molding.
Face shields offer protection from contaminating others, personal safety to the wearer and are a great alternative to face masks when they’re not available. Other advantages of face shields include:
- Protecting from droplets directly in front of the wearer (not from the sides or underneath)
- Protecting eyes (something other masks such as surgical can’t)
- The face and facial expressions of the person wearing a shield can be seen
- Some types can be reused if cleaned and disinfected
Today, many companies continue developing and working on recyclable face shields that are easy-to-assemble, have comfortable fitting, and are possible to clean, disinfect, and reuse.
2. Face Masks
The sense of community and strong desire to help, gathered many makers, groups, and manufacturers worldwide who used 3D printing to fabricate face shields and facemasks for exposed healthcare workers and the wider community. The shortage of supplies, both globally and locally, prompted many to share designs online.
Producing a low-cost 3D-printed mask can be described as a five-step process which includes:
- Cloth as a base material stretched on the bed
- CAD (computer-aided design) model
- STL conversion (a file format describing only the surface geometry of a 3D object with no color, texture, or any other CAD model attributes)
- Printing polymer on cloth
- Post-processing
The global 3D printing efforts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic showed how face shields were generally twice as fast 3D printed than face masks and needed about half as much filament. Quantitative analysis of print times, 3D printing costs, filament used, part dimensions, and other relevant parameters can help all interested parties and regulatory bodies consolidate and optimize strategies and respond to future supply chain shortages and healthcare crises.
3D printing has been a practical and operable way to mass-produce masks. The polymeric material used for 3D printing can successfully deal with loose-fitting issues associated with the typical cloth-based masks. It’s because polymetric materials allow for designs catering to many different facial profiles.
Some materials that 3D printing technology uses for the development of facial and surgical masks are:
- Polypropylene,
- Polystyrene,
- Polycarbonate,
- Polyethylene,
- Polylactic acid (PLA)
- Polyester
4. Medical Protective Clothing
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light how impractical, uncomfortable, and deficient protective clothing can be. It often puts additional physical strain, impairs the ability to work efficiently, and follow safety and health guidelines.
Medical protective clothing must prevent contaminants such as viruses and fluid from penetrating for up to an hour. As such, it has to pass three tests:
- Water impact
- The pressure on the materials.
- Barrier against imitation of blood containing a virus
Luckily, today, much more attention is paid to these issues, and innovators are tackling them by:
- Creating antiviral and antimicrobial fabrics
- Using lightweight materials
- Improving barrier protection
Conclusion
COVID-19 pandemic shed light on why it’s important to continue to improve and innovate PPE. There are more companies and individuals now concentrating their business efforts on PPE that are more ergonomic, easier, and safer to use. Governments and businesses are also placing more significance on supply chains, trying to prevent any future shortages.
Lastly, the COVID-19 health crisis showed how innovators worldwide could join forces and volunteer together to fight the global pandemic, made possible by the technological advancements of the 21st century.
