TLDR: We're raising money to increase distribution of our 3D-printed masks and other safety-wear to help combat COVID-19. There's much more information below on our project, and we will be updating this page constantly as we iterate on our models and distribute our products.
UPDATES: Some team bios below, plus product pictures (descriptions to come). We will give updates as well on distribution and other items throughout the process. We are also distributing cloth masks through a partnership with the Harrisburg, PA community.
We are also working with the Penn State Hershey COVID-19 tracing program to provide PPE to households for patients that test positive, once sent home, in order to prevent in-home spread.
We received a 3,000 surgical mask donation from China that will be administered to clinics around Lebanon and Berks county in central Pennsylvania focusing on delivering care to latino and black patients who have been most affected by Covid-19. We have also manufactured 173 masks, 57 face shields, 3 door grippers, and 66 surgical mask ear reliefs, and have begun distributing to communities in the Hershey PA area and throughout Indiana.
Long Version:
"Droplet Guard LLC" is a group of doctors, designers and filmmakers from across the United States gathered around one purpose: to try to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 has on our local communities. We are doing this by providing simple and innovative 3D designs free of charge.
The CDC now recommends that all members of the community wear non-surgical grade face masks when venturing into public spaces, while reserving surgical and medical-grade masks for healthcare providers and workers on the frontline. To help provide masks for the community at large, we have created a sleek, easy-to-mass-produce mask that uses an M3 filter for community use on a regular day-to-day basis.
We believe that the high grade M3 filter offers more protection than regular cloth masks, and the filters can be easily changed out with use. Our masks are more tightly fitted than most cloth masks currently used by workers that are in constant exposure to the public - such as grocery store clerks and those in the service industry.
We also have door handle openers intended to protect people from hand-contact with the virus when opening doors or pushing elevator buttons - a key aspect in COVID-19 transmissions.
Our designs are constantly evolving to adapt to the needs of the community and feedback.
We are currently strictly doing this on a not-for-profit basis. 100% of the donations from this campaign will be used to purchase materials and more 3D printers. This will enable us to boost production and help keep our community safe in its time of need.
As we purchase more materials and more printers, we will distribute our products throughout various communities. One of our main objectives in distribution is to help combat this epidemic by providing basic protective gear to communities which disproportionately suffer from health disparities such as homelessness, lack of food security, or poor living conditions that make physical distancing impossible.
Further, we are offering full transparency in what we produce. We are making our designs freely accessible to anyone who has a 3D printer to print these products themselves.
Lastly, as a part of this effort, we are intending to launch a community-driven website in both Spanish and English with information about personal safety and protection, how to protect yourself, and how to protect your community.
We currently estimate that for every $100 donated, we will be able to produce and distribute 50 of these masks.
As a disclaimer, these pieces of PPE are not FDA approved for medical use. While we believe that the masks we are making will be superior to other masks that are available, we are still testing. Further, masks in no way guarantee safety from transmission of diseases and viruses. The CDC is recommending that members of the community wear non-medical-grade masks for personal and public health reasons, and our masks are intended to help to further that effort. We will update more as our designs get better and better.
Some Pics of Stuff Being Made:
Big Mask:
Small Mask:
Prusa Face Shield:
Bios:
Paula Henao Rocha:
Paula is a specialist in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She works at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and her clinical area of specialty is management of severe asthma in patients with language barriers. She works with the CDC REACH program to improve health outcomes in the latinx population in Lebanon and Berks counties of Pennsylvania. She has particular concern with how COVID-19 is affecting the most vulnerable populations and started this company with the goal of trying to decrease these social disparities in a tangible way. Droplet Guard aims to decrease in-home transmissions as well as providing gear those that need it most and it is work that makes me proud.
Trevor Yenna:
Trevor has been a Technical Designer as well as a Process Automation designer at Endress + Hauser for the past 10 years. He has worked in many different industries over the years ranging from designing hot tubs to shipping containers. He also worked at the Tesla Gigafactory to help with building layouts.
As a disclaimer, these masks are not FDA approved for medical use. While we believe they will be superior to other masks that are available, we are still testing. Further, masks in no way guarantee safety from transmission of diseases and viruses. The CDC is recommending that members of the community wear non-medical-grade masks for personal and public health reasons, and our masks are intended to help to further that effort.
