3D printing helps Italian doctors fix faulty respirators to help Covid-19 patients
3D printing is an on demand manufacturing technology, and in a crisis where there's a shortage of parts and people can't move around freely it's come to the rescue.
Key takeaways
- After searching around, the physicist connected with startup Isinnova, which is based in Brescia — near Chiari, where the hospital is located — and has a 3D printer.
- Isinnova's Cristian Fracassi and Alessandro Ramaioli collaborated with Temporelli and began manufacturing valves in the space of 6 hours.
- In a Facebook post, Temporelli announced the moment the team managed to design a working valve which has now been used in the respiratory equipment of 10 admitted patients.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) '3D printing helps Italian doctors fix faulty respirators to help Covid-19 patients', 311 Institute, 23 March. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/3d-printing-helps-italian-doctors-fix-faulty-respirators-to-help-covid-19-patients/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Technology is arguably playing a greater role in the COVID-19 pandemic we’re all suffering from today than it ever has, whether it’s autonomous vehicles being used to disinfect the streets in China, autonomous robots disinfecting the subways in Hong Kong, drones being used to keep people indoors in Spain, robots serving patients in the US, or supercomputers crunching compounds to find vaccines. And a few days ago another technology, 3D printing came to the rescue after, staff at a hospital in Italy realised they were running out of valves for patients' respirators, which are essential for the most serious cases of COVID-19, when patients are admitted to the ICU.
The supplier wasn't able to provide them in the short term, as the company itself was facing a shortage caused by the outbreak. Italy has been hit incredibly hard, resulting in more than 2,500 deaths so far.
The hospital, located outside Chiari in Lombardy, sent out a distress call through the newspaper Giornale di Brescia, which caught the attention of physicist Massimo Temporelli, founder of FabLab.
FabLab is an Italian company that specialises in innovative manufacturing solutions. However, the restrictions on movement imposed in Italy prevented Temporelli himself, who is based in Milan, from handling the matter.
After searching around, the physicist connected with startup Isinnova, which is based in Brescia — near Chiari, where the hospital is located — and has a 3D printer.
Post on X
Complimenti a Cristian Fracassi, @temporelli73 e tutte le persone che lo hanno aiutato nella impresa di stampare in 3d le valvole mancanti per i respiratori dell'Ospedale di Chiari a Brescia. (qui l'articolo completo https://t.co/QYZu6x9X1T) #SolidarietaDigitale #iorestoacasa pic.twitter.com/dF3G2RJY8S
Paola Pisano (@PaolaPisano_Min) March 15, 2020
Isinnova's Cristian Fracassi and Alessandro Ramaioli collaborated with Temporelli and began manufacturing valves in the space of 6 hours.
In a Facebook post, Temporelli announced the moment the team managed to design a working valve which has now been used in the respiratory equipment of 10 admitted patients.
Italy's Minister of Technological Innovation Paola Pisano acknowledged the achievement and congratulated those involved.
Once the valves are determined to have met all the necessary standards for approval, the team hopes to produce them for all hospitals that need them.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
3D printing is an on demand manufacturing technology, and in a crisis where there's a shortage of parts and people can't move around freely it's come to the rescue.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 23 March 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). 3D printing helps Italian doctors fix faulty respirators to help Covid-19 patients. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/3d-printing-helps-italian-doctors-fix-faulty-respirators-to-help-covid-19-patients/
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