• Med. J. Aust. · Sep 2020

    Pandemic printing: a novel 3D-printed swab for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

    • Eloise Williams, Katherine Bond, Nicole Isles, Brian Chong, Douglas Johnson, Julian Druce, Tuyet Hoang, Susan A Ballard, Victoria Hall, Stephen Muhi, Kirsty L Buising, Seok Lim, Dick Strugnell, Mike Catton, Louis B Irving, Benjamin P Howden, Eric Bert, and Deborah A Williamson.
    • Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
    • Med. J. Aust. 2020 Sep 1; 213 (6): 276-279.

    ObjectivesTo design and evaluate 3D-printed nasal swabs for collection of samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing.DesignAn iterative design process was employed. Laboratory evaluation included in vitro assessment of mock nasopharyngeal samples spiked with two different concentrations of gamma-irradiated SARS-CoV-2. A prospective clinical study compared SARS-CoV-2 and human cellular material recovery by 3D-printed swabs and standard nasopharyngeal swabs.Setting, ParticipantsRoyal Melbourne Hospital, May 2020. Participants in the clinical evaluation were 50 hospital staff members attending a COVID-19 screening clinic and two inpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.InterventionIn the clinical evaluation, a flocked nasopharyngeal swab sample was collected with the Copan ESwab and a mid-nasal sample from the other nostril was collected with the 3D-printed swab.ResultsIn the laboratory evaluation, qualitative agreement with regard to SARS-CoV-2 detection in mock samples collected with 3D-printed swabs and two standard swabs was complete. In the clinical evaluation, qualitative agreement with regard to RNase P detection (a surrogate measure of adequate collection of human cellular material) in samples collected from 50 hospital staff members with standard and 3D-printed swabs was complete. Qualitative agreement with regard to SARS-CoV-2 detection in three pairs of 3D-printed mid-nasal and standard swab samples from two inpatients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 was also complete.ConclusionsUsing 3D-printed swabs to collect nasal samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing is feasible, acceptable to patients and health carers, and convenient.© 2020 AMPCo Pty Ltd.

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