COVID19 - Medical Equipment

LLNL Medical Equipment
From left: part of LLNL's ventilator prototype; an N95 filtering face respirator with an attached thermocouple for decontamination testing; an array of 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs; and a 3D-printed sample vial for a swab-based test.

Several activities are under way at LLNL to provide the medical community with additional protective measures so they can be better equipped to serve the public’s needs.

Emergency alternatives to hospital ventilators

  • To address concerns about potential shortfalls in emergency room ventilators, we are actively researching and developing prototypes for how alternative equipment could be repurposed to meet excess demand. Download the COVID-19 Ventilator Brochure

Methods for emergency cleaning and re-use of limited-supply personal protective equipment

Rapid manufacturing capacity for critical consumable supplies to support diagnostics

  • Sample collection swabs are among the scarce supplies that limit nationwide capabilities to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. LLNL is evaluating and validating multiple swab designs produced by different 3D printing approaches and materials.
  • LLNL is participating in a working group of multiple other Department of Energy laboratories by using 3D printing to prototype and rapidly transition to manufacturing additional consumable components such as sample vials and replacement parts for critical equipment.

News & Publications

For more information about the U.S. government's response to COVID-19, see coronavirus.gov and usa.gov/coronavirus. For the latest public health and safety information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, see cdc.gov/coronavirus.