Reusable Face Shields Created By Marymount Professor For Hospital Workers

A Marymount University in Arlington’ s professor is using his talents in 3D printing to make reusable face shields for hospital workers. These masks will help medical staff dealing with the coronavirus pandemic throughout the country. Eric Bubar is a professor of biology and physical sciences. He has moved away from printing upper-limb assistive devices to begin producing face shields as the spread of COVID-19 has intensified. Bubar said, “It’s a large effort with lots of people involved, one that was basically built up over a weekend. Coronavirus moves fast, but so does our response to it.”

Medical staff at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York show off the 3D printed face shields they received from Marymount University

According to wtop.com, “While not the “ideal solution,” Bubar, who has a doctorate, said the shield give an extra layer of protection for health care workers until large-scale manufacturing of personal protective equipment meets the overwhelming demand. Bubar’s masks have been made possible with the help of open-sourced designs from Prusa Research, done in conjunction with the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Health and another by Swedish-based firm Verkstan. A former student of Bubar’s who now works in an ophthalmology office tested the face shields, different models, Marymount said.”

As per wtop.com, “The university said that it made a donation to support the costs of the materials needed and Interior Design professors provided their own printing expertise and industry connections. That assistance gave Bubar more time to collaborate with Nova Labs, a makerspace located in Reston, Va., which is providing laser-cutting services to make the clear shield pieces in bulk, the university said.”