PRODUCTION OF VIDEOLARYNGOSCOPE BLADES THROUGH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused global scarcity of medical-hospital supplies, aggravated by import dependency and disruption of logistic chains. In this context, additive manufacturing became an emergency solution to meet critical demands, such as the production of blades for videolaryngoscopy (VL). The Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IFSul) developed actions to support the health network, including the fabrication of VLs based on the AirAngel model, an international project that democratizes the equipment through 3D printing. Initially produced in PLA via FDM, the parts met urgent demand, but were limited by the impossibility of autoclave sterilization. To overcome this restriction, the feasibility of SLA printing using biocompatible and autoclavable resins was evaluated. Three resins were tested with the production of specimens subjected to twenty autoclave cycles, with measurements analyzed statistically by the Shapiro-Wilk test; the results demonstrated that the blades can be reused at least fifteen times before presenting significant deformations. In parallel, a survey conducted in 2021-2022 on the Mercado Livre and Shopee platforms recorded 1,388 blades sold in Brazil, with a peak between December 2021 and April 2022, coinciding with the increase in accumulated COVID-19 cases. The temporal correlation suggests that the intensification of the pandemic directly influenced the adoption of AirAngel blades in the country. It is concluded that additive manufacturing played a fundamental role in mitigating the health crisis, offering fast, replicable, and low-cost solutions. The experience confirms the technical feasibility of the tested resins, expanding the durability and potential for reuse of the parts, as well as highlighting the relevance of institutional partnerships.