COVID-19: Rapid prototyping and production of face shields via flat, laser-cut, and 3D-printed models.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has become essential to reduce the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as it prevents the direct contact of body fluid aerosols expelled from carriers. However, many countries have reported critical supply shortages due to the spike in demand during the outbreak in 2020. One potential solution to ease pressure on conventional supply chains is the local fabrication of PPE, particularly face shields, due to their simplistic design. The purpose of this paper is to provide a research protocol and cost implications for the rapid development and manufacturing of face shields by individuals or companies with minimal equipment and materials. This article describes a best practice case study in which the establishment of a local manufacturing hub resulted in the swift production of 12,000 face shields over a seven-week period to meet PPE shortages in the North-West region of Ireland. Protocols and processes for the design, materials sourcing, prototyping, manufacturing, and distribution of face shields are described. Three types of face shields were designed and manufactured, including Flat, Laser-cut, and 3D-printed models. Of the models tested, the Flat model proved the most cost-effective (€0.51/unit), while the Laser-cut model was the most productive (245 units/day). The insights obtained from this study demonstrate the capacity for local voluntary workforces to be quickly mobilised in response to a healthcare emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Cross University-Led COVID-19 Rapid-Response Effort: Design, Build, and Distribute Drexel AJFlex Face Shields.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a new cross-community leadership team came together, collaborated, coordinated across academic units with external community partners, and executed a joint mission to address the unmet clinical need for medical face shields during these unprecedented times. Key aspects of this success include the ability to forge and leverage new opportunities, overcome challenges, adapt to changing constraints, and serve the significant need across the Philadelphia region and healthcare systems. We teamed to design-build durable face shields (AJFlex Shields). This was accomplished by high-volume manufacturing via injection molding and by 3-D printing the key headband component that supports the protective shield. Partnering with industry collaborators and civic-minded community allies proved to be essential to bolster production and deliver approximately 33,000 face shields to more than 100 organizations in the region. Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, clinicians, product designers, manufacturers, distributors, and dedicated volunteers is committed to continuing the design-build effort and providing Drexel AJFlex Shields to our communities.

Exploration of alternative supply chains and distributed manufacturing in response to COVID-19; a case study of medical face shields.

Quarantine conditