Customer Profile
Q & M Dental Group is a private dental healthcare provider in Singapore. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Q & M pivoted from purely dental services to assisting national efforts by deploying staff (dentists and support personnel) to perform nasopharyngeal swab tests in foreign worker dormitories, quarantine facilities, and hotels.
Challenge
As COVID-19 testing became widespread, non-medical staff needed to be trained quickly in proper swabbing techniques. Existing manikins found online were not life-sized, lacked anatomical accuracy, and were unsuitable for tactile teaching in the nasal cavity.
Solution
Q & M engaged Creatz3D (in collaboration with AuMed, a medical simulator specialist) to develop a life-sized and anatomically accurate 3D printed medical manikins with a cross-sectional view of the nasal region. Built with four materials and four colors, the manikins provided accurate tactile feedback of soft tissues.
Using 3D printing techniques, the process allowed the complete design, printing, and post-processing to be done in 5 working days, versus months with traditional manufacturing.
“Our focus was to find models with a cross-sectional view of the nose area so we could teach learners about specific anatomical landmarks. We wanted a model that could let us explain procedures effortlessly to a non-medical trained person.” — Joseph Lua, Q & M Dental Group
Impact
The manikins improved training outcomes by helping trainees understand nasal cavity structure, resistance points, and correct swabbing depth. Personalized iterations enhanced realism, making training more effective. Q & M’s swabbing initiative contributed to Singapore’s COVID-19 response and earned them the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Award. Their insights also influenced standard swabbing protocols adopted by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board.
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