3D printing innovation and patent protection during the pandemic

Innovators have sought to address the urgent challenges and supply shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic by harnessing 3D printing technologies to develop and improve various medical devices. For example, when supply chain problems caused a critical shortage of nasal swabs, a team at the University of South Florida (USF) developed a 3D printed swab that uses nubs instead of a traditional polyester flocked head to collect tissue. The team provided the files to hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide, and...