Article Title
Abstract
Shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the State of New Mexico (NM), particularly in regions with limited access to healthcare facilities, led to exploration of 3D printing options for PPE production. Open-source Version 2 Wiles COVID Pandemic Masks, a 3-part design (mask, filter box, and filter), are printed with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a pliable filament material. Printing with TPU makes our masks contourable to the face and provides a tight seal during use. Filter boxes for the masks and 3DVerkstan 3D printed face shield headbands are printed using polylactic acid polymer filament. Filters consist of two layers of hospital grade, high efficiency particulate air filters that we tested and found to be 95% efficient at capturing particles 270 nm (0.27 mm) and larger. To date we have distributed 3,679 face masks and 2,395 face shields. We effectively created a system for fabrication and distribution of 3D PPE for NM.
Recommended Citation
Mclver, Natalia D.; Laura Kief Shaffer; Craig Kief; and Christina Salas. "3D Printing of Face Masks and Face Shields to Address the Coronavirus Public Health Crisis in New Mexico." Western Journal of Orthopaedics 9, 1 (2020). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wjo/vol9/iss1/5