University of Louisville Develops 3D-Printed Swabs
Faculty and students from Kentucky’s University of Louisville Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science & Technology (AMIST) and the Schools of Dentistry, Engineering, and Medicine have developed 3D-printed swabs for COVID-19 testing kits.
Faculty and students from Kentucky’s University of Louisville Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science & Technology (AMIST) and the Schools of Dentistry, Engineering, and Medicine have developed 3D-printed swabs for COVID-19 testing kits. Gerald T. Grant, DMD, MS, interim assistant dean of advanced technologies and innovation at the School of Dentistry and associate director at AMIST, worked with EnvisionTEC, a manufacturer of professional-grade 3D printers, to develop the pliable resin material, as well as faster printing times. The swabs were tested at the university’s Cardiovascular Innovation Institute to ensure they could absorb enough solution material to be viable. At press time, clinical trials were underway. With favorable results, the 3D-printed swabs will be included in COVID-19 test kits that might otherwise be delayed due to a nationwide shortage of swabs.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. May 2020;18(5):11.
