COVID-19 Testing in California
An innovative effort launched in April and led by a fellow in the UCLA Biodesign program has yielded positive results, solving the health system’s shortage of nasopharyngeal swabs – a key element in COVID-19 testing – at a time when Southern California is seeing a rise in new cases and new deaths per day.
On April 24, UCLA Health announced the project and institutional review board (IRB) approval of a protocol for a validation study of new swabs. In just over a month, and after conducting rigorous clinical testing of several 3D-printed swab prototypes on patients with COVID-19, UCLA Health was granted permission from the Food and Drug Administration to use the most promising design, which is from Resolution Medical LLC.
“With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, testing supplies – especially nasopharyngeal swabs – were suddenly in high demand and short supply on a local, national, and even global scale. After working with a variety of manufacturers to test various designs, we now have a secure source to supply all of UCLA Health’s swabs as the need for COVID-19 testing continues to grow,” said Gabriel Oland, MD, a general surgery resident at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and a fellow in the UCLA Biodesign program, who helped lead the effort to test swabs that could be manufactured swiftly and in large quantities.
Unlike swabs with woven fiber at the tip – similar in appearance to cotton swabs found in stores for consumer use, but made with longer shafts and sterile, spongy materials – UCLA Health’s new swabs, like many others, consist of a single plastic material from tip to tip, with a lattice design to collect a sample at one end.
“Given that it’s only using one material, 3D printing is perfect for rapid output,” Oland said.
“COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in California, and more than half of new cases in the last two weeks have been in Los Angeles County,” said Omai Garner, PhD, director of clinical microbiology testing for UCLA Health. “Before the pandemic, we used about 200 nasopharyngeal swabs a day, but now we need 500-600 for COVID-19 testing alone, and we anticipate needing over 1000 each day in the coming months.”
Garner and Oland conducted the study with principal investigator Annabelle de St. Maurice, MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics and co-chief infection prevention officer at UCLA Health.
“Although we hoped the Los Angeles area would be spared the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to move with urgency to address the COVID-19 testing swab shortage,” de St. Maurice said. “Results of our collaboration mean that UCLA Health is now well-positioned to meet the needs of our community as COVID-19 testing becomes increasingly important.”
Desert Horse-Grant, senior director of UCLA Health Research and Innovation and co-executive director of UCLA Biodesign, worked with UCLA Health leadership to coordinate the 3D-printed swab task force with the study’s framework and objectives. She tapped Oland to co-lead the task force because his combination of skills gave him “the expertise to think through COVID-19 obstacles and outsmart them with the right experts.”
Oland has medical and surgical experience – including treating COVID-19-positive patients – an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and a familiarity with production methods like 3D printing. He had been working to develop a noninvasive intracranial pressure monitoring device before pivoting to the swab task force in lieu of an externship that would normally come at the end of the UCLA Biodesign fellowship year.
Although the FDA normally requires lengthy and thorough COVID-19 testing and validation of new medical products, swabs fall into a category for which the onus of validation instead rests with hospitals and clinical labs. “It’s not an easy task, but it was imperative that we executed the study right so we could offer the best results for our patients,” Oland said, adding that he has been impressed with the way industry, healthcare systems and regulatory agencies have adapted and worked together to solve this problem under unusually tight time constraints.
Other COVID-19 Updates
COVID-19: SOCIAL IMPACT
GineersNow Distributes PPE to Medical Workers
Israeli Cured COVID-19 Patients Using Placenta
COVID-19: HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
Harvard Talks: Engineering Company’s COVID-19 Battle Strategies
Harvard Talks: HVAC Healthy Buildings During COVID-19
Harvard Talks: How Engineering Companies Enact Remote Work?
MIT & Harvard Strategy to Limit the Spread of COVID-19
Harvard Talks: Engineering Sector’s Organizational Development
Harvard Talks: Engineering Leaders Will Engage in Teaming
Harvard Covid-19 Strategy on How to Reopen a Country
Harvard Talks: Forward-Thinking Engineering Leaders
Harvard Talks: Engineering Operation Impact of COVID-19
Harvard Talks: 7 Leadership Principles in the Time of COVID-19
Harvard Talks: Engineering Work Culture After COVID-19 Pandemic
Harvard Talks: 7 Leadership Principles in the Time of COVID-19
Harvard Talks: Cut Salaries or Cut People?
Harvard Talks: The Supply Chain in Post COVID-19 Era
COVID-19: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
WHO Preparedness and Response to COVID-19
WHO Q&A: COVID-19 and Influenza Comparison
COVID-19: CONSTRUCTION
How Has COVID-19 Impacted The Construction Sector?
Construction Force Majeure During COVID-19
Converting Existing Building to COVID-19 Hospital – WHO Guidelines
WHO COVID-19 Buildings & Tents Screening Layout Standards
COVID-19: HVAC
COVID-19 Hotel is a Huge HVAC Nightmare
Ventilation Standards for Buildings Converted to COVID-19 Hospitals
Air Filtration for COVID-19 Treatment Centers
ASHRAE on COVID-19 HVAC Concerns
COVID-19 WATER & WASTEWATER
The Water Europe Post-COVID-19 Strategy
COVID-19: ENERGY
Petroleum Price Will Never Be The Same After Covid-19
Oil Price Crashes Below $0 per Barrel
Coronavirus will accelerate the growth of renewable energy solutions
COVID-19: ECONOMIC IMPACT
COVID-19 Economic Impact Analysis
COVID-19 Economic Aftermath on the Construction Industry
Postponed Exhibitions in the Philippines due to COVID-19
Cancelled Major Events Around the World Due to COVID-19
World Bank Gives $12 Billion to COVID-19 Affected Countries
COVID-19: VENTILATORS, PPE & TESTS
UCLA 3D-Printed Swabs Helps COVID-19 Testing Shortage
UCLA Biodesign Fellow Focuses Biomedical Engineering Insights on Swabs Shortage
Philips Ventilator Respironics E30 for ICU COVID-19 Patients
Here’s the Tesla Ventilator Prototype
Lamborghini Medical Shields & Surgical Masks for Health Workers
UCLA Engineer Made a Ventilator from Hardware Items
Forecast Deaths, Hospitals & Ventilators: COVID-19 Impact, USA Full Report
Top 10 Largest Ventilator Manufacturers in the World
Metronic Ventilator Ramping Up Production
Engineers, Can You Help Build a DIY Ventilator for Hospitals?
PPE Shortage Endangering Health Workers Worldwide
COVID-19: STATISTICS & FORECASTS
COVID-19 Deaths to Reach 81,000 in US By June – Forecasts by IHME & Univ. of Washington
List of Government Officials Tested Positive in PH
COVID-19 War: 70K Physicians vs 109M Filipinos
Famous People Who Have Tested Positive for COVID-19
These Politicians Tested Positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
COVID-19 Philippines: DOH on Code Red Status
COVID-19: SCIENCE
100% Success Rate for Pluristem COVID-19 Treatment
What If There’s No Vaccine To Fight COVID-19?
COVID-19 Treatment: The Search Continues
Clean Air in Europe leads to 11K Fewer Deaths During Lockdown
Complete List of Companies Working on Coronavirus Vaccine
Tiger Tests Positive for Coronavirus at New York Zoo
COVID-19: PREVENTION TIPS
7 Dynamic Tips to Protect Your Business from Potential Wide-Scale Effect of COVID-19
We Need Testing, Vaccine & Treatment, But Until That Happens, We Need This!
How to Create a COVID-19 Proof Workplace
Work From Home Tips for Engineering, Industrial & Tech Companies
Water is Our First Line of Defense Against COVID-19
The List of COVID-19 Disinfectants Approved by EPA
COVID-19: TECHNOLOGY
This Country Sends Covid-19 Test Results by WhatsApp & FB Messenger
Hope Probe Transferred to Japan, Despite COVID-19
Robot Technology to Reinstate a COVID-Free Airport
How Artificial Intelligence Can Drive Greater Speed and Accuracy in Vaccine Development
Cyber-Criminals are Exploiting People’s Fears of COVID-19
COVID-19: MARKETING
Marketing Help for Engineering Companies Navigating COVID‑19
How to Apply for Government Financial Assistance for SMEs
Harvard Talks: How Marketing Works During COVID-19
Rewriting Marketing in Times of COVID-19 Crisis?
Hyundai Motor Extends Warranties Due to COVID-19
Top 5 Most Traded Stocks During COVID-19
COVID-19: EDUCATION
Coaching Builds COVID-19 Resilience to Engineering Team
How COVID-19 Is Changing College Admissions Cycle in 2020
COVID-19: AVIATION
Anticipating The Future of Air Travel on After Covid-19
Don’t Make A Slow Recovery More Difficult with Quarantine Measures
Aviation Industry Roadmap: Post-Pandemic Plan
Emirates New Normal at Airport and Boarding an Airplane
Can We Give Airline Financial Relief to Protect Their Jobs?
Airlines Around the World are Struggling to Survive
COVID-19: APAC Air Passenger Demand Dropped 65.5%
Emirates Airline Passenger Rules During COVID-19
Airlines Around the World are Struggling to Survive
Show Your COVID-19 Test Result at the Airport
The Most Modern Flying Hospital with ICU from Germany
COVID-19 Impact: 25 Million Jobs at Risk with Airline Shutdown
Airbus Gives 3D-Printed Hospital Visors to Health Workers
Airlines COVID-19 Analysis: Aviation Collapsed