UPDATES: Some team bios below, plus product pictures (descriptions to come). We will give updates as well on distribution and other items throughout the process. We are also distributing cloth masks through a partnership with the Harrisburg, PA community.
We are also working with the Penn State Hershey COVID-19 tracing program to provide PPE to households for patients that test positive, once sent home, in order to prevent in-home spread.
We received a 3,000 surgical mask donation from China that will be administered to clinics around Lebanon and Berks county in central Pennsylvania focusing on delivering care to latino and black patients who have been most affected by Covid-19. We have also manufactured 173 masks, 57 face shields, 3 door grippers, and 66 surgical mask ear reliefs, and have begun distributing to communities in the Hershey PA area and throughout Indiana.
Long Version:
"Droplet Guard LLC" is a group of doctors, designers and filmmakers from across the United States gathered around one purpose: to try to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 has on our local communities. We are doing this by providing simple and innovative 3D designs free of charge.
The CDC now recommends that all members of the community wear non-surgical grade face masks when venturing into public spaces, while reserving surgical and medical-grade masks for healthcare providers and workers on the frontline. To help provide masks for the community at large, we have created a sleek, easy-to-mass-produce mask that uses an M3 filter for community use on a regular day-to-day basis.
We believe that the high grade M3 filter offers more protection than regular cloth masks, and the filters can be easily changed out with use. Our masks are more tightly fitted than most cloth masks currently used by workers that are in constant exposure to the public - such as grocery store clerks and those in the service industry.
We also have door handle openers intended to protect people from hand-contact with the virus when opening doors or pushing elevator buttons - a key aspect in COVID-19 transmissions.
Our designs are constantly evolving to adapt to the needs of the community and feedback.
We are currently strictly doing this on a not-for-profit basis. 100% of the donations from this campaign will be used to purchase materials and more 3D printers. This will enable us to boost production and help keep our community safe in its time of need.
As we purchase more materials and more printers, we will distribute our products throughout various communities. One of our main objectives in distribution is to help combat this epidemic by providing basic protective gear to communities which disproportionately suffer from health disparities such as homelessness, lack of food security, or poor living conditions that make physical distancing impossible.
Further, we are offering full transparency in what we produce. We are making our designs freely accessible to anyone who has a 3D printer to print these products themselves.
Lastly, as a part of this effort, we are intending to launch a community-driven website in both Spanish and English with information about personal safety and protection, how to protect yourself, and how to protect your community.
We currently estimate that for every $100 donated, we will be able to produce and distribute 50 of these masks.
As a disclaimer, these pieces of PPE are not FDA approved for medical use. While we believe that the masks we are making will be superior to other masks that are available, we are still testing. Further, masks in no way guarantee safety from transmission of diseases and viruses. The CDC is recommending that members of the community wear non-medical-grade masks for personal and public health reasons, and our masks are intended to help to further that effort. We will update more as our designs get better and better.
Some Pics of Stuff Being Made:
Big Mask:
Small Mask:
Prusa Face Shield:
Bios:
Paula Henao Rocha:
Paula is a specialist in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She works at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and her clinical area of specialty is management of severe asthma in patients with language barriers. She works with the CDC REACH program to improve health outcomes in the latinx population in Lebanon and Berks counties of Pennsylvania. She has particular concern with how COVID-19 is affecting the most vulnerable populations and started this company with the goal of trying to decrease these social disparities in a tangible way. Droplet Guard aims to decrease in-home transmissions as well as providing gear those that need it most and it is work that makes me proud.
Trevor Yenna:
Trevor has been a Technical Designer as well as a Process Automation designer at Endress + Hauser for the past 10 years. He has worked in many different industries over the years ranging from designing hot tubs to shipping containers. He also worked at the Tesla Gigafactory to help with building layouts.
As a disclaimer, these masks are not FDA approved for medical use. While we believe they will be superior to other masks that are available, we are still testing. Further, masks in no way guarantee safety from transmission of diseases and viruses. The CDC is recommending that members of the community wear non-medical-grade masks for personal and public health reasons, and our masks are intended to help to further that effort.