A new circuit has been established to order the supply of medium and large companies and the demand of hospitals, with the collaboration of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia and the Official College of Physicians of Barcelona ( COMB). Information will soon be provided on the new circuit and instructions so that individuals who are being offered can also print pieces and join this initiative.
The professionals of the 3D Laboratory of Parc Taulí want to make public their gratitude to the avalanche of companies and individuals who have made available their 3D printers to print the pieces that are being clinically validated in this laboratory, with the aim to contribute to the eradication of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus pandemic.
A few days ago it was announced that the 3D Laboratory of Parc Taulí is doing the clinical validation of different proposals to print pieces for medical use that are emerging on the network. The inspiration comes from an initiative that has its origins in the Internet community "Coronavirus makers" https://www.coronavirusmakers.org/index.php/es/, where its participants, from all over the world, exchange information in order to be able to manufacture, in an economical and fast way, equipment and parts that can improve the care of Coronavirus-infected patients.
These tools, however, must previously pass a clinical validation, which guarantees that they meet the essential requirements for their use in the healthcare field. It is also necessary to determine whether these are useful and necessary models for immediate clinical use, which takes on special relevance in the current circumstances.
New circuit to manage the demand of hospitals with the new network of manufacturers
The 3D Laboratory of Parc Taulí is making the catalog with all the pieces that are being validated available to the entire 3D Community (http://www.tauli.cat/institut/planificacio-quirurgica-impressio-3d/covid-3d/), but a new circuit has been established to order, on the one hand, all the demand and supply of parts to the hospitals and, on the other hand, all the supply of companies to make the impressions.
The circuit is as follows:
- Hospital management can now request validated parts for use and manufacture from the Parc Taulí 3D Laboratory catalog.
- The Barcelona Medical Association (COMB) coordinates with the Parc Taulí 3D Laboratory, and with all the hospitals, to process product requests from our catalog and distribute them properly to each health center.
- The 3D Laboratory of the Parc Taulí can also receive requests for parts outside the current catalog, and studies the feasibility of design and manufacture, through the network of manufacturers who have made available their production capacity. Manufacturers - large and medium-sized companies - have grouped themselves on the platform 3dCovid19.tech, with the support and coordination of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia. This platform has been created in just over 72 hours to respond to this initiative and is where, from now on, all large and medium-sized companies that want to offer their printing capacity must register.
New circuit to manage the offer of individuals
You will soon be informed of the directions and the circuit to follow so that all those individuals who are offering their printers to contribute to this initiative, can also do so.
From the 3D Laboratory, and given the urgency of the current situation, is prioritizing production with large and medium-sized companies, for a matter of quality control, given that most parts are intended to be in contact with the patients.
Other parts, however, such as non-contact door handles (catalog code 3DPT02), do not have to comply with the same quality controls, and can be printed by individuals. The collection point will soon be informed where the delivery of this material will be centralized.
Clinical validation of the new campaign respirator
On the other hand, and in parallel, from the same 3D Laboratory these days is working intensively on the clinical validation of the new campaign respirator Leitat 1, led by Dr. Lluis Blanch, director of Research and Innovation of the Parc Taulí and expert in mechanical ventilation.
Together with the Leitat team of engineers, it has been possible to validate that the prototype phase works in a simulation model to ensure, in the coming days, the robustness and safety of the Leitat 1 and ensure its mass manufacture. The aim is for the new field respirator to reach hospitals as soon as possible through the coordination of the Medical Emergency Service of Catalonia (SEM).
The clinical validation team for this latest project also includes Dr. Manel Luján, a pulmonologist; Dr. Calendaria de Haro, intensivist; Dr. Ferran Fillat, traumatologist and coordinator of the 3D Laboratory; and Sergi Coderch, biomedical engineer.
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