Sunday, April 5, 2020

Thanks to those who helped us ease the face shield shortage!

a nurse models the face shield
Photo courtesy of Logan Regional Hospital
Updated 5.04.20

Thanks to a wonderful response from the community, this project is now directing those who would like to produce face shields to UserveUtah. They have drop boxes in Logan, Salt Lake City, Panguitch, Provo, Fairview, Ogden, Enoch and Delta.

The university and community members have teamed up to produce and distribute more than 1650 face shields to health care workers and first responders, some of whom are in very rural areas where supplies were low and the need was great. 

We thank our volunteer Mike Stokes for his coordination of this effort. If you want to be added to the list of people who can help us produce the shields should the need arise again, please email him at mvstokes[at]gmail.com.

And thanks also to the many partners who have helped produce face shields!

Some history for this project 


The Utah Assistive Technology Program at Utah State University coordinated with the College of Engineering in an effort to produce face shields that can be used by health care workers as personal protective equipment, after receiving requests for at least 1650 of these face shields for health care workers and first responders. The design fits over eyeglasses or safety goggles.

Intermountain Health Care is one of the organizations that accepted donations for these face shields, which are medical grade. "There’s a big difference between homemade and medical grade [face shields]," said Sarah Fitzgerald, public information officer at Logan Regional Hospital. "The difference is the ability to clean it." These face shields can be wiped with a sanitizing agent, which makes them medical grade.

Mike Stokes and his son Jonathan remixed an open source design for face shields to ensure that it would fit over glasses or goggles and it could be sanitized. It consists of a headband and earpieces that can be 3D printed, laser cut or made on a CNC (computer numerical control) router. The face shield portion is made from overhead projector transparency sheets.

The face shield design files are still available to those who need them.


Files are available for the following:

  • 3D printers
  • CNC Router
  • Laser Cutter

If you have any questions, contact Dan O’Crowley.

For more information on other UATP projects, learn about affordable, therapeutic PVC trikes.


3 comments:

  1. This is great. Here's another type that uses transparency sheets.

    https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013359

    Using nano copper PLA is recommended but not necessary.

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  2. I have a box of transparency sheets. I'm down in Springville, Utah. Is there any place down here that can use them? Or I could mail them if I had your address.
    Ruth Allan

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  3. My son made a jig to shape the laser cut shields. Made then so much easier! I'm not sure how to share an image here, but you can email me and I'll send it to you. Pkveedub@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete