DIY couple join war against coronavirus with 3D face shields for frontline hospital staff
A DIY handy man and his wife are helping their local hospital treat coronavirus patients by printing protective face shields on 3D printers.
In the latest example of how people are deploying their skills and talents to support doctors’ efforts, Łukasz Więcek from Zielona Góra in western Poland, runs a website called majsterkowo.pl, which publishes a range of DIY projects, from objects made using wood to electronics.
Printing a single mask takes 2.5 hours, but already the team has printed over 150 of them.
His collection of tools includes a farm of 3D printers.
Following coronavirus’s spread across Poland, Więcek wondered whether his equipment could be used to print protective masks for medical personnel.
Last Friday, he sent a doctor friend a quick message asking: “Would this kind of mask (face shield) be useful for you?”
He added that he could start producing them on a small scale. “They would be awesome,” the friend replied.
The masks have been delivered to a hospital in Zielona Góra.
Based on a prototype developed in the Czech Republic, which is being shared online under a non-commercial licence, Więcek set to work with his wife Justyna and pal Eliza Zaborowska, who is coordinating the initiative.
With help from the local community, they got hold of the raw materials they need to produce the face shields.
The hospital has praised Więcek and the other volunteers for their efforts, posting on Facebook: “This is an amazing technology – in one day we have more equipment of this type than we could ever dream of!”
Printing a single mask takes 2.5 hours, but already the team has printed over 150 of them, which they delivered to the hospital in Zielona Góra.
“Supplying facilities in the Lubusz Voivodeship is our priority, but people from all over the country speak to us.
“Both people wanting to join the campaign and institutions reporting the need for helmets write,” wrote Więcek in a blog post published on his website on 23 March, referring to his region, which Zielona Góra is the capital of.
Based on a prototype developed in the Czech Republic, Więcek asked a doctor pal if the masks would be useful. The friend replied: “They would be awesome.”
The hospital has praised Więcek and the other volunteers for their efforts. “This is an amazing technology – in one day we have more equipment of this type than we could ever dream of! One day!” the emergency ward wrote on its Facebook page.
The plan is to continue printing the face shields, with Więcek estimating that he could produce around 1,200 of them with the materials he has.
The 3D face shields are the latest example of people coming to the aid of hospitals with many churning out homemade face masks for medical staff.
To read more about the extraordinary initiatives being taken to help medical teams across the country, click here.
