3D printing and the Coronavirus

Neat story

https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/covid-19-3d-printed-valve-for-reanimation-device/

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Oh man, check this out. Group trying to do open source ventilators to help with Covid-19.

https://www.projectopenair.org/

Twitter thread where I came across this stuff.

image

That would never fly in our litigious society!

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If it’s that or dying I’m sure people would sign waivers :wink:

Start annoyance:
{
I wonder how many lawsuits will follow this pandemic :(.
Folks jumping in to collect on their misfortune.
Seems like we have forgotten what an “accident” “act of god” is!
Someone has to pay!!!
}
End annoyance back to making

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Transforming scuba masks to PAP masks with 3d printing:

Includes waiver forms for use in Italy under Italian law.

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Yeah saw that, pretty cool adaptation.

In Billings, MT, they are enlisting the entire local 3D printing community to print masks that take re-usable filters:

https://www.billingsclinic.com/foundation/3d-printed-surgical-mask/

… One design by La Factoria 3D out of Spain (www.thingiverse.com/thing:4225667) was helpful as a starting point but needed some adjustments. …
…
3D Mask Files

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A doctor just sent me to https://www.makethemasks.com/ as a specific recommendation, which is the same as the link I posted about a week ago.

My first attempts to print failed; I’m trying to print without supports in PLA, and it curled up and the print ended up knocked off the bed, resulting in piles of spaghetti. PLA is not a bad choice for this mask, though; you can heat it in hot water to soften it and then fit it to your face for a good seal before adding sealing material around the edges.

My plan is to use MERV13 or HEPA filter material for the mask, since both filter to 0.3µ. Our local hospitals aren’t yet accepting homemade PPE, but I just heard that NC complained that only something like 17% of its request from the US strategic stockpile was satisfied, and now the federal government is saying that the stockpile is substantially depleted, so it feels like learning how to print these well might come in handy for someone.

But first I have to fix cooling on my printer so that the prints don’t curl from overhang.

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Now that I have a cooling fan working, I am having no trouble printing those “Montana Masks.” I used almost-boiling water to form it to my face. It’s not a hospital N95 test, but it’s sure better than a surgical mask. Still working on ways to attach it without using elastic cord.

I have some smallish teenagers for whom the provided design was just too large. I was able to successfully scale it to 80% and 90% for them for a better fit. Useful to know, perhaps.

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