Scottish dental firm joins race to create ventilator parts

A Glasgow dental tech firm has unveiled its plans switch production from items such as tooth implants to make parts for ventilators during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Leca Dental, run by brothers Nick and Martin Leca, is making parts for ventilators during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Leca Dental, run by brothers Martin and Nick Leca, said demand for its usual products would hit a downturn as a result of the pandemic and offered to begin making parts in its 3D printing facility which could contribute to the demand for ventilators to treat virus-hit patients.

Nick Leca said: “We manufacture materials for the dental industry through a digital process. We spoke to one of our dental clients last week and he told us that they have a ventilator in the surgery and suggested we could make a certain part for it, which is a kind of valve.

“He sent us a blueprint from the NHS website and we tried it and he fitted it to his ventilator and it worked.”

He added: “It is a message for other companies - you might not think there is anything you can do to help, that you might not be able to deliver something that could work within the supply chain, butt you could be surprised.”

The company, which is now registered with an NHS website for industry to work together to create more ventilators, which are crucial for helping to keep those badly affected by the virus alive, believes it could make up to 200 3D printed parts a day if approved. It also believes that a second component of a ventilator could easily be made on its machines.

Leca said: “We are already approved to supply medical devices because we usually manufacture things which go into people’s bone - like implants - so it gives us a capability. It is very early stages, but we are hoping we will be able to do our bit as a small Scottish company.”