3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs for medical sample collection have been manufactured via additive manufacturing (AM), evaluated, and characterized in the present study. A multi-part component of nasopharyngeal swabs was proposed, in which the swab and handle were manufactured separately to reach sustainable production and environmentally friendly products. The swab was investigated using tensile, flexural, surface roughness, dimensional accuracy, and sample collection testing. The influence of printing parameters and post-curing time treatment on the mechanical properties, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy of 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs were also evaluated. The result showed that 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab shows outstanding tensile strength compared to the commercial flock nasopharyngeal swab. Moreover, the swab neck flexibility test showed that both PLA and dental non-castable 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs were able to bend 180°. Subsequently, the surface roughness of 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab was identic with the commercial flock nasopharyngeal swab. The proposed 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab design could carry an artificial mucus sample of 141.6 mg at a viscosity of 9455.4 mPa.s. The cost to fabricate a 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab was estimated at USD0.01–0.02 per swab. 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab shows potential as a feasible option, greener, less medical waste, and more sustainable.

Photopolymer resins have widely applied in dentistry to fabricate temporary restorations. This work gives a complete characterization of a dental non-castable photopolymer resin prepared via Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing. Specimens were printed at layer thicknesses of 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 mm, followed by post-cured treatments under UV light for 10, 20, and 30 minutes. A series of material characterization tests were performed, including assessments of hardness, moisture absorption behavior, and density measurements. The results indicate that hardness and moisture content are significantly impacted by post-curing time, while extended curing times resulted in greater specimen’s hardness and decreased moisture content. An increase in layer thickness led to a gradual reduction in hardness. A maximum hardness value of 57.7 Shore D was observed in the 3D-printed specimen, along with a highest moisture content of 1.05% MC. As expected, the specimens exhibited consistent density (1.19 ± 0.02 g/cm³) throughout all layer thickness and curing time variations. This study highlights the critical need to understand how process parameters affect dental non-castable photopolymer resin properties prior to clinical implementation.