COVID-19 PPE Solutions

COVID-19 PPE Solutions - open-source assistive technology prototype by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) community

About this project

The Disposable Protective Face Shield is manufactured from a plastic sheet, foam tape and elastic. The lean design UW Madision and Delve, Midwest Prototyping allows for fast production at large quantities. Note that the foam cannot be sanitized so this is a SINGLE USE product. This product was reviewed by the OSCMS Medical Review Team. For information about the shield's development, cost per unit, manufacturing specs and materials please see resources.

The challenge

UW Madison and Delve challenged themselves to develop a protective medical face shield that can be manufactured without 3D printing technology, easily assembled by hand, and scaled for large quantity manufacturing.

Who it helps

Due to COVID19, Medical facilities worldwide are facing a dire shortage of face shields, N95 masks, and other personal protective equipment. Face Shields are not a replacement for N95 masks, however they do act as a protective physical barrier for healthcare workers's faces when dealing with patients' bodily fluids. Many conventional manufacturers have suspended production to follow government-mandated social distancing or run into supply chain issues due to the disruption in thre global econonmy. The Maker Community has committed to enacting Plan C: filling in the gap with an global network of independent DIY fabricators.

How it works

PPE shortages pushed University of Wisconsin Madison Engineering to assemble a team with the UW Hospital, UW Makerspace, Delve and Midwest Prototyping to design a protective face shield for medical use. The team based their design on shields currently in use by hospitals, but opted to use very economic materials that could be purchased in bulk and scalable, advanced manufacturing technologies.

This product was reviewed by the OSCMS Medical Review Team .

Specs

This lean design allows for quick production of large quantities with an estimated ~$1.50 and $3 USD cost per unit. According to Delve, material for aprox. 1,000 units equates to $1.70 USD unit cost per face shield. The team used materials from online retailer, McMaster-Carr. UW Madison has created a database with suppliers of the needed raw materials. Suppliers with available stock can be found after the individual materials below.

PET Sheet

For the shield

Ideally 0.007″

Ideally PET

Click for a list of PET Sheet suppliers .

Polyurethane Foam

For the brow

Ideally already adhesive backed

Ideally about 1″ thick

Click for a list of Foam suppliers .

Elastic Band

For the headband

Should be about 1″ wide

Ideally Latex Free

Click for a list of Elastic Band suppliers .

LEGAL DISCLAIMER BY UW MADISON.

This face shield design and specifications are being provided as a free service to the community during this public health emergency. This face shield is not intended to prevent specific diseases or infections. Individuals or organizations that manufacture face shields utilizing the design and specifications are responsible for any federal or state regulatory requirements that apply to the manufacture of face shields intended for medical use, and are responsible for informing health care providers to which the masks are supplied that they are responsible for decisions regarding appropriate personal protective equipment for their personnel. Individuals and organizations are free to use, copy and share this design and specifications, including for commercial manufacture, without payment of any fees or charges, but may not assert ownership in the design and specifications, ownership of which belongs to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and/or the individuals who created the design. EXCEPT WHERE SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED BY LAW, NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE OFFERED FOR THE FACE SHIELD DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Project details

The build files for COVID-19 PPE Solutions are free to download from this page - open source, shared by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.

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