scholarly journals 3D Printed N95 Equivalent for PPE Shortages: The Kansas City Mask

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiv Dalla ◽  
Brandon Bacon ◽  
Jack M Ayres ◽  
Stephen Holmstead ◽  
Alan J Ahlberg Elliot
Keyword(s):  
Kansas City ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Mask Design ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Pandemic Response

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) was well-reported and discussed, not only in the healthcare sector but across all of society as the demands for PPE skyrocketed. As hospitalizations for COVID-19-related illness continue to increase, many recent reports indicate the supply of PPE is persistently and significantly less than the demand. These PPE shortages encouraged communities of 3D printing experts and hobbyists to design and distribute homemade, 3D-printed PPE, including N95 mask substitutes. The mask presented, the Kansas City Mask (KC Mask), is one such product which was created from the maker community in partnership with local physicians and hospitals. This report discusses the design, manufacturing, and validation of the KC Mask design and its usage in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future use as stopgap PPE. Methods: The KC Mask was adapted from a similar design called the Montana Mask. Mask components were 3D printed and assembled then fit tested by qualitative fit testing (QLFT) at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO as a proof of concept. Results: The QLFT was successful and the KC Mask was approved for use by pandemic response administration staff at the hospital. Fortunately, the KC Mask has not required wide utilization, however, because supply chains for Kansas City area hospitals have, at the time of this publication, not yet been exhausted by the pandemic. Conclusion: The results of Truman Medical Center approval of the KC Mask are promising for this N95 stop-gap substitute. Although further analysis and study is needed for this design, persistently increasing caseloads and PPE shortages necessitate an urgent dissemination of these preliminary results. The authors do not advocate for the KC Mask as a replacement of traditional N95 masks or other PPE but do endorse the KC Mask as a stopgap measure, proven to be effective in situations of dire PPE shortage based on CDC guidelines.

scholarly journals 3D-printed N95 equivalent for personal protective equipment shortages: the Kansas City Mask

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 211-217
Author(s):  
Shiv Dalla ◽  
Brandon Bacon ◽  
Jack M Ayres ◽  
Stephen Holmstead ◽  
Alan J Ahlberg Elliot
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Kansas City ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
Critical Challenge

Personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages represent a persistent and critical challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities of 3D printing hobbyists and experts responded by designing and producing homemade, 3D-printed PPE. This report discusses the design, manufacturing and validation of the Kansas City Mask (KC Mask). Once printed and assembled, masks were fit tested at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. The KC Mask was approved for use by pandemic response administration staff at the hospital. Fortunately, due to adequate PPE supply at the time of this publication, wide utilization of the KC mask has not been required. The authors endorse the KC Mask as a stopgap measure, proven to be effective in situations of critical PPE shortage based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

scholarly journals 3D Printed Snorkel Mask Adapter for Failed N95 Fit Tests and PPE Shortages

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiv Dalla ◽  
Rohit Shinde ◽  
Jack M Ayres ◽  
Stephen Waller ◽  
Jay Nachtigal
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Kansas City ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
University Of Kansas ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Full Face ◽  
The University ◽  
N95 Respirators

Introduction The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the country has been widely discussed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, recent reports indicate that PPE shortages persist amidst continually increasing caseloads nationwide. Additionally, there have been reports of poor-fitting masks, a problem which is magnified by shortages. The lack of adequate access to conventional N95 masks pushed for some to pursue 3D printing and locally distributing their own manufactured masks as substitutes when PPE, including N95 masks, were not readily available. The design presented, the snorkel mask adapter, is one such design born from the local maker community in partnership with local physicians and hospitals. This article discusses the design, manufacturing, and validation of the snorkel mask adapter and its immediate use in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future use as stopgap PPE. Methods The design presented is an adapter which can be used with a commercially available snorkel mask in order to serve as a full face respirator in either the case of a PPE shortage or more pertinently for those who are unable to pass fit testing with the available N95 respirators at their respective facilities. Mask components were 3D printed, assembled, and then fit tested by qualitative fit testing (QLFT) at The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS) in Kansas City, KS as a proof of concept.   Results At TUKHS, the mask was fit tested on 22 individuals who required an N95 mask but were not able to pass qualitative fit testing with the masks available to them at the time. Of the 22 tested, all 22 of them were able to pass QLFT with the snorkel mask, adapter, and viral/bacterial filter combination. Conclusion The results of the fit testing at TUKHS is promising for this N95 alternative. More extensive testing can and should be done, including quantitative fit testing. Persistently increasing caseloads and PPE shortages necessitates an urgent dissemination of these preliminary results. The authors do not advocate for this design as a replacement of traditional N95 masks or other PPE but do endorse this design as a stopgap measure, proven to be effective in situations of dire PPE shortage or for individuals who have failed fit testing with conventional PPE.

