GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When University of Florida Health needed a massive supply of nasal swabs for expanded COVID-19 testing, the solution was right on campus and just across town.
It came from Forrest J. Masters, Ph.D., P.E., a professor and the associate dean for research and facilities at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Working with the 3D printing lab at UF’s Marston Science Library and Gainesville orthopaedic implant maker Exactech, the group is making 100,000 swabs for UF Health.
On March 30, officials with the UF Health pathology department approached Masters about the possibility of producing nasal swabs. Masters and his team found that an existing 3D printed nasopharyngeal swab design could be produced locally and quickly.
The design for the 3D-printed swab was developed by the University of South Florida, Northwell Health and 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs. David P. Norton, Ph.D., UF’s vice president for research, helped pave the way by rapidly securing the manufacturing rights for the swab design.
Randell Duggins, innovative media facilitator at the Marston Science Library’s 3D printing lab, began researching the requirements for mass-producing the swabs. The swabs needed to be produced in a certified medical device production facility to meet UF Health’s needs and federal guidelines. Among the few qualified local firms was Exactech, a manufacturer of bone and joint restoration products. Exactech was co-founded by Gary Miller (B.S. ME ’70, Ph.D. ’77 Mechanical), a UF engineering alumnus and benefactor of the engineering college and the university.