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Pandemic printing: a novel 3D‐printed swab for detecting SARS ‐CoV‐2
Author(s) -
Williams Eloise,
Bond Katherine,
Isles Nicole,
Chong Brian,
Johnson Douglas,
Druce Julian,
Hoang Tuyet,
Ballard Susan A,
Hall Victoria,
Muhi Stephen,
Buising Kirsty L,
Lim Seok,
Strugnell Dick,
Catton Mike,
Irving Louis B,
Howden Benjamin P,
Bert Eric,
Williamson Deborah A
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja2.50726
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , 3d printed , gold standard (test) , biomedical engineering , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease
Objectives To design and evaluate 3D‐printed nasal swabs for collection of samples for SARS ‐CoV‐2 testing. Design An 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, participants Royal 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. Intervention In the clinical evaluation, a flocked nasopharyngeal swab sample was collected with the Copan ES wab and a mid‐nasal sample from the other nostril was collected with the 3D‐printed swab. Results In 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 RN ase 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. Conclusions Using 3D‐printed swabs to collect nasal samples for SARS ‐CoV‐2 testing is feasible, acceptable to patients and health carers, and convenient.