Let's make shields for medical workers
Donation protected
We have been making face shields for doctors and nurses who are fighting COVID-19 on the front lines.
Many people in the community have asked how they can get involved in this fight against COVID-19 and we thought that this could be a way to get more people involved.
Are you selling the shields?
No. We're giving them away. Prioritizing county and underfunded hospitals first since they are likely to have limited mask supply.
So far we have been funding the building of these shields and will continue to do so regardless of the success or failure of this fundraising effort.
Where will the money go?
The money raised will go towards purchasing filament for the 3D printer, Mylar plastic for the shields, rubber bands and other supplies to help with production.
These units cost about $2.00 to make so a $2000 will be able to cover the faces of 1000 medical workers.
By April 12th we will have already delivered over 150 shields.
Any additional money will be donated, charity TBD.
What doctors / nurses are using your shields so far?
So far our shields are protecting doctors and nurses at:
- MLK Hospital (Compton)
- Kaiser
- Providence Saint John
- Cedars Sinai
- Mount Sinai (Brooklyn New York)
How are you making these shields?
We are 3D printing the visor on a Prusa I3 MK2S and hand cutting the clear shield portion out of mylar plastic. The mylar is fastened to the visor via some holes that we punch into the mylar by hand.
There are more detailed instructions for making a shield see: https://github.com/jsfour/Covid3dPrinting/blob/master/face-shields.md
Why shields? I heard doctors need masks?
The N95 masks that doctors wear are designed to be single use but the supplies are very limited.
These N95 masks are super critical in helping prevent doctors from getting sick, but with the supply and logistics constraints of getting new masks in the field using a mask one time is not feasible. The result is that doctors end up reusing masks that they have used before which increases the risk that the doctor could get sick.
Making N95 masks in the field is also not feasible due to the standards that the mask needs to have.
Extending the re-usability of these masks is absolutely critical given the constants.
Enter the face shield.
A face shield acts as a barrier that prevents splatter from getting on the doctor or nurses face --or the mask that is on their face. This means that the shield ends up being a hack that allows the N95 masks that doctors do have to be reused.
How are the shields used?
Shields are used during procedures that involve aerosolizing fluids or while doctors are doing an “intubation" --putting a tube the patents airway so that the patient can get help breathing from a machine.
The intubation process, in addition to other procedures, can sometimes cause splatter. If the patient has COVID-19 or something else this splatter could infect the doctor.
Can't hospitals buy shields?
Yes under normal situations hospitals can find and purchase shields from their supply vendors. However, right now there is a shortage of these supplies because of the overwhelming demand due to so many people getting sick so quickly.
The result is that doctors are going into work gravely under protected.
Many people in the community have asked how they can get involved in this fight against COVID-19 and we thought that this could be a way to get more people involved.
Are you selling the shields?
No. We're giving them away. Prioritizing county and underfunded hospitals first since they are likely to have limited mask supply.
So far we have been funding the building of these shields and will continue to do so regardless of the success or failure of this fundraising effort.
Where will the money go?
The money raised will go towards purchasing filament for the 3D printer, Mylar plastic for the shields, rubber bands and other supplies to help with production.
These units cost about $2.00 to make so a $2000 will be able to cover the faces of 1000 medical workers.
By April 12th we will have already delivered over 150 shields.
Any additional money will be donated, charity TBD.
What doctors / nurses are using your shields so far?
So far our shields are protecting doctors and nurses at:
- MLK Hospital (Compton)
- Kaiser
- Providence Saint John
- Cedars Sinai
- Mount Sinai (Brooklyn New York)
How are you making these shields?
We are 3D printing the visor on a Prusa I3 MK2S and hand cutting the clear shield portion out of mylar plastic. The mylar is fastened to the visor via some holes that we punch into the mylar by hand.
There are more detailed instructions for making a shield see: https://github.com/jsfour/Covid3dPrinting/blob/master/face-shields.md
Why shields? I heard doctors need masks?
The N95 masks that doctors wear are designed to be single use but the supplies are very limited.
These N95 masks are super critical in helping prevent doctors from getting sick, but with the supply and logistics constraints of getting new masks in the field using a mask one time is not feasible. The result is that doctors end up reusing masks that they have used before which increases the risk that the doctor could get sick.
Making N95 masks in the field is also not feasible due to the standards that the mask needs to have.
Extending the re-usability of these masks is absolutely critical given the constants.
Enter the face shield.
A face shield acts as a barrier that prevents splatter from getting on the doctor or nurses face --or the mask that is on their face. This means that the shield ends up being a hack that allows the N95 masks that doctors do have to be reused.
How are the shields used?
Shields are used during procedures that involve aerosolizing fluids or while doctors are doing an “intubation" --putting a tube the patents airway so that the patient can get help breathing from a machine.
The intubation process, in addition to other procedures, can sometimes cause splatter. If the patient has COVID-19 or something else this splatter could infect the doctor.
Can't hospitals buy shields?
Yes under normal situations hospitals can find and purchase shields from their supply vendors. However, right now there is a shortage of these supplies because of the overwhelming demand due to so many people getting sick so quickly.
The result is that doctors are going into work gravely under protected.
Fundraising team: Fundraiser Team (2)
JIMI SMOOT
Organizer
Raised $75 from 2 donations
Los Angeles, CA
Andrea Smoot
Team member
Raised $100 from 3 donations
This team raised $1,935 from 24 other donations.
