Innovative solutions are helping meet the demand for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a great example of this, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming is using their 3-D printer to manufacture respiratory personal protective equipment(PPE) for its employees and other first responders. “In reaction to the overwhelming lack of readily accessible PPE across the world, we are now using our recently acquired ‘Raise3D Pro2’ 3D printer to produce N95 masks using a template created by Montana neurosurgeon, Dr. Rusty Richardson, dentist, Dr. Spencer Zaugg and Dr. Zaugg’s Son, Colton,” shares Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Joe Tomich. “The trio has graciously made the template and instructions for assembly available free of charge so that anyone with a 3D printer can make the masks with only a few commercially available parts needed to complete them.” The design is not yet certified but research so far suggests that these offer an equivalent and reasonable alternative to the scarce N95 masks and they only cost about $2.50 apiece to print. “They will enable emergency first responders in Sweetwater County to safely do their jobs even if proper PPE is unavailable, and are even reusable when properly sanitized between uses,” shares the Sheriff’s Office. They have the ability to print three masks per day but other printers are getting on board to also start production on this worthwhile project. For more information about this grass roots project, visit http://www.makethemasks.com.
