Additive manufacturing for COVID-19: Devices, materials, prospects, and challenges.
Rigoberto C Advincula, John Ryan C Dizon, Qiyi Chen, Ivy Niu, Jason Chung, Lucas Kilpatrick, Reagan Newman
Author Information
Rigoberto C Advincula: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA.
John Ryan C Dizon: Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering and Architecture, Bataan Peninsula State University, City of Balanga, Bataan 2100 Philippines.
Qiyi Chen: Center for Nanophase Materials and Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA.
Ivy Niu: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA.
Jason Chung: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA.
Lucas Kilpatrick: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA.
Reagan Newman: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) where improvised manufacturing in particular 3D printing has addressed many needs. This prospective discusses the current global crisis, then follows the wide interest in addressing the shortage of medical devices and PPEs used for treatment and protection against pathogens. An overview of the 3D printing process with polymer materials is given followed by the different 3D printing projects of PPEs and medical devices that emerged for the pandemic (including validation/testing). The potential for rapid prototyping with different polymer materials and eventual high-throughput production is emphasized.
