On‐Site, On‐Demand 3D‐Printed Nasopharyngeal Swabs to Improve the Access of Coronavirus Disease‐19 Testing

Abstract

Diagnostic testing that facilitates containment, surveillance, and treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), or future respiratory viruses, depends on a sample collection device that efficiently collects nasopharyngeal tissue and that can be manufactured on site when an outbreak or public health emergency is declared by a government. Here two novel stereolithography‐based three‐dimensional (3D)‐printed nasopharyngeal swabs are reported which are made using a biocompatible and sterilizable photoresist. Such swabs are readily manufactured on‐site and on‐demand to ensure availability, if supply chain shortages emerge. Additionally, the 3D‐printed swabs easily adapt to current workflow and testing procedures in hospital clinical laboratories to allow for effortless scaling up of test kits. Finally, the 3D‐printed nasopharyngeal swabs demonstrate concordant SARS‐CoV‐2 testing results between the 3D‐printed swabs and the COPAN commercial swabs, and enable detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 in clinical samples obtained from autopsies.

Enhancing detection accuracy via controlled release of 3D-printed microlattice nasopharyngeal swabs

“…2a . Flexibility is essential for NP swabs as they must bend and penetrate far into the nasopharyngeal cavity to collect sufficient samples 22 , 26 , 31 , 32 . Figure 2b demonstrates that the reactive bending force (platform force) of the microlattice NP swab is up to 7 times less than that of the commercial NP swabs, and the flexibility (the reciprocal of the slope) of the microlattice NP swabs are up to ~11 times of that of the commercial NP swab.…”

“…During sampling, NP swabs also experience forces such as extrusion, friction, and collision with the NP cavity 15 , 32 – 34 . Here, tensile and compression tests were also performed.…”

Original article: novelty of Canadian manufacture nasopharyngeal swabs for collection of samples being tested for SARS-CoV-2 in a pandemic setting

“…Finally, our results are in accordance with previous studies that also used 3D printing for swab elaboration. Additional studies have also evaluated the possibility of on-site, on-demand 3D-printed swabs inside hospitals or clinics, likewise showing positive results and acceptance (16)(17)(18)(19).…”

Engineering Biosensors and Biomedical Detection Devices from 3D-Printed Technology

“…[105][106][107]131,132 A detection platform often requires the combination of multiple functional modules. 3D-printed integrated devices are suitable for POCT, 16,27,31 such as PCR systems including the modules of pressure sample pretreatment, nucleic acid extraction, drive, heating, and detection. 3D-printed microfluidic devices.-The operational complexity, high expense, difficulty preparing complex structures, and stringent environmental requirements of conventional microfluidic devices are drawbacks.…”

“…21,22 The importance of biosensors and biomedical detection is that they are closely related to human life and health. [23][24][25] An illustration of its potential is the detection of COVID-19, 26,27 which clearly tells whether people are infected. Tumor marker detection, 28,29 gene detection, 30,31 drug detection 32,33 and physiological information monitoring 34 have attracted much attention.…”