NP swabs prove 3D Printing’s scalability & speed-to-market advantages

Origin, manufacturer of stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers was one of the founding members of the consortium. It began working with several partners to develop what it is now calling the world’s first FDA-compliant, sterile, 3D-printed NP test swab.

Scalability and Speed-to-Market

Within weeks they were able to bring a product to market that is classified as a sterile device and is considered a finished medical product, which is regulated by the FDA.

It’s a perfect example of two of 3D printing’s biggest benefits: scalability and speed-to-market. As Chris Prucha, Founder and CEO at Origin noted in the press release, “by working collaboratively and utilizing each other’s technologies, we identified, optimized and scaled the manufacturing process to bring an application to market extremely fast.”

Origin’s sterile NP swabs are currently shipping to leading healthcare facilities, government institutions, and independent testing centers in the U.S. and several other countries. They’re also available for purchase on Amazon.

But beyond the opportunity with NP swabs, this collaboration also further substantiates the industry’s growth into functional part production.

In the press release, Ken Kisner, Head of Innovation for 3D Printing at Henkel said, “From inception, the vision behind Henkel’s Open Materials Platform was to enable collaboration all along additive manufacturing’s value chain. Working together with Origin, we were able to develop a product which is just as effective as its mass-produced counterpart. With the constraints commercial medical suppliers are facing, this presents a significant opportunity for the 3D printing industry to demonstrate its capabilities, beyond prototyping.”