3D printing has become a must-have technology for many manufacturers, but it’s also proving to be a real game-changer for individuals. This is especially true during the pandemic, during which supply chain disruptions have forced people to look for new solutions to supply the parts and equipment they need. Here are a few examples of people turning to this technology to solve personal challenges.
Helping Mimi the Dog Breathe
Mimi is a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen who had a traumatic birth and was attacked by another dog while still only a puppy—resulting in a punctured trachea. The dog needed a full tracheostomy, which left a 6-inch-long hole in her neck and a life-long need for a breathing tube.
On one occasion, the tube broke. Mimi’s owner, a professional dog trainer, couldn’t locate a replacement. The owner worked with Adaptive Engineering Solutions (AES), a 3D-printing company, to create a customized breathing tube for Mimi.
One of the company’s engineers took a 3D scan of the broken tube and created a CAD file—in only 24 hours. Rather than just copy the original, the AES team worked with Mimi’s owner to create, test and improve the design. They also used medical-grade material to print the replacements.
“Being engineers, we were keen to maintain the design intent of the original part and to ensure that the ‘form’ of the new part was as close to that of the one we were provided with as possible, as it was the most comfortable for Mimi to use since she had rejected other tubes in the past,” said Gordon Mucklow, AES managing director.
The resulting breathing aid fits better and is more comfortable, improving Mimi’s quality of life and her life expectancy.
Dad Makes Custom Face Masks for His Kids
A father of three watched his kids struggle with breathing during the 2018 wildfires in California, so he decided to create a solution himself after seeing a gap in the market.
“My kids were coming home from school feeling sick from the toxic smoke that blanketed the Bay Area,” said Kevin Ngo, founder of Air Flo Labs. “It was then that I learned N95-grade masks for kids didn’t exist. Then, COVID-19 hit, and I knew the world needed Flo Mask more than ever.”
A consumer product developer by trade, Ngo used his design skills over the span of two years to develop the Flo Mask. He used an industrial-grade 3D scanner, renting it on weekends from the company that owned it, to scan the faces of diverse elementary students. He layered them on top of each other to find the optimal shape that would be comfortable, effective and fit various face shapes and features.
The Flo Mask was designed with a silicone gasket that would fit snugly, but comfortably, on a child’s face while keeping it from touching their mouth. The straps were designed to clear the ears and avoid slipping off the head. Ngo also partnered with a medical lab to develop custom replaceable ventilation filters that can maintain airflow while blocking impurities at a sub-micron level.
“Flo Mask is raising the standard for kids’ masks,” said Dr. James Cisco, pediatrician. “The unique silicone gasket, filtration efficiency and ability to be washed is unlike anything I’ve seen.”
Custom Solutions for People with Changing Disabilities
3D printing has also become quite useful in creating bespoke assistive devices for people who need the devices but don’t fit into conventional products.
A woman named Helen was born without several fingers and must manage severe skin sensitivity. Her skin reacts adversely to many common products, such as household cleaning products, toiletries, some foods and even sunlight. It can take days or even weeks for the irritation to subside. These conditions prevent her from using regular protective gloves, which only irritate her skin further and are a poor fit for her hands.
Helen worked with the voluntary organization REMAP, which works to provide custom solutions for people with disabilities who can’t use off-the-shelf devices. A REMAP technician used Artec’s Eva Lite 3D scanner to create a scan of Helen’s hands without coming into contact with her skin. The scans were digitally modified to add a cuff and adjust their shape to make it easier for Helen to don or remove them. Gloves were then made using a product called Dragon Skin, which Helen had researched and found to not irritate her skin, Several gloves of differing thickness and layers were created for Helen to try out.
“I can’t even begin to explain how much easier it is not having stray bits of glove finger sticking out or the weird weight of tucked-in fingers dragging the gloves off,” Helen said.
REMAP also used the Eva Lite to scan the facial features of a woman named Karis, who needs a ventilator and full face mask to breathe due to her congenital muscular dystrophy. Using a face mask for years has changed the shape of Karis’ face to the point where a standard mask will no longer fit properly, making it harder for her to breathe.
The Eva Lite took a mere 30 seconds to create an accurate scan of Karis’ facial profile. To reduce the stress of having to repeatedly take off her mask to test a new one, a 3D printout of her face was made and used to accurately mold the breathing apparatus to her shape. As a result, the new mask was able to properly seal against Karis’ face, allowing her to resume normal breathing. The mask was also much more comfortable thanks to the reduced tension in the mask’s head straps.
A Better Pill Bottle for People with Parkinson’s
Jimmy Choi, an athlete with Parkinson’s, was having difficulties using the pill bottle that contained his medication. He showed a video of his difficulties on TikTok, which went viral. The social media community responded.
Videographer Brian Alldridge, who had never tried 3D printing before, learned and used 3D-modeling software to design a better pill bottle. The design featured a knob at the base that could be turned to isolate a single pill, which the user can deposit in their mouth directly from the bottle. He posted the design online and offered to share the files with anyone wanting to improve, test and 3D print the bottle.
He received thousands of offers to do so, including one from engineer David Exler, who printed the new bottle and has been working with Choi to test and refine it. The bottle is on its fifth iteration. TikTok users continue to suggest refinements.
“I looked at the design, and I'm like this so simple and yet so groundbreaking,” said Choi, whose symptoms increase with stress. With the new bottle, “the anxiety level goes away,” he said. “The time it takes, and your risk of spilling these pills out on the floor in public, it’s almost zero.”
3D printing has transformed the design and manufacturing process in fields from health care to natural resources to aerospace, causing entire industries to rethink how they work. Clearly, this technology has also led to significant changes and improvements on a personal level. As 3D printing continues to rise in popularity, the technology is bound to affect more and more people for the better.
Read more about how 3D printing is making a difference during the global pandemic at How 3D Printing Is Helping Medical Professionals Fight COVID-19.