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Hospitals seek mask donations - and help from people who could make them on 3D printers or sew them

By adamg on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 2:10pm

Cambridge Health Alliance is seeking donations of N95 and paper masks, paper protective gowns and protective goggles and glasses.

Mass. General is looking for people with 3D printers that can use instructions available online to print out protective masks.

FormLabs, a 3D-printer company in Cambridge, reports it's working with one hospital to start churning out masks, but cautions about the care that needs to be taken:

We already have a prototype in testing and production capabilities. Material + filter have to be correct to be effective.

And a group is seeking volunteers to sew more traditional masks.

Free tagging: 
MGH
Covid-19


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Comments

By C on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 2:35pm.

Do they (or any area hospitals) have need of open boxes of masks? I have loop masks that were bought for the flu last year, and there's probably about a dozen left, but I've only seen requests for unopened boxes.

By SaraK on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 5:01pm.

Bring them. At this point we are running low on everything and rationing all types of masks. I work at BMC but believe most hospitals would accept if you bring them in.

Also helpful would be protective goggles or even clear ski/snowboard goggles.

And thanks!

By C on Fri, 03/20/2020 - 9:46am.

Awesome! Can you tell me where I should go with them? I'm luckily not familiar with any of the area hospitals, and I'm sure they have better things to do than help someone who's lost. I live near Longwood, but am happy to walk them wherever to get out of the house for a bit!

By Julie on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 8:51pm.

A woman in my community who works at a clinic treating homeless people is looking for any type of masks. Do you still have these? There are a ton of social media posts of healthcare workers looking for masks. I imagine any hospital would take them.

By anon on Fri, 03/20/2020 - 10:28am.

According to the CHA Facebook page they will accept open packages.

By Kaz on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 2:39pm.

I mentioned this on Twitter, but would be good here too.

Be aware that open source mask design is meant to be printed using the company's anti-viral/anti-microbial filament that has copper particles infused into the thermoplastic for full effectiveness.

That's not to say that MGH wouldn't take other versions of it, or that the copper is actually doing anything or not. I have no idea. But it might be worth your time to see if you can get a response from Dr. Slavin or MGH before you burn out a mask per night just to find out they don't want them because they don't meet their requirements.

By anon on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 4:32pm.

To have almost everything we use on a daily basis manufacturered on the other side of the planet. It doesn't take much for to screw up the supply chain. Even power transformers come from places like Germany and Russia.

By lbb on Fri, 03/20/2020 - 10:45am.

Seemed like a real good idea at the time, but is obviously vulnerable in the presence of shocks like this.

By anon on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 5:32pm.

You'd think all the hazmat abatement, painting, and construction companies would have warehouses full of N95, N100, P95, and P100 masks or respirators for donation. Even autobody repair chains like MAACO should have large stockpiles of these masks.

By anon on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 6:36pm.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/16/814929294/covid-19-...

TL;DR: The filter material is the crux, and getting a line up to make it is either very involved or very simple, depending on who you ask.

By anon on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 8:57pm.

Useless reporting in that tweet, riling up people for nothing. Saying "print a mask" without giving a specific design or even requirements is like saying "make a key for my house". Need more specifics from someone who knows. Half a day of discussion and still no detail on what to print.

By Don't Panic on Fri, 03/20/2020 - 12:58am.

Italian hospital needed an $11K part for its ventilators, volunteers 3D printed them at $1 each, original manufacturer threatened to sue.

Here's the link to the article
https://boingboing.net/2020/03/18/italian-hospital-needed-an-11.html