Where is the 3DP community's coronavirus response?

I saw a story recently about some Italians who printed ventilator valves for a hospital. The manufacturer wanted US$11,000 (equivalent) for each one, had none available, knew perfectly well that people would die without them, refused to provide CAD files, and threatened to sue people who offered to design and 3D print replacements. (The finished parts were about US$1 each.)

Personally, I think these revolting, murderous profiteers should be dragged into the Hague and made to answer for crimes against humanity.

Anyway, we are soon to run out of a lot of things that can be produced on 3D printers, including medical supplies. There have to be hospitals all over the world that need such things. Plenty of other worthy organizations and people, as well.

It seems to me that there ought to be a large effort to figure out what is needed and where, to orchestrate efforts to design things in CAD (where necessary), to farm out production to volunteers, and to arrange delivery to recipients.

Whether or not any individual wants to get involved in reproducing copyrighted/patented stuff that could get them sued, well, that's up to them.

I was not able to find anything on Google, including these forums. Does anyone know if any such movement is underway? Are there any 3DP-related companies/websites we might approach about sponsoring something like this?

Can you give references to this "story" ? Seems fishy to me.

As for the Hague, the first who should be dragged is the Chinese communist party ! Let's not forget where and why it started.

Anyway, printed parts are incompatible with food because of porosity. And there are a lot more requirements.

In addition to MDs and intensive care rooms, seems what we are running out is common sense. No need to enter in panic mode.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

... it's this story - [www.theverge.com]

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

How about small ventilators made from bike pumps & leadscrews, better then nothing, saves space, everyone could get one.

11 000 USD for that is quite hard to believe. Mafia's hand ? They should outsource the production in China !

Anyway, in case of national emergency, government can and have waived patents and other rights.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

Believe it or not, ALL problems are NOT solved by 3D printing.

As we've seen in the White House response to the virus, some things are best left to experts, especially when lives are at stake.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2020 08:20AM by the_digital_dentist.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Being slightly familiar with the medical device industry I think that the price for a valve such as the one shown in the photographs would be in the $100 to $500 region - assuming a production run in the low thousands per year. That cost is almost entirely made up of development, tests for quality and conformity to regulations etc.. $10,000 is pretty much price gouging - but what can you expect when educational degrees in finance and business administration are more highly prized than degrees in engineering.

As to the suitability of 3D printed parts in an emergency situation, I think that the world where many people will die for lack of a part is not the same world where a spare part needs all of the certificates and approvals: Some considerable latitude for rapid inventive solutions may often be needed in this crisis.

Mike

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leadinglights
..... $10,000 is pretty much price gouging - but what can you expect when educational degrees in finance and business administration are more highly prized than degrees in engineering.

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Mike

Exactly my feeling ! I hope this crisis will put things back in perspective !

These are also the people who decided to move manufacturing to slave labor countries, cut costs by reducing research budgets etc...
Financiers, their lawyers accomplices and their politic minions have destroyed our societies.
Science and technology gave us our standard of living, not them.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

maybe the big advantage to 3d printing is that you can't go out to the store to buy supplies so you can print the things you need if it is printable. you can fix your car at home. fix your chair when it breaks. without chairs there can be no computers. think about it.

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the_digital_dentist
Believe it or not, ALL problems are NOT solved by 3D printing.

As we've seen in the White House response to the virus, some things are best left to experts, especially when lives are at stake.

I think many people will find that an imperfect solution that will probably work is preferable to certain death, even with the Hippocratic oath taken into account.

An ad-hoc 3D-printed medical device might have to be thoroughly sanitized, and discarded much sooner than the "official" device it replaces. The plastic may be a different material, have different permeability and be more likely to harbor microbes. Maybe the measurements are slightly off, or the material compliance isn't a close match, and they have to block leaking air with tape. However, if my lungs are compromised, I'm drowning in my own fluids, and they ask me to choose between a dodgy valve and being dead in one hour, I know which one I'm choosing.

This is what the Italian hospital was faced with, and this is the decision they made. More people are alive than would have been otherwise.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2020 07:13PM by 626Pilot.

For those interested there is good information here:

[www.gov.uk]

and these people are collecting resources:

[www.projectopenair.org]

... there was an "antivirus" hackaton in Germany on 20. to 22. - [wirvsvirushackathon.org]

This was my submission - [devpost.com]

And the pitch-video for the submission - [www.youtube.com]

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

We're also printing valves now, ready to donate.

Good example in my country:

[www.total-croatia-news.com]

Those guys are printing visor holders for medical staff. I'm trying to contribute right now. In emergency situations I would ignore some rules especially if it is life saving decision. In every other situation I think it's best to leave that to experts.

I am sure there are many other 3DP projects which can help and probably some of them I could join.