Design, risk management and 3D printing during the COVID-19 pandemic

I think it's pretty fair to say that almost everybody has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's forced numerous changes to the way we work and spawned innovative solutions that may otherwise have not been developed.

This is particularly true in the case of design and use of 3d printing. CARTIS members have been at the forefront in the development of rapid solutions to PPE and medical equipment shortages. In the rush to meet the need of medical professionals on the front line of patient care, numerous lessons have been learned. If these lessons are embraced, there's a good chance to change the way healthcare is delivered for the better. We must implement changes from policy level all the way through to practical applications of design and manufacturing technologies.

I wrote an opinion piece for 3dMedNet recently. This touches on some of these ideas and eludes to the need for change. In-hospital design and production could play an important role in creating supply chain resilience and the necessary agility to react to situations such as COVID-19. You can read more here.