N95 Grade Medical Protective Masks

[donaldrsimonn]

Companies from the 3D printing industry have also taken on this challenge by successively presenting projects that are easy and quick to implement, increasing protection and safety of people. Until now, we have described examples of cooperation between The FabLab in Milan and Isinnova, who created the missing valves for an intensive care device for the Italian hospital in Brescia, the Belgian Materialise, which created a simple and fast 3D printing model of a safe door opener or the Czech PRUSA Research, which has created its own antibacterial gel. Now we are presenting another design…

[carnachpace]

Seeing the problem of the global shortage of N95 masks due to the exponential increase in world demand for them due to COVID-19 pandemic, Copper 3D team quickly got to work on developing the patent for a model similar to a standard N95 mask but with some peculiarities (Antiviral, Reusable, Modular, Washable, Recyclable, Low-Cost), which were completely designed in a digital environment so that it could be downloaded anywhere in the world and 3D printed with any FDM/FFF equipment, even a low cost one. The mask was called

[foyerscraper]

Now the challenge was purely logistical because there was a breakdown of the distribution chains in the world. On the other hand, 3D printing takes time, for example one of these masks takes around 2:00 hrs. to print what forced us to think collaboratively based on the concept of Distributed Manufacturing and networks of 3D printers working 24/7 in order to make a big amount of masks in a short time.

That’s when we decided that we should coordinate a worldwide network of startups, makers, universities and partner companies that will help us to print these masks, in order to quickly amplify access to this design and make it really have a global impact. And that’s exactly what we did: Hack this pandemic with Nanotechnology, 3D Printing, Distributed Manufacturing and Networks of Collaboration with many organizations and people around the world.

[donaldrsimonn]

Additionally, we decided to immediately release the patent (which was filed and pending) so that this design would be completely Open Source. This is probably the first case in the history of 3D printing that the same design is downloaded massively worldwide to prevent more deaths in the context of a pandemic.

[foyerscraper]

As fear about the deadly new coronavirus spreads in China, face masks have disappeared from store shelves and sold out online. At least two Chinese provinces now require them to be worn in public. Factories that make the masks in China are operating 24 hours a day to meet the demand. n95 protective mask