Abstract
In the era of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most demanding areas was the supply of healthcare systems in essential Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including face-shields and hands-free door openers. This need, impossible to fill by traditional manufacturing methods, was met by implementing of such emerging technologies as additive manufacturing (AM/3D printing). In this article, Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filaments for Fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology in the context of the antibacterial properties of finished products were analyzed. The methodology included 2D radiography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis to determine the presence of antimicrobial additives in the material and their impact on such hospital pathogens as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Clostridium difficile. The results show that not all tested materials displayed the expected antimicrobial properties after processing in FFF technology. The results showed that in the case of specific species of bacteria, the FFF samples, produced using the declared antibacterial materials, may even stimulate the microbial growth. The novelty of the results relies on methodological approach exceeding scope of ISO 22196 standard and is based on tests with three different species of bacteria in two types of media simulating common body fluids that can be found on frequently touched, nosocomial surfaces. The data presented in this article is of pivotal meaning taking under consideration the increasing interest in application of such products in the clinical setting.
Highlights
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reporting activities indicated that the COVID-19 epidemic would affect the supply chain of medical products and supply disruptions or shortages of critical medical products [1,2,3]
Palza [7] suggests that the addition of copper nanoparticles to polymers, thanks to their antimicrobial properties, is a promising application for the development of medical devices protected from microbial contamination
The approach includes tests that exceeded the test scope dictated by the standards and significantly expanded state of the art regarding antimicrobial commercial polymer materials used in Fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing
Summary
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reporting activities indicated that the COVID-19 epidemic would affect the supply chain of medical products and supply disruptions or shortages of critical medical products [1,2,3]. The combination of the production capabilities of FFF devices, along with the availability of materials and open-source digital models, allowed for a quick response during a pandemic crisis and immediate production of the necessary products [12] Applications such as medical and biomedical as well as food packaging would benefit from antibacterial properties acquisition [9,13,14]. Typical antimicrobial additives or fillers reported in literature are Ag, Cu, Zn, ZnO, TiO2, MgO, or SiO2 [16,17] as well as blends consisting of ceramics— Al2O3 or SiO2 in combination with active nanoparticles [18,19] Another way is to modify the surface by adding geometric patterns on it that reduce bacterial colonization of the surface. The novelty of the results consists of considering the potential antibacterial properties declared by the manufacturer, represented by details produced using FFF technology, and verifying them to our own research, using other than provided in the standard bacterial species, concerning potential medical applications
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