ARLINGTON, Va. (WDVM) — A Marymount University professor is 3-D printing face shields for health care workers in hospitals across the country.
Dr. Eric Bubar is a member of Enabling the Future, or e-NABLE: a group of volunteers around the world who 3-D print upper-limb prosthetics. Now, they’re switching gears and making face shields that are free for medical providers. So far they’ve shipped about 250 face shields to workers in Virginia, Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Florida and California.
Marymount’s class of 2017 graduate Johanna Gomez and her colleagues tested out her former professor’s face shields as she worked in a local ophthalmology office. Gomez says her supervisors were “happy and relieved” to give him feedback.
“We need every bit of help we can get to keep our patients and ourselves safe,” Gomez said. “During uncertain times like these, we need innovative thinkers and overall kind people who are willing to extend a hand despite the costs of materials, time or energy.”
Marymount University is covering the cost of the materials. Each one costs about $4 to $5 in materials.