Department of Materials Science and Engineering performs mechanical testing on swab prototypes for COVID-19 diagnostic testing

The spotlight shines on Ohio, and an international audience witnesses a massive convoy of citizens who are unanimously in this together. Countless stakeholders began offering their services - ranging from simple to complex - at a moment's notice. The challenging landscape presented by Coronavirus is highlighted by a beautiful backdrop of unity, goodwill, and selflessness.

In his press briefing on April 24, Governor Mike DeWine announced expanded testing capabilities due, in part, to the coordinated efforts of statewide institutions that are reprioritizing projects and modifying operations to make diagnostic testing more readily available.

The Ohio State University is leading many aspects of the unified effort through various measures, one of which is mechanically testing nasopharyngeal swab prototypes used to collect a viral sample from an individual. The Ohio State team has been performing mechanical tests on 3D-printed and injection molded swabs since April 23. Pete Gosser, Laboratory Supervisor with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) is managing the mechanical testing in a lab that would normally be bustling with engineering students. Instead, newly manufactured test swabs are being analyzed for materials performance; “It is important that we have quantitative data on the material properties of the test swabs. The swab has to be flexible enough to travel through the nasal canal yet sturdy enough to stay intact during the test.”

There are two types of tests being performed to determine the mechanical characteristics of the materials used to manufacture the swabs. One is known as a tensile test (Figure 1), in which the ends of the specimen are gripped and pulled in opposite directions in tandem with a load increase. The other is a 3-point flexural test (Figure 2), in which the specimen is placed on two supports and an increasing load is applied to the center. The mechanical characteristics obtained from both tests include strength, toughness, brittleness and ductility. Results are being analyzed and translated by Corinne Uskali, Lead Engineer at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME).

The Institute for Materials Research, known as the gateway to materials-allied research at Ohio State, was responsible for managing the supply chain and aligning industry partners with the most appropriate entities within the university. Their leadership in this movement was a terrific execution of their operational model.

"The Institute for Materials Research coordinates effective collaborations due to all the strengths of the various departments, colleges, centers, and institutes at Ohio State," said Jay Sayre, IMR Director of Innovation and Research Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering.

"In particular, the strength of the DMSE mechanical labs and technical staff are a valued resource in executing these critical tests." - Jay Sayre

While there are other locations on Ohio State’s campus that can perform mechanical testing, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering is a logical choice because of its expertise in the field of materials. Pete embraces the opportunity to help, “It’s very rewarding. Everyone has been very appreciative of my efforts. It’s well worth it if this can help us get back to normal—the sooner the better!”

Michael Mills maintains that the collaborative contributions are especially important at this time, “As Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I am excited that we can play a vital role in testing these swabs. I appreciate the dedication of all our staff—they have been keen to pitch in and engage in any activities where our educational and research capabilities can be utilized. The collaboration with CDME, and the leadership of Nate Ames (Director of CDME and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering) has also been instrumental in this effort.”

While there was no way to adequately plan for or prevent COVID-19 from infiltrating our border, we proved that the incredible resources in Ohio are enough to mitigate a pandemic if we are #InThisTogether.