3D Printing Technology for Fighting COVID-19 Pandemic

This chapter deals with the emerging applications of 3D printing (3DP) technologies to tackle the recent pandemic, the Corona viral disease (COVID-19). The chapter throws light on the role of 3DP technologies and other allied hybrid technologies for the development of novel products to satiate the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face shields, masks, eye protection devices, ventilator tubes, and other medical devices needed to tackle COVID-19. It also explicates the hybrid additive processes required to fabricate novel metal and ceramic based biomedical implants with inbuilt antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Also, in vitro lung tissue models, especially based on 3D bioprinting technology for the screening of novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) therapies are also elaborated in-depth. Finally, 3DP technologies based bespoke drug delivery devices for personalized and on-demand drug dosing, complex drug release profiles, and polypills are discussed. To conclude, this chapter emphasizes the role of 3DP technologies in the development of novel emerging applications like antiviral property enriched biomedical implants, fabrication of PPE, in vitro lung tissue models, and finally personalized drug delivery devices, which could go a long way in tackling COVID-19 in an efficient manner.