Department of Veteran’s Affairs Uses 3D Printing Resources to Fight COVID-19

The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) is teaming up with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) to use the Departments 3D printing resources to prototype medical supplies that are in high demand to combat the spread of COVID-19. This effort compliments efforts underway at America Makes, the national manufacturing institute for additive manufacturing, to engage manufacturers across the United States to address supply chain shortages in relation to COVID-19. By working together, the VA is prototyping much needed medical supplies so that they can be printed through additive manufacturing techniques at manufacturing facilities across the United States identified by America Makes.

The government programs that are working in unison to achieve this goal are:

• Innovation Ecosystem (VA)
• 3D Print Exchange (NIH)
• 3D Medical Device Initiatives (FDA)
• America Makes (DOD)

On the VA’s website, health and health-safety experts can submit a request for a local VA facility to 3D print much needed medical materials.