Jim Correll, director Fab Lab ICC at Independence Community College, Independence Kansas

It wasn’t long, back in March, after the COVID-19 situation became serious, they started coming. Emails and tags in social media to Fab Lab ICC colleague Tim Haynes and I about 3D printing being used to solve various related problems. From valves and manifolds for ventilators, to a substitute for N95 masks. I reviewed most with interest even though Fab Lab ICC, like the rest of the Independence Community College (ICC) campus, was closed on March 18 until at least May 15. Those kinds of Internet stories are always kind of vague and I wondered “OK, so if I did want to print solutions, how would we go about figuring out who would use it?” Besides, would clinical people want to use a maker-space-made solution? So, I really didn’t give much thought to trying to print solutions, especially given the Lab closure, but the emails and tags kept coming and they became more specific. 

Prompting Us to Act 

A key email that tipped our scale came from our U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s office asking us to consider getting involved. It even included 3D plans from another maker space for making substitute masks for the N95. Tim reviewed and wondered if the required N95 filter material would be readily available. No use printing mask frames if the filter material was not available. 

Meanwhile During an Iowa Zoom Call 

Meanwhile, I had a scheduled Zoom call with a young man in Iowa. Anthony Riesen had attended our Maker Space Boot Camp last September while working with our good friend at North Iowa Area Community College, Tim Putnam. Anthony was helping Tim develop a plan to convert some of their existing technical training space into more of a community maker space. Tim (Putman) and Anthony had invited me to come to Iowa in April to share our Fab Lab ICC experience at an event they were planning to inspire maker space startups in northern Iowa. This zoon call was to decide whether to hold the conference as planed albeit by zoom or to postpone. In the conversation with Anthony before others joined the call, he mentioned that his dad worked at a hospital and they were ready to 3D print a substitute N95 mask. He sent me a video by a doctor at University of Connecticut, Harford, Christopher Wiles, a first year resident passionate about 3D printing. His design uses furnace filter material. 

Moving Forward 

Now, there was no reason not to move forward. Not only did we have a solution developed by a doctor, but it used commonly available filter material. Tim Haynes retrieved the printers from our Fab Lab, set them up in his basement and went to work on the first prototypes. I retrieved one of our lasers so we’d have a means of precision cutting of plastics. Once we got a few of the masks in use at our area institutions, we thought, we could take steps to print more.  

One of our area health care providers told us they had plenty of masks but couldn’t get face shields. So, while we were still trying to develop a workable, comfortable face mask, we pivoted a bit to work on producing a light-weight face shield with disposable clear screens.  

PPE and People’s Need to Help 

Our efforts at producing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) have continued. On one hand, we keep hearing reports of millions of pieces of PPE being produced while on the other hand we keep hearing from people in need of PPE. 

Before we got involved, we kept hearing the supply chain was catching up, but it kept not catching up. We’ve delivered a total of 130 face shields, all 3D printed. We’re working on a process to use resin casting to make the headbands instead of the slower 3D printing process. Besides being faster, anyone willing to learn a fairly simple process could help with production by casting these face-shield headbands in their garage or work-shop—no need for a 3D printer. 

Matching Need with Those Wishing to Help 

As we’ve moved forward in our efforts, we see social media reports of makers all over the United States becoming involved in the effort to produce PPE. We believe there are many in our region who want to help with the effort, but they are not sure what to do. A few may have 3D printers; many have sewing machines (that could be used to sew auxiliary masks.) We’ve developed  a COVID-19 web page at www.fablabicc.org that matches PPE needs with those that have a means to help fill those needs. Such a page explains that there continue to be shortages of PPE all over our region and that there are maker and DIY people all over our region willing to help. The page takes input from those needing the PPE and also input from those willing to help. We review the information and attempt to match up the areas of need with those willing to help.  

We are learning of needs beyond our region from people who have family all over. Our ICC history professor has a daughter interning at Mt. Sinai in New York. One of the doctors there asked for samples of our face shields. We learned from one of our Verizon STEM girls and her mother that they have cousin doctors in Mexico working in a hospital that’s left them to find their own PPE. We delivered to Michelle Carranco and her mother, Maria, a sample mask and a few face shields for them to send to the cousins to try out. 

It’s not just front-line health care providers who need the PPE. We’ve heard from first responders, home health care providers and even a funeral home director.  A nursing home director has indicated a need for masks and gowns. At the time of this posting, the pandemic seems to be starting on the downside of the curve, yet the call of shortage continues.   

There will be many useful hacks and innovation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. More important, the medical industry might learn some things from the maker community; that we don’t always need to spend 10 years of research and development to bring products, especially devices and apparatus to the marketplace. 

In the current shortage of (PPE) the maker community has come forward to help fill the shortage and provide new designs for new solutions while the supply chain catches up.  

We won’t ever know exactly what will be in short supply during a crisis. From our perspective as a maker space, one of the best concepts that could come from this pandemic is the discovery that, in an emergent situation, the maker community can be useful and nimble in providing short term solutions while the supply chain catches up. Every community should have a Fab Lab or maker space.  

Cutline: 

Michelle Carranco, one of our Verizon STEM girls and her mother, Maria, reached out to camp director, Joanne Smith, telling of her two cousin doctors in Madero/Tampico, Mexico whose hospital told them to find their own PPE. We made 4-face shields and one pliable breathing mask for them to try out. Maria and Michelle will send them by overnight shipping tomorrow.  

 Jim Correll is the director of Fab Lab ICC at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on the campus of Independence Community College. He can be reached at (620) 252-5349, by email at jcorrell@indycc.edu or Twitter @jimcorrellks. Archive columns and podcast at jimcorrell.com.