3D-Printed COVID-19 Test Kit

Our Team

Kunal Kumar Sara Poon Evan Dargan Hayes Sanjana V

(New Jersey, USA) (New York, USA) (Dublin, Ireland) (New Jersey, USA)

2
 1. Background
Why COVID-19 test kits are important

▸ Major challenges remain in COVID-19 testing.

▸ There is a critical need of test kits to help prevent a pandemic
“boomerang effect”.
▸ The top manufacturers are strained to keep up with the demand. Due
to lockdowns and global supply chain disruptions, it has been
challenging to create and distribute test kits.
▸ “Widespread testing” is the most important criterion for returning to
school, work, and activities.
▸ There is not enough COVID-19 testing capacity in the world to meet
3 the required testing targets.
 2. Current State of COVID-19 Testing
▸ There are 2 types of testing: Viral and Antibody (Serology) tests

▸ Viral Testing uses PCR assays to amplify and sequence the

nucleotides of a sample. PCR testing is used to detect active viral
presence and shedding using swab and reagents.

▸ Antibody (serological testing) testing tests to see if patient has

developed antibodies to the virus and hence recent or previous
exposure.

4
 Challenges in Current Testing
▸ Time: Testing takes too long for results.
▹ PCR takes up 6 hours and both can take up to weeks due to
added transit time to testing facilities.
▸ Risk: It is risky for patients to be leaving their homes to get tested,
especially if they suspect infection.
▸ Accuracy: Antibody testing does not guarantee immunity to
COVID-19, and can also be a “false positive” to similar strains. It has
high false positives.
▸ Scalability: We do not have any testing facilities that can be scaled
to serve millions of people.
5
Our Solution
A 3D-printed COVID-19 test kit.
3
 3D-printed testing kit
▸ Our prototype (right) takes samples
from nasal swabs and saliva
samples to speed up the test
results.
▸ It is designed using Solidworks 3D
CAD software.
▸ It is 3D printed, uses PCR
cartridges, and can be quickly
made in a few hours at a fair cost. Above is a picture of the 3D printed
testing kit.

7
 How it works
1. Take a nasal or saliva swab.

2. Break swab at joint and insert into

test kit. The test kit cartridges will
have the PCR reagents already
inserted.
3. You will then press in each cartridge, B
releasing the chemical into the
sample to replicate the virus after a
certain amount of time. 3D Design of
A A
Nasal Swab.
4. It will then be delivered to the lab,
without the need of the PCR process. B 3D Design of
Test Kit with
cartridges.
8
 Nasal Swab Design
● Flexible Nasal Swab
● Small joint in middle, to break
swab in half, to fit in test kit.
● Swab is attached to test kit
lid, which seals the liquid shut,
inside.
● It has a larger surface area to
take a better sample.

▸ As per clinical performance data from CDC, Nasopharyngeal swab is the most prevalent method of collecting human
9 respiratory specimen (45%).
 Design of Testkit using Solidworks 3D

Accurate Flexible nasal swab

allows for more
accurate samples.

Quick 3D printed design

Availability makes testkit readily
available.

Our prototype was designed using Solidworks 3D CAD modelling

software and printed using Polylactic Acid (commonly known as PLA),
10 a fully biodegradable thermoplastic polymer.
 4. Making Testing Kits & Distribution
Decreasing time to manufacture and distribute

▸ Our team will make 3D printed test kits and distribute the maximum
number of test kits.
▸ It can be printed on-demand locally at a fair cost.
▸ Approach to decrease transit time
▹ Currently, patients are waiting to be tested or for test results. To decrease the long
wait-periods and promote efficiency, we can:
▹ Open (or convert) new testing labs to be supplied with ample thermal cycler.These
lab centers should be within 5 mile radius of clinics and medical centers that are
collecting tests.
▹ Employ curbside drop-off and pick-up of testing kits and samples.
11
 References

▸ CDC and FDA publications related to COVID-19

▸ CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR
Diagnostic Panel
▸ https://www.fda.gov/media/134922/download

▸ https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Polymerase-Chain-Reaction-Fact-Sheet

▸ https://khn.org/news/what-takes-so-long-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-steps-involved-in-covid-19-testing/

▸ https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/fda-steps-up-scrutiny-coronavirus-antibody-tests-ensure-accuracy/

▸ https://www.webmd.com/lung/antibody-testing-covid-19#1

12