The invention that was shared with the world: Specialists got here collectively rapidly in early 2020 to create a 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab. As we speak, greater than 100 million swabs have been produced throughout the globe utilizing this USF-patented design, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace is honoring the USF Well being group Feb. 16, 2023.
Media property (credit score USF Well being): https://usf.app.field.com/s/cvmsdo4i9yx5wd9ad7wevdihna624xfe
TAMPA, Fla. SOMERVILLE, Mass. and NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The College of South Florida (USF) has been awarded the Patents for Humanity award by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) for its patent of the 3D-printed nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, created within the early a part of the pandemic as an answer to the disrupted industrial manufacturing of normal flocked NP swabs vital in diagnostic testing for COVID-19.


USF is amongst an unique group of winners receiving this yr’s Patents for Humanity awards, being named alongside the Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Illnesses of the NIH, Regeneron Prescription drugs, Gilead Sciences Inc., and Caron Merchandise. All will probably be honored by the USPTO at an awards ceremony on February 16, 2023.
USF is incomes this recognition for its modern answer to the industrial NP swab scarcity. As a result of pressing want worldwide, the 3D-printed NP swab group determined to forgo monetization of their invention and supplied the design information and scientific knowledge for free of charge to hospitals, clinics and licensed medical machine corporations all over the world so long as the swabs had been produced for their very own use.
Over the span of 1 week in March 2020, groups from USF Well being, Northwell Well being, Tampa Normal Hospital, and Formlabs labored collectively to develop a 3D printed swab prototype utilizing Formlabs’ 3D printers and biocompatible (not dangerous), autoclavable supplies (capable of stand up to elevated temperature and stress of an autoclave). The prototypes had been then benchmarked in opposition to normal flocked swabs for viral pattern retention within the laboratory and examined for affected person security and luxury by USF Well being Morsani Faculty of Drugs Division of Inner Drugs researchers. After passing these exams, the groups initiated a multisite scientific trial at dozens of hospital websites throughout the US, together with Tampa Normal Hospital, Northwell Well being in New Hyde Park, New York, and Thomas Jefferson College Hospital in Philadelphia, evaluating efficiency of the 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs with flocked swabs.
From that time on, the USF/Northwell design was shared with hospitals, well being programs, the navy, and clinics across the globe. To this point, the USF-patented design for the 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab has been shared with establishments in additional than 60 nations which have produced greater than 100 million swabs.
“I’m so pleased with how our USF Well being group stepped ahead to mix their experience and innovation with the groups from Tampa Normal Hospital, Formlabs and Northwell Well being to assist save lives all over the world,” mentioned Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, government vice chairman for USF Well being and dean of the USF Well being Morsani Faculty of Drugs, and government vice chairman and chief educational officer at Tampa Normal Hospital. “This recognition by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace validates each the super energy of educational drugs, particularly throughout a disaster, and the values and dedication these groups have for contributing to the higher good.”
“Our purpose from the beginning was to assist as many individuals as potential, as quick and safely as potential,” mentioned Summer season Decker, PhD, professor within the USF Well being Morsani Faculty of Drugs, and director for 3D Medical Purposes in USF Well being’s Division of Radiology, who led the 3D printed NP swab group. “In an effort to try this, we assembled a group of consultants in our fields and labored collectively towards a real-world answer. We then made our information public in order that any hospital, clinic or well being system might print them for their very own amenities and get them to the frontline of COVID-19 testing in sufferers. Solely when you already know what you’re actually going through, on this case COVID-19, are you able to really combat it. This swab was a vital, lacking element of the worldwide medical neighborhood’s capability to just do that. We’re very humbled by this recognition by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace for our efforts and really grateful for this unbelievable alternative to assist not simply USF Well being and Tampa Normal Hospital, but additionally different hospitals and medical facilities all through the world.”
“COVID-19 demanded innovation and collaboration, not solely from these on the entrance traces however throughout industries,” mentioned Todd Goldstein, PhD, director of 3D Design and Innovation at Northwell Well being. “It is an honor to obtain this recognition from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace and we hope that our 3D printed nasal swab design helped alleviate burden throughout the peak of the pandemic and confirmed what cooperation, even in occasions of disaster, can obtain.”
“We had been proud to unite with USF Well being, Formlabs and Northwell Well being to work rapidly and collaboratively to save lots of lives throughout the peak of COVID-19 when swabs had been briefly provide and in such excessive demand,” mentioned John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa Normal Hospital. “This recognition is a real testomony to not solely the facility of educational drugs, however the exhausting work, sacrifice, modern spirit and perseverance of our scientific groups and their capability to behave rapidly and assume strategically. We’re grateful for the partnerships we developed with different well being leaders to search out modern and cost-effective options to guard the well being of our area and past.”
