Summer of 2021, I heard from a family friend that her hospital department was unable to buy expensive training equipment to practise an emergency surgery called a cricothyrotomy. I was shocked to learn how much the piece would cost, especially knowing it would be possible to 3D print. I did some research and discovered that an open-source file for the cric trainer already existed specifically to empower hospitals. I’ve been using 3D printers since 2015, so I reached out and volunteered to print a couple for them. Working with the hospital in itself was a challenge. Communicating with the head nurse to understand the specific needs of the cric trainer and navigating their procurement policy to purchase filament were arduous tasks. I have a new appreciation for why everything seems to take so long in the professional world. I was able to order special filament that would mimic the flex of cartilage, but then realized my own printer was too old to handle the material. So I reached out to the maker community and sourced a more modern printer. In total I made four cric trainers, saved our hospital $12,000 and helped ER staff to practise a complex life saving procedure. I enjoyed the communication and collaboration aspects of this project. I loved that I was able to take a simple concept and see it through several complex obstacles in order to produce a meaningful result.