scholarly journals 3D-printed snorkel mask adapter for failed N95 fit tests and personal protective equipment shortages

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-209
Author(s):  
Shiv Dalla ◽  
Rohit Shinde ◽  
Jack Ayres ◽  
Stephen Waller ◽  
Jay Nachtigal
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Health System ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Kansas City ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
University Of Kansas ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Full Face ◽  
The University

Personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages persist amidst increasing COVID-19 caseloads. These shortages encouraged some to pursue 3D printing to produce stopgap N95 alternatives. The design presented is an adapter for a commercially available snorkel mask to serve as a full-face respirator, used in dire PPE shortages or in individuals who failed fit testing. Masks were fit tested at The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, KS. The mask was fit tested on 22 individuals who previously failed fit testing, and all passed qualitative fit testing with the snorkel mask, adapter and viral filter apparatus. The authors endorse this design as a stopgap measure, proven to be effective in situations of dire PPE shortage or for individuals who have failed fit testing with conventional PPE.

scholarly journals Air seal performance of personalized and statistically shaped 3D-printed face masks compared with market-available surgical and FFP2 masks

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Nold ◽  
Marc C. Metzger ◽  
Steffen Schwarz ◽  
Christian Wesemann ◽  
Gregor Wemken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Facial Soft Tissue ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
Mask Design ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
House Production

AbstractThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed alarming shortages of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare professionals and the general public. Therefore, a 3D-printable mask frame was developed, and its air seal performance was evaluated and compared. Personalized masks (PM) based on individual face scans (n = 8) and a statistically shaped mask (SSM) based on a standardized facial soft tissue shape computed from 190 face scans were designed. Subsequently, the masks were additively manufactured, and in a second step, the PM and SSM were compared to surgical masks (SM) and FFP2 masks (FFP2) in terms of air seal performance. 3D-printed face models allowed for air leakage evaluation by measuring the pressure inside the mask in sealed and unsealed conditions during a breathing simulation. The PM demonstrated the lowest leak flow (p < 0.01) of inspired or expired unfiltered air of approximately 10.4 ± 16.4%, whereas the SM showed the highest (p < 0.01) leakage with 84.9 ± 7.7%. The FFP2 and SSM had similar values of 34.9 ± 18.5% leakage (p > 0.68). The developed framework allows for the time- and resource-efficient, on-demand, and in-house production of masks. For the best seal performance, an individually personalized mask design might be recommended.

scholarly journals Moldable Mask: A Reusable, Hot Water Moldable, Additively Manufactured Mask to Be Used as an N95 Alternative

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7082
Author(s):  
Erica Martelly ◽  
Charles Li ◽  
Kenji Shimada
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Mask Design ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
N95 Respirators ◽  
At Home

There has been high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially N95 respirators. Unfortunately, at the early stage of the pandemic, the supply could not meet the demand for N95 respirators, leading to a shortage and unsafe reuse of this form of PPE. We developed the Moldable Mask to ease the demand for N95 respirators by creating a 3D-printed mask that uses a piece of N95 material as a filter. A sheet of N95 material could be used or one N95 respirator to be turned into two masks. The main feature of the mask is the ability to easily mold it in hot water to create a custom fit for each user. It can also be easily assembled at home with affordable materials. The final mask design was qualitatively fit tested on 13 subjects, with all subjects showing an improvement in fit with the hot water molding technique and 10 (77%) subjects passing the fit test. This shows that the Moldable Mask is a viable option for a safe, affordable N95 alternative when N95 mask supply is strained.

scholarly journals Potential risks of a widespread use of 3D printing for the manufacturing of face masks during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-147
Author(s):  
Sven Duda ◽  
Sascha Hartig ◽  
Karola Hagner ◽  
Lisa Meyer ◽  
Paula Wessling Intriago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
Protective Gear ◽  
The Press ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Potential Risks

Background: In 2020, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic caused serious concerns about the availability of face masks. This paper studies the technical feasibility of user-specific face mask production by 3D printing and the effectiveness of these masks. Material & methods: Six different face mask designs were produced by 3D printing and tested by subjective experimenter evaluation and using a respirator fit testing kit. Results were compared with the requirements as given for standard protective face masks. Results: None of the printed masks came anywhere near the required standards for personal protective gear. Conclusion: In spite of their euphoric presentation in the press, none of the currently advertised 3D printed mask designs are suitable as reliable personal protective equipment.

