Edit: Hi all, it seems like the general consensus is that this is a dangerous product. I really believed that I was making something helpful but that may not be the case. I have decided to take down the listing from Cults3D. Thank you for your feedback.
Hey, thanks for your input, I agre e with you for the most part. I agree that it would be a different matter if I were selling the inhalers themselves, but I just put up the files. I made something I thought was cool and posted it so others could make it too. I’ve tested it exhaustively and believe it isn’t dangerous but dont necessarily have the means or inclination to pursue production on a commercial scale that would require some sort of regulatory intervention.
That said, I have included a disclaimer in the description mentioning this. Thank you.
Despite your extensive testing I would strongly advice against using it, due to things you might not be able to detect. A main concern is what we call leachables, molecules that can, well, leach from the material to the product (such as plastifiers, melting agents, etc). Since you are spraying the substance straight to your lungs, the danger level is maximum in terms of contaminants (the regulation regarding extractables and leachable actually started with Metered Dose Inhalers) and I doubt that a plastic designed to melt easily is really fit for this kind of applications. In the industry you would have to track the components of the raw materials and conduct several tests on each part of the device, to insure that it is below accepting doses. And then you would have to account for the sterility aspect of 3D prints…
That being said, very nice design though!
Edit: it is quite similar to why you should use ‘microwave OK’ plastic only (but in your lungs and with another kind of plastic)
I think that would be a defensible position if you weren’t selling the files. The distinction between “purchased a physical product that someone manufactured” and “purchased the designs and fabricated a physical product to the designers spec” is pretty semantic.
A safety disclaimer is a good step, but (in my opinion) once money changes hands you become a manufacturer and take on the responsibility to ensure the product you are selling is safe