This study evaluated the feasibility of various 3D printed mid-turbinate swab designs in terms of both manufacturability and liquid retention. Earlier studies showed that mid-turbinate swab testing was a preferred SARS-CoV2 test method[1]. We chose to use HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) for manufacturing due to the need for rapid, cost-effective production. For each of the swab designs, we looked at their ability to hold fluid. The assumption was that the larger the test sample, the more likely the test would be accurate. We then looked at the manufacturing yield of each swab. After investigating each design configuration's liquid retention, quality, and production yield, we ranked these swabs based on three metrics: 3D print quality, post-print process quality, and sample collection efficiency. We found that our "wavy design" topped all three metrics.
|