“With fast pondering and motion from USF Well being, the worldwide scarcity of conventional nasopharyngeal swabs was minimized with a completely 3D printable design that may very well be simply printed in well being care amenities all over the world,” mentioned Gaurav Manchanda, director of Medical Market Growth at Formlabs. “We had been honored to assist on this effort and happy to see the reliability, scalability, and accessibility of our 3D printing options put into motion. By combining the centralized high quality, regulatory, and medical manufacturing experience at Formlabs with a decentralized manufacturing community of worldwide medical prospects, native well being establishments had been capable of print and use tens of millions of swabs wanted throughout the scarcity. Formlabs is proud to be acknowledged alongside USF Well being, Northwell Well being, and Tampa Normal Hospital within the USPTO Patents for Humanity COVID-19 class.”
In regards to the USF Well being on the College of South Florida
USF Well being’s mission is to check and implement the way forward for well being. It’s the partnership of the USF Well being Morsani Faculty of Drugs, the Faculty of Nursing, the Faculty of Public Well being, the Taneja Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Bodily Remedy & Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Applications, and USF Well being’s multispecialty physicians group. The College of South Florida, established in 1956 and positioned in Tampa, is a high-impact, international analysis college devoted to pupil success, and generates an annual financial influence of greater than $6 billion. For extra info, go to well being.usf.edu.
About Northwell Well being
Northwell Well being is New York State’s largest well being care supplier and personal employer, with 21 hospitals, 850 outpatient amenities and greater than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We take care of over two million folks yearly within the New York metro space and past, because of philanthropic help from our communities. Our 81,000 staff – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed medical doctors, together with members of Northwell Well being Doctor Companions – are working to vary well being take care of the higher. We’re making breakthroughs in drugs on the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Analysis. We’re coaching the following era of medical professionals on the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker Faculty of Drugs at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell Faculty of Nursing and Doctor Assistant Research. For info on our greater than 100 medical specialties, go to Northwell.edu and observe us @NorthwellHealth on Fb, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Tampa Normal Hospital
Tampa Normal Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, educational medical heart, is likely one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care because the area’s solely heart for Degree l trauma and complete burn care. Tampa Normal Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital out there in U.S. Information & World Report’s 2022-23 Finest Hospitals, and is tied because the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties rating among the many greatest packages in the US. Tampa Normal Hospital has been designated as a mannequin of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 High Hospitals record. The tutorial medical heart’s dedication to rising and creating its group members is acknowledged by two prestigious Forbes journal rankings – first nationally within the 2022 America’s Finest Employers for Ladies and sixth out of 100 Florida corporations within the 2022 America’s Finest Employers by State. Tampa Normal is the protection internet hospital for the area, caring for everybody no matter their capability to pay, and in fiscal yr 2021, supplied a internet neighborhood profit value greater than $224.5 million within the type of well being take care of underinsured sufferers, neighborhood training, and monetary help to neighborhood well being organizations in Tampa Bay. It is likely one of the nation’s busiest grownup stable organ transplant facilities and is the first educating hospital for the USF Well being Morsani Faculty of Drugs. With six medical helicopters, Tampa Normal Hospital transports critically injured or unwell sufferers from 23 surrounding counties to obtain the superior care they want. Tampa Normal homes a nationally accredited complete stroke heart, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the biggest on the West Coast of Florida. It is also dwelling to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation heart. Tampa Normal Hospital’s footprint consists of 17 Tampa Normal Medical Group Major Care workplaces, TGH Household Care Heart Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Digital Well being, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology facilities all through Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Seaside counties. Tampa Bay space residents additionally obtain world-class care from the TGH Pressing Care powered by Quick Observe community of clinics, they usually may even obtain dwelling visits in choose areas by way of TGH Pressing Care at House, powered by Quick Observe. As one of many largest hospitals within the nation, Tampa Normal Hospital is the primary in Florida to accomplice with GE Healthcare and open a scientific command heart that gives real-time situational consciousness to enhance and higher coordinate affected person care at a decrease value. For extra info, go to www.tgh.org.
About Formlabs
Formlabs is increasing entry to digital fabrication, so anybody could make something. By combining clinically-validated 3D printing expertise, in-house QA/RA experience, accessible pricing, and a variety of supplies, the corporate permits healthcare professionals, medical machine engineers, and life sciences researchers to boost surgical procedure, machine improvement, orthotics, and cell tradition units. Formlabs has FDA-registered, ISO 13485 licensed manufacturing amenities and a variety of biocompatible, sterilizable supplies made for each SLA and SLS print engines, enabling large-scale medical machine manufacturing. Its options have been utilized in hundreds of publications and are trusted by the world’s main well being programs and medical machine producers.
USF Well being at College of South Florida media contact: Sarah Price, [email protected]
Northwell Well being media contact: Matthew Libassi, [email protected]
Formlabs media contact: Meredith Chiricosta, [email protected]
Tampa Normal Hospital media contact: Karen Barrera, [email protected]
SOURCE Tampa Normal Hospital