Healthcare facilities are experiencing a shortage of medical supplies with the growing effects of COVID-19. The first line of defense of the infectious disease are the medical professionals evaluating and assessing patients. Especially patients that require hospitalization due to the severity of their symptoms. Each day the number of cases increases while healthcare providers are working diligently to protect the well-being of patients in hopes of making a full recovery. The virus is causing medical professionals to consistently use surgical masks, which results in a low supply of vital medical equipment.
Surgical masks are needed to protect healthcare providers and infected individuals to prevent transmission of the disease. There have been reports of others helping to supply essential equipment to ensure the safety of medical staff and patients. Owners of 3D printers are stepping in to help healthcare professionals with the growing shortage of medical tools.
In Montana, healthcare professionals at Billings Clinic are utilizing 3D printers to produce reusable plastic face masks. After printing, the masks are then fitted with pieces of surgical masks that can be changed as needed. The plastic mask requires a small square of a surgical mask filter, and then the surgical masks are cut into smaller pieces that are clipped to the plastic mask to be used as a filter.
The mask filter can be used for a day and changed out the next day, and can be washed with soap and water. Other disinfecting products and bleach can be used to properly clean the mask to ensure proper sanitation. One mask has the capacity to be used up to 6 to 10 times from a single surgical mask.
Billings Clinic has also uploaded files and instructions so anyone can print masks on their own 3D printer. Libraries in Montana will begin to print masks including Montana State University Billings and Rocky Mountain College.
In Liverpool, New York a couple that develops 3D printers has stopped production on all orders to focus on creating face masks for medical responders and healthcare workers. Stephanie Keef and Isaac Budmen are owners of Budmen Industries and have created a visor they could print on 16 printers that are operating at full capacity in their New York residence.
The couple also provided files accessible to other users and established a database that can connect to printers with hospitals in need of supplies. The video below shows how the masks are printed:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people are practicing social distancing everywhere they go to stay safe and wear face masks. Utilizing apps for grocery delivery can help those who may be sick or are at high risk and are trying to minimize their person-to-person contact. Here is a list of grocery delivery apps that you can use.
Walmart’s same-day delivery offers fresh produce, frozen and refrigerated foods. You can use the application on your smartphone or access it on the website. Fees are $9.99 per order and offer other memberships that can be used nationwide. It could be something to consider if using the app at least once per month. Walmart offers a wide variety of products, and because they don’t outsource their delivery service, the prices are the same as they are in the store.
Instacart is a grocery delivery service that partners with grocery stores to provide delivery from various markets. Customers can expect a wide variety of products to suit all dietary needs. Some grocery store chains like Kroger have partnered with Instacart to directly provide grocery delivery services through their website or app that is easy for others to use. Instacart has optional memberships, and delivery starts at $3.99 per order. The application offers same-day delivery. Instacart personal shoppers can text you while picking your order if any substitutions are needed. You can contact Instacart support through their email or app.
Similar to Instacart, Shipt is a grocery delivery service that partners with grocery store chains offering delivery from a variety of stores to help meet their customers’ dietary needs. Locations that Shipt delivers to are select metro areas, mostly across the Eastern United States, and offers same-day delivery. This application is unique in that it requires a membership to have access to their services. In addition, Target grocery delivery is offered exclusively through Shipt.
Kroger is partnered with Instacart for its grocery delivery service, but you can place your order through the Kroger app or website. This ensures that you pay the same price as you would in the store or grocery pickup. Kroger also the ship-to-home option in which certain non-perishable foods and household products can be ordered online and shipped to your home. Fees for the Kroger app are $9.95 per order. The app offers same-day delivery and offers its services nationwide.
Whole Foods Market offers customers various organic and natural products with selections, including vegan, gluten-free, and paleo. Since Whole Foods is owned by Amazon, Whole Foods works just like the Amazon Fresh program. Products selected for delivery may still be marked up compared with in-store prices. Locations for delivery are select large cities, and you can use the app through the Amazon website.
A lightweight, portable X-ray system from Aspenstate known as the AiRTouch has received FDA clearance. This form of testing could be beneficial for quickly obtaining chest X-rays from potential COVID-19 patients. The AiRTouch weighs 5.5 pounds (2.5 Kg) and looks like a large touchscreen digital camera. The device takes a picture with a push of a button and can wirelessly transfer the images to a clinical image storage system or PACS without a computer. The battery from AiRTouch can charge within two hours and can obtain up to 300 exposures per charge.
This portable X-ray system could be useful for quickly obtaining chest X-rays of COVID-19 patients. According to the company, its portability has already made it useful in drive-through screening centers in South Korea.
Medical professionals testing people for COVID-19 usually involves performing a throat swab to collect a sample for processing. Clinicians that are collecting COVID-19 samples from individuals must wear an entire package of personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be quite uncomfortable when worn for long periods. Since the expansion of test sampling is now being conducted outside of clinical facilities and with temperatures rising, wearing protective gear can become difficult for clinicians.
In Denmark, a team of robotic engineers at the University of Southern Denmark have designed a machine that can conduct throat swabs automatically without a human clinician present in the facility. The robot reaches into the throat and moves a swab against the selected tissue within. After the sample is collected, it stores the swab into a glass jar and seals the top shut.
The robot was trained to be gentle, and volunteers who have already been swabbed by the device have reported no discomfort. Further trials are needed to confirm the efficiency of the new machine and to ensure that no malfunction can occur. To help market and manufacture the new robot, the engineers that developed it have started up a company called Lifeline Robotics. The engineers hope to have devices testing people for COVID-19 as early as late June, but the advanced technology is sure to be useful when the pandemic is over.
Here are some videos to demonstrate how the machine works:
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