Materialise Develops 3D Printed Oxygen PEEP Mask to Address Shortage of Ventilators

Solution brought to hospitals quickly and in full compliance with safety regulations

Leuven (Belgium) – April 6, 2020. In the fight against the coronavirus crisis, hospitals are in dire need of mechanical ventilators to treat COVID 19 patients. In response to this shortage, Materialise, a Belgium-based pioneer in 3D printing, has developed the Materialise NIP Connector, a device to convert standard equipment available in most hospitals, into a mask to facilitate breathing for patients by creating positive pressure in the lungs. These assembled masks allow clinicians to reduce the time patients need access to mechanical ventilators, which helps to reduce the strain on ventilator supplies. Materialise has decades of experience in certified medical 3D printing and is now fast-tracking the regulatory registrations that are crucial to ensure the safety of patients and caregivers. The company expects to have the device broadly available for hospitals by mid-April.

Photo courtesy of Materialise

Around the world,
hospitals are looking for medical equipment capable of delivering air with
added oxygen to treat critically ill coronavirus patients. Currently this
treatment is carried out using mechanical ventilators, which are critically
under-supplied. As a result, clinicians today are exploring different methods
to apply positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) to the lungs of COVID 19
patients without the use of a ventilator.

Materialise has developed a solution to deliver oxygen and create high positive pressure without the use of a ventilator. A 3D printed connector converts standard equipment already available in most hospitals into a non-invasive PEEP mask (NIP) that can be connected to the oxygen supply (to facilitate breathing for coronavirus patients). This solution gives patients an extended period of time before mechanical ventilators are required for treatment, and helps transition them off ventilators earlier, freeing up these devices for patients in critical need. By using standard medical equipment, including a non-invasive ventilation (NIV) mask, a filter and a PEEP valve, the solution is simple and familiar to use for medical professionals.

Certified medical manufacturing
While 3D printing allows for fast and local manufacturing of medical devices, making it possible to bring solutions to hospitals quickly, it is critical to comply with regulations to ensure the safety of patients and caregivers. Materialise is now fast-tracking the regulatory registration (in Europe and the U.S.). In parallel, Materialise is supporting a clinical trial to test the clinical impact of its use on COVID 19 patients and expects first results to be available within the next two weeks.

Photo courtesy of Materialise

“3D printing is playing a crucial role in fighting the global coronavirus pandemic by making it possible to develop innovative solutions and have them available worldwide very quickly,” said Brigitte De Vet, Vice President of Materialise Medical. “At the same time, it is crucial that the medical products we put on the market are safe and effective. Materialise has decades of experience in certified medical 3D printing which allows us to bring 3D printed devices to the market quickly and safely.”

Meanwhile, the 3D
printing company is upscaling its production capability to make the solution
available broadly and quickly to hospitals that are looking for an emergency
solution. The
Materialise NIP Connectors will be manufactured at the company’s ISO 13485
certified facilities in Belgium and Plymouth, Michigan and on-site 3D printing
facilities of qualified partners. Materialise is looking for partners to
get this solution to as many patients as possible.

3D printing is a
digital manufacturing technology that makes it possible to create products
quickly and locally. As travel and transport become more difficult and speed is
of the essence, the ability to manufacture locally becomes more
important. In this case, the product was designed in Belgium and can be
printed at a Materialise certified facility, or at a hospital that has the
capability to do so in a reliable manner.

In addition
to the NIP solution, Materialise engineers have
developed several innovations to support treatment and
containment of the coronavirus, including:

A 3D printed door handle attachment, which allows users to open doors using covered forearms rather than
bare hands in an effort to reduce direct contact with potentially contaminated
shared door handles.

A 3D printed shopping cart handle to allow users to steer carts with their arms rather than touching
handles with bare hands.

A 3D printed connector to adapt Scuba masks to allow for air filtration and oxygen supply.

Photo’s and a video of the 3D printed conversion kit and complete masks are available, as well as a blogpost with more background information. People who have questions or want to collaborate with Materialise can get in contact through FightCovid@Materialise.be.

About Materialise
Materialise incorporates three decades of 3D printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services, which together form the backbone of the 3D printing industry. Materialise’s open and flexible solutions enable players in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design, and consumer goods, to build innovative 3D printing applications that aim to make the world a better and healthier place. Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

Source: Materialise

This article was first featured at https://ift.tt/2wj14sW on April 7, 2020 at 12:42PM by david