Medical & Dental

Munich Re and Fraunhofer award €1m in 3D printed COVID-19 ventilator contest

全球再保险业务Munich Reand technology research firmFraunhoferhave awarded €1m as part of a competition to 3D print medical devices for COVID-19 sufferers.

在大流行的爆发中发起的呼吸挑战挑战是派出的参赛者,开发了低成本的呼吸机零件,这些呼吸机零件可能是世界任何地方的3D打印。这些公司一起提供了竞赛奖金和预算为100万欧元,同时为那些需求旺盛的国家免费提供蓝图和培训应用程序。为了利用其专业知识,网络和财务资源,赞助商公司旨在推进对受击中最严重的地区的Covid-19患者的分散治疗。

“The coronavirus has reached every country on earth, but medical help for patients is far from available everywhere,” said Torsten Jeworrek, Member of the Munich Re Board of Directors. “The participants showed that with creativity, commitment and energy, opportunities can be created quickly that help save human lives. My special thanks go to you!”

“Innovation is the engine of society and economy – initiatives such as the Give a Breath Challenge drive it.”

SmartCPAP团队的获胜呼吸机设计(如图)旨在尽可能长时间提供支持而无需插管。通过慕尼黑摄影。
The SmartCPAP team’s winning ventilator design (pictured) was designed to provide support for as long as possible without intubation. Photo via Munich Re.

The Give a Breath Challenge

挑战始于2020年3月,随着联盟-19大流行开始在全球范围内加速,很明显,医疗供应短缺变得越来越重要。最初,发起了呼吸挑战,以在三个单独的类别中找到3D打印设计。比赛的第一部分寻找非侵入性呼吸机和氧气浓度设备的设计。

In the second section of the contest, entrants were asked to 3D print non-invasive ventilation masks, and the last portion was dedicated to providing virus knowledge to newly-hired staff. Overall, Munich Re and Fraunhofer aimed to combine the entries from all three categories, to produce the technical basis for a 3D printed holistic ventilation system.

The competition’s winning designs

Out of more than 150 applications, seven teams were selected for the finals in April, and supported with producing final prototypes. Once all the finalists had completed their designs, the devices were shipped to experts at苏黎世。大学进行了测试和前任迪特·科勒(DieterKöhler)博士。German Society for Pneumology(DGP).

Assessments were carried out in compliance with international medical regulations, so that the winning designs could be brought into service if required. Selecting the winners on this basis of practicality, the judging panel chose two winners to share the award for the category of non-invasive ventilators. The winning SmartCPAP team worked together with medical firmAC Aircontrolsto create a flexible device that supports a patient’s spontaneous inhalation and exhalation.

The Vivid Breath team's design (pictured) could enable up to six patients to be ventilated at once. Photo via Munich Re.
生动的呼吸团队的设计(如图)可以使多达六名患者一次通风。通过慕尼黑摄影。

Using the SmartCPAP system, doctors can provide support for as long as possible without intubation, so that intensive-care beds can be kept free for serious cases. The生动的呼吸team also received an award for best non-invasive ventilator. Vivid Breath combined an O2concentrator with a ventilator to produce a system capable of providing oxygen to six patients at once. The device was also “exceptionally inexpensive,” and reportedly possible to 3D print with locally-sourced parts anywhere in the world.

Team Soteria’s entirely 3D printed device won the award for best breathing mask design. Featuring an inventive inner honeycomb structure, the mask is able to adapt to the different face shapes of its users, ensuring that it’s optimally sealed. The easy-to use apparatus is compatible with a number of ventilators, and comes with picture-based and video assembly instructions.

Team Soteria's 3D printed mask (pictured) is designed to be easy-to-use. Photo via Munich Re.
Team Soteria’s 3D printed mask (pictured) is designed to be easy-to-use. Photo via Munich Re.

“Our face mask allows for decentralized manufacturing, can be produced with materials that are widely-available, and it’s adjustable to the affected people,” said Moe Lueker, Soteria team member and student at theTechnical University of Munich。“We can make help available quickly, when and where it’s needed the most.”

Finally, the “Virus Fighter” group’s handbook won the medical training materials category. The team from Fraunhofer’s ownInstitute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation(IPA) developed a digital COVID-19 manual. Working with research firmFesto SE & Co. KG,研究人员将其指南上传到移动应用程序,该应用程序提供了维护3D印刷医疗设备并帮助患者的建议。

Making the 3D printed devices accessible

竞争成功之后,将为世界各地的政府和合作伙伴提供获胜的蓝图,指南和集会指示。比赛的在线手册也将通过在线应用程序访问。通过独立于当地供应链的工作,比赛的组织者旨在快速支持受良好影响的地区,3D打印设备供立即使用。

The University of Stellenboschin South Africa has already signed up to pilot the devices. Cape Town-based Tygerberg Hospital and theCenter for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturingin Bloemfontein have also shown interest in adopting the printed ventilators. In the coming weeks, clinical studies and finishing tests will be conducted, in order to gain approval for the apparatus from the South African regulatory authority.

Professor Ralf B. Wehrspohn, Head of Technology Marketing and Business Models at Fraunhofer, thanked participants for their contribution to the success of the contest. “Events like the current COVID-19 pandemic, challenge us to look for solutions together and implement them quickly and efficiently, ” said Wehrspohn. “I am particularly pleased about the good partnership and cooperation with Munich Re and all partners and participants who have taken us a big step further in overcoming the medical crisis.”

3D printing’s COVID-19 response

3D印刷界在COVID-19爆发后已迅速采取行动,many companies and researchers committing their resources与疾病作斗争。事实证明,添加剂制造尤其擅长于满足呼吸机零件的需求,并生产了许多创新的设计。

A team from史密斯学院won the Covent-19 Challenge design contest in May 2020, with its novel“Smithvent” partially-3D printed ventilator。The device’s enclosure, ISO fittings, and mounting blocks can all be created using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing.

志愿者小组的研究人员Helpful Engineering3D打印基于美国陆军设计的应急呼吸机从1965年开始,该设备由两个密封的塑料板组成,创建了一系列内部通道,将氧气引导到患者的肺部。

Italian supercar manufacturer兰博基尼has重定向其内部3D打印设施制造医疗设备以与意大利的大流行作斗争。该公司的研发团队帮助设计和制造呼吸器公司的肺模拟器SIARE工程国际集团

Nominations for the2020 3D Printing Industry Awards仍然是开放的,让我们知道谁是领导印第安纳州ustry now.

The fourth edition of the3D印刷行业奖奖杯设计竞赛is now underway. Enter your design for the chance to win a CraftBot Flow 3D printer.

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Featured image shows a COVID 19 patient being treated using a ventilator. Image via Munich Re.