VTM (viral Transport Media) Flexible Stick for nasopharyngeal swab

thingiverse

Here's a 3D printable design for a flexible stick that can be used in synthesizing nasopharyngeal swabs to collect medical samples from patients' noses. This design will be wrapped in special fabric at the tip, then soaked with special media. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shortages of supplies, this design can be used with viral transport media (VTM) to collect samples from suspected patients. This 3D printable design utilizes generic PLA plastic filament, which provides flexibility and minimizes trauma to the patient's nose. The final design, designated as "swab7," features a breaking area that facilitates easy breakage of the stick after collecting the sample and placing it in a VTM-containing tube. I'm sharing this design freely worldwide with the hope that it will benefit as many patients as possible during this critical time. However, please note that this is an alternative design intended for use only in extreme circumstances where official supplies are scarce or unavailable.