Disposable hand made face shields! CAN WE HELP?

#1

I’ve been looking at the Prusa COVID face shield effort and it’s a great idea.

( @dermot posted it earlier too - https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-protective-face-shield-rc2) .

They’ve picked something simple that doesn’t need specialist materials (e.g like a fibre face mask would) and doesn’t need complex design (like a ventilator would).

However, their 3d printed shield needs a laser cutter for the shield part, and a slow 3d printer for the head band.

Could we look at something like this one, which can be made by hand very quickly. They can’t be sterilised so need to be super low cost and disposable.

We could get foam sheets, elastic material and 0.5mm or 1mm plastic sheets delivered, brainstorm online to get a simple design (or use this one as is) and we can then make lots of them individually at home. No need for anyone to be in the makerspace unless we wanted one person to do a job lot of laser cut plastic sheets.

I design medical devices for my day job so do have some experience in this space.
We would need to speak to a medical professional who could advise on whether this is useful/dangerous/misguided. Does anyone have a contact at Kings in Denmark Hill or anywhere else who lives locally? Would be great to be able to iterate the design with someone who’s using them.

Thoughts?

1 Like
#2

As you’ve identified with all these things we need to identify the need even before the feasibility

I think we’re quite well placed and keen to use our facilities to support in whatever way we can, but opening up the Space raises risks for members and people they’re in contact with – one person laser cutting reduces that risk to pretty much ‘none’!

@MeeharSh might have some thoughts

1 Like
#3

Makerspaces are being contacted by medical professionals to produce the Prusa shield – if they contact us I’ll share this simple design with them

I’ve made a dedicated thread for some Prusa planning

1 Like
#4

My partner’s NHS Trust’s instructions to medical staff is to not wear face masks on hospital premises when outside of the covid wards - their logic is it may distress non covid patients - and raise the question if the non covid staff are being given masks why arent non covid patients. I dont know if different Trusts have different instructions.

#5

As if the public aren’t acutely aware of the current situation

I get their balancing act, but you’d hope it was driven by clinical and safety decisions