Potential Risks of a Widespread Use of 3D Printing for the Manufacturing of Face Masks during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Duda ◽  
Sascha Hartig ◽  
Karola Hagner ◽  
Lisa Meyer ◽  
Paula Wessling Intriago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
The Press ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Potential Risks

Background In 2020 the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused serious concerns about the availability of face masks. This paper studies the technical feasibility of user specific face mask production by 3D printing and the effectiveness of these masks. Material and Methods Six different face mask designs were produced by 3D printing and tested by subjective experimenter evaluation and using a respirator fit testing kit. Results were compared to the requirements as given for standard protective face masks. Results None of the printed masks came anywhere near the required standards for personal protective gear.ConclusionIn spite of their euphoric presentation in the press, none of the currently advertised 3D printed mask designs are suitable as reliable personal protective equipment.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Circularity of Recycled PLA Filaments for 3D Printers

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 8967
Author(s):  
Victor Gil Muñoz ◽  
Luisa M. Muneta ◽  
Ruth Carrasco-Gallego ◽  
Juan de Juanes Marquez ◽  
David Hidalgo-Carvajal
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Circular Loop ◽  
Material Supply ◽  
3D Printers ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Circular Economics ◽  
High Level ◽  
Additional Value

The circular economy model offers great opportunities to companies, as it not only allows them to capture additional value from their products and materials, but also reduce the fluctuations of price-related risks and material supply. These risks are present in all kind of businesses not based on the circular economy. The circular economy also enables economic growth without the need for more resources. This is because each unit has a higher value as a result of recycling and reuse of products and materials after use. Following this circular economics framework, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM) has adopted strategies aimed at improving the circularity of products. In particular, this article provides the result of obtaining recycled PLA filament from waste originating from university 3D FFF (fused filament fabrication) printers and waste generated by “Coronamakers” in the production of visors and parts for PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) during the lockdown period of COVID-19 in Spain. This filament is used in the production of 3D printed parts that university students use in their classes, so the circular loop is closed. The obtained score of Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) of this material has been calculated, indicating its high level of circularity.

scholarly journals The Healthcare Sector Employer’s Duty of Care: Implications for Worker Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6015
Author(s):  
Melissa McDiarmid ◽  
Marian Condon ◽  
Joanna Gaitens
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Duty Of Care ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Extreme Risk

Pandemic diseases of this century have differentially targeted healthcare workers globally. These infections include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SARS, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Ebola. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued this pattern, putting healthcare workers at extreme risk. Just as healthcare workers have historically been committed to the service of their patients, providing needed care, termed their “duty of care”, so too do healthcare employers have a similar ethical duty to provide care toward their employees arising from historical common law requirements. This paper reports on results of a narrative review performed to assess COVID-19 exposure and disease development in healthcare workers as a function of employer duty of care program elements adopted in the workplace. Significant duty of care deficiencies reported early in the pandemic most commonly involved lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) availability. Beyond worker safety, we also provide evidence that an additional benefit of employer duty of care actions is a greater sense of employee well-being, thus aiding in the prevention of healthcare worker burnout.

scholarly journals Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Duotone 3D-Printed Polyetheretherketone as Oral Prosthetic Materials: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Ling Ding ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Jiaqi Zhang ◽  
Chuncheng Yang ◽  
Guofeng Wu
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Dioxide ◽  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Mechanical Tests ◽  
Flexural Properties ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Tooth Color ◽  
Dental Application ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
And Performance

Literature has reported the successful use of 3D printed polyetheretherketone (PEEK) to fabricate human body implants and oral prostheses. However, the current 3D printed PEEK (brown color) cannot mimic the vivid color of oral tissues and thus cannot meet the esthetical need for dental application. Therefore, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3) were incorporated into PEEK to prepare a series of tooth-color and gingival-color PEEK composites in this study. Through color measurements and mechanical tests, the color value and mechanical performance of the 3D printed PEEK composites were evaluated. In addition, duotone PEEK specimens were printed by a double nozzle with an interface between tooth-color and gingival-color parts. The mechanical performance of duotone PEEK with two different interfaces (horizontal and vertical) was investigated. With the addition of TiO2 and Fe2O3, the colors of 3D printed PEEK composites become closer to that of dental shade guides. 3D printed PEEK composites generally demonstrated superior tensile and flexural properties and hence have great potential in the dental application. In addition, duotone 3D printed PEEK with a horizontal interfacial orientation presented better mechanical performance than that with a vertical one.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document