In light of the coronavirus pandemic that is submerging the globe at the moment, it actually might be able to.
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Isinnova, an Italian startup specialising in 3D printing, is working on its next ingenious solution: a 3D printed adapter that could turn a snorkeling mask into a C-PAP mask for oxygen therapy — a crucial treatment for more severe COVID-19 cases.
This news comes in handy as the number of coronavirus deaths in Italy rise to 7,503 with 74,386 confirmed cases. According to reports, doctors in Italy have been told to save ventilators for the under-60s due to a major shortage.
Former head physician of the Gardone Valtrompia Hospital, Dr. Renato Favero, got in touch with Isinnova through a doctor from the Chiari Hospital, the health facility for they manufactured emergency valves with 3D printing process.
Doctor Favero shared an idea to fix the possible shortage of hospital C-PAP masks for sub-intensive therapy, which is emerging as a concrete problem linked to the spread of Covid-19. This was the construction of an emergency ventilator mask, made by adjusting a snorkeling mask already available on the market.
Partnering with Decathlon, the ideator, producer and supplier of the snorkeling mask, Easybreath, the product was dismantled, studied, and the changes to be made were evaluated. A new component was then designed to guarantee the connection to the ventilator. The link was named the “Charlotte valve”, and Isinnova then printed it.
The prototype has been tested on the staff of Isinnova at the Chiari Hospital, connected to the ventilator body, and has proven to work. Later, it was tested on a patient, and the results were successful.
Despite the early successes, Isinnova isn’t going into production just yet. “Neither the mask nor the link is certified and their use is subject to a situation of mandatory need,” the 3D printing business pointed out. Patients still need to sign a declaration to have the uncertified device used in their care.
Still, this is an extraordinary feat of creativity and innovation, especially in a time of great need.
Source: https://www.isinnova.it/easy-covid19-eng/
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