Malta 3D printing firm helps Covid-19 effort

Healthcare workers battling the coronavirus have received extra life-saving equipment thanks to one of fastest-growing start-up firms in Malta.

Using the latest 3D printing technology, Invent 3D was commissioned to produce a hundred vaccine holders, which help transport the jabs safely to patient vaccination centres across Malta and Gozo up to the point of administration.

The plastic, recyclable design was approved by Maltese health officials and developed by Invent 3D directors David and Alexandra Sciberras.

The company, based in the Bulebel Industrial Estate near Żejtun, has already donated more than 10,000 masks to doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medics at Mater Dei Hospital in the last year, with the help of  the Malta 3D Printing Community and the Central Procurement and Supply Unit, which directed the equipment to the frontline staff hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The personal protective equipment was requested by health authorities to avoid shortages while frontline staff treated coronavirus patients.

The new vaccine holders ensure that the jabs end up in people’s arms rather than being broken or damaged in transit.

Alexandra explained: ‘Thanks to the amazing capabilities of 3D printing and additive manufacturing, we were quickly able to tweak the initial design to meet Mater Dei’s strict infection control regulations.

‘Our vaccine holders have become great examples of how 3D printing can be applied to rapid product design. We are super proud of our team for managing to deliver the end result within days, which was crucial for such a critical application.’

Invent 3D has delivered a wide range of projects since it was launched in 2018, including interior design, architectural models, tool manufacturing, medical devices, digital dentistry, trophy manufacturing, prototyping and much more.