Adopting 3D printing technology to address medical device shortages during the pandemic: benefits, applications, and practical implementation

3D Printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has significantly advanced medicine. It offers several benefits for producing medical components, including customization, cost-effectiveness and rapid prototyping. 3D Printing allows for the rapid prototyping and production of medical devices such as surgical instruments, hearing aids, dental aligners and assistive devices. It enables customization to match specific patient requirements, reduces lead time for device development, and facilitates cost-effective and medical spare parts production. To overcome the lack of medical spare parts created by the pandemic crisis, particularly ventilators, 3D printing technology has been employed to produce prototypes swiftly and economically. As a result, 3D printing technology has emerged as a critical combat tool. The advantages of 3D printing technology enable the rapid design, fabrication and delivery of alternative medical equipment to hospitals during a pandemic, potentially saving lives. This paper mainly focuses on the crucial 3D printing technology and its execution to address medical device shortages during the pandemic, as well as the practical aspects of implementation in 3D printing technology and the materials used to generate medical devices associated with experimental work.