Parisian hospital system installs 60 Stratasys 3D printers to fight COVID-19
F123 Series 3D printers were deployed and delivered to the hospital in 24 hours
The University Hospital Trust (AP-HP) in Paris, the largest hospital system in Europe, has installed a fleet of 60 industrial-grade Stratasys 3D printers to aid in its fight against COVID-19. The machines, which were delivered within 24 hours of ordering on March 31, will enable the French hospital system to produce PPE and other medical parts on site and on demand.
60 F123 Series 3D printers were delivered by France-based Stratasys reseller CADvision and are now installed at a 150-square-meter facility within AP-HP’s Cochin Hospital in Paris. The industrial-grade FDM machines are being used to print all manner parts for COVID-19 relief efforts, including face shields and masks, electrical syringe pumps, intubation equipment and respirator valves.
To support the fairly large-scale 3D printing operation, AP-HP hired Bone3D, a 3D printing service provider with extensive experience in the medical sector. The Parisian service bureau is providing engineers who will manage the implementation, operation and support of the Stratasys fleet. The hospital system has also launched a dedicated 3D printing platform, 3dcovid.org, which will help to fast-track requests for 3D printed parts from hospital workers in Paris and its surrounding areas, the hardest hit part of France in the pandemic.
The additional 3D printing resources, which were obtained with support from the University of Paris and the Kering Group, will enable the broad hospital system to address and hopefully meet supply shortages it is facing and provide the necessary equipment to protect its staff from exposure and treat hospitalized patients.
“The sweeping and severe nature of COVID-19 continues to impact the supply chains of some of the world’s most critical medical equipment,” said Andreas Langfeld, Stratasys EMEA President. “Leveraging 3D printing technology on this scale gives AP-HP its own rapid-response supply chain in-house, placing production directly where it’s needed and ensuring essential equipment is quickly in the hands of frontline medical staff who are battling every day to save lives.”
Stratasys itself is helping to support COVID-19 relief efforts by producing face shields at a mass-scale with a coalition of partners. The company said last week it had received requests for over 350,000 face shield units and was seeking production partners to fulfill the urgent need. Other helpful COVID-19 resources for the additive sector can be found in our dedicated AM for COVID-19 Forum.
