#shieldtheNHS

There is currently an acute shortage of PPE (personal protective equiptment) in the NHS at all levels.  There are COVID response intubation teams sharing 3 pairs of goggles.  GPs have not yet been accounted for on any level in the distribution of PPE and have continued serving their communities despite the death of one GP so far.  3D printing face shields has proven to be an effective measure to give healthcare providers a basic level of safety they currently lack and the national demand is far outstripping supply at this point in time.  Injection-molded designs are being brought on-line in the UK but the timescale for delivery on these is weeks, not hours.  

3D shield printing is filling the gap while scale production comes online.  A network of 1000+ volunteers have come together and are collaborating to coordinate and supply at regional and national levels.

I and my wife are more than happy to donate our time and and expertise but we desperately need help funding the raw materials necessary to continue production.

As a medical device professional I am heavily involved with this effort on two levels:

1) Regulatory/governance - managing the process of applying for regulatory approval for this manufacturing route.
2) An active "manufacturing cell".  Currently the most widespread design with the greatest clinical support takes 2-3 hours to print on a typical 3D printer.

My wife, Melanie, has volunteered to help coordinate the southern region in the national effort to supply the shields.

I have already bought 7 further printers and a local school has generously agreed to donate space to put together a small "Print Farm" which will have an estimated capacity  of 50-75 shield frames with the current design.   I'm seeking support form friends, family and colleagues for this endeavor.  Projected budget is below:

Capital investment (already made):

- 7 Printers £1,538
- Donation of cables, PC equipment etc from local company to run the print server - free
- Racking, drapes, sheeting to provide a degree of controlled manufacturing space - free, donated by me

Anticipating needing to fill a gap for 4 weeks, the projected total cost comes to £4000.

Capital investment (ideally needed):

- Software license (seeking a free server licence from the company £100
- 7 Webcams to allow remote monitoring - if prints fail they can be aborted and re-started - improves efficiency) £ 420
- Spares and ancillaries: £500

Estimated running costs per week:

Filament: estimated £336 per week at retail prices.  In negotiation with suppliers for bulk rates.
Acetate sheets for shields £10
Headband elastic £10
Other consumables £30

Ways I'm asking for support:

- Direct donations to this GoFundMe
- Buy the project filament (plastic raw material) via a credit with suppliers - please contact me for specifications
- A pledge to buy one of the printers once we are done - £220 per printer (note:  3 pledges already received so 4 left!).  I will replace all parts that are significantly worn prior to shipping.

- Any surplus funds would be donated to the NHS after the requirement is satisfied.
- Any surplus printers not passed on to supporters will be donated to local schools for educational purposes.

- I will publish a full set of accounts for the project detailing all donations and expenditure after we are done
 
I will be eternally grateful if you help to support my effort and it will enable us to produce a larger volume if you do.  More importantly though, I had a conversation with an anesthetist at a major London hospital last week where they were intubating COVID19 patients with no PPE.  They are now using these shields, as are many local GP surgeries.  This effort can save valuable, highly-trained NHS staff and help to keep them in the front line.

If you want to donate but feel more comfortable with the national organisation, please go to www.3dcrowd.uk. 


Thank you,

Dr. Thomas Buckland