Medical workers wear face shields developed by members of the ITP community.
As people around the world work to respond swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, a team that includes members of the ITP community is collaborating to do their part. Mithru Vigneshwara, a research resident at ITP where he focuses on accessibility and universal design, is working with a team of creators to 3D print face shields in the wake of New York City’s overwhelming personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages.
“We've produced and sent a few units to the doctors to try and test,” Vigneshwara said. “This included available open source designs as well as some of our team's designs. The doctors seem to like our design and we've decided to focus this week's production on more of these units. We're also trying to get NIH to certify this design so we can share it with others.”
Vigneshwara stressed that further production of the units is jeopardized by a plastic supply shortage, and his team will likely require more materials in two weeks. “Any plastic supplier contacts from anyone will be helpful,” he said.
At the moment the team is zeroing in on supporting thirteen pulmonary specialists across three hospitals. “Once we are confident in providing this group with regular weekly shipments, we will expand to more hospitals,” Vigneshwara said.
Led by a team of medical advisors and ITP faculty, the team members working alongside Vigneshwara include Sebastian Morales, Tiriree Kananurak, Renata Gaui, Chester Dols, Matthew Rencher, Jesse Simpson, Gabe Weintraub, Shruti Shyam, Kritchaya Twitchsri-Granati, Regina Cantu de Alba, and Lindsey Pitscitell.
If you have any relevant information regarding plastic suppliers, please contact mithru@nyu.edu.