Abstract
A polyolefin with certified biocompatibility according to USP class VI was used by our group as feedstock for filament-based 3D printing to meet the highest medical standards in order to print personal protective equipment for our university hospital during the ongoing pandemic. Besides the chemical resistance and durability, as well as the ability to withstand steam sterilization, this polypropylene (PP) copolymer is characterized by its high purity, as achieved by highly efficient and selective catalytic polymerization. As the PP copolymer is suited to be printed with all common printers in fused filament fabrication (FFF), it offers an eco-friendly cost–benefit ratio, even for large-scale production. In addition, a digital workflow was established focusing on common desktop FFF printers in the medical sector. It comprises the simulation-based optimization of personalized print objects, considering the inherent material properties such as warping tendency, through to validation of the process chain by 3D scanning, sterilization, and biocompatibility analysis of the printed part. This combination of digital data processing and 3D printing with a sustainable and medically certified material showed great promise in establishing decentralized additive manufacturing in everyday hospital life to meet peaks in demand, supply bottlenecks, and enhanced personalized patient treatment.
Highlights
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread from China in December 2019, causing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), which led to an international public health emergency [1]
It was shown that protective equipment (PPE) consisting of a mouth/nose mask, face shield, and goggles reduced the risk of inhalation for healthcare workers treating
A further challenge presents the use of appropriate printing platforms, as polyolefins only adhere to few surfaces made of polyolefins or polyolefinic rubbers due to their low surface energy [6,7]
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread from China in December 2019, causing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), which led to an international public health emergency [1]. Stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) are the most commonly used AM techniques. Both are based on liquid photopolymer resins, which are cured with ultraviolet laser radiation [8]. Extensive post-processing such as cleaning and washing procedures as well as additional light-curing is necessary This requires further equipment and materials, thereby increasing the costs. As an alternative, fused filament fabrication (FFF), known under the trademark term fused deposition modeling (FDM), can be used to produce 3D objects cost-effectively and with little technical effort (Figure 1) [8]. Ongoing pandemic to protect health care workers [17,18]
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