3D Printing Makes PPE a Click Away

During the sudden onset of COVID-19, health care workers faced a severe shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep patients and themselves safe. From one community member’s creativity, input from front-line physicians, and one medical company’s ingenuity, a brilliant solution was formed: made-to-order PPE.

It started when a creative member of the community offered the Hospital the use of a 3D printer to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in response to the shortage. His generous act inspired us to partner with Lazarus 3D, a leading creator of mock organs used in simulations by doctors and surgeons as a training tool. Lazarus redirected its manufacturing during COVID-19 to supply the urgent gear to hospitals and medical centers. Working with Lazarus 3D and our Emergency and Innovation Departments, we quickly designed a face shield for front-line workers in the critical care sector, moving from design to production in a matter of weeks.

The end result, worn by Dr. Farrukh Jafri (photo), is that we now have a beneficial manufacturing process that provides hospitals across the country with the ability to secure the necessary PPE to protect frontline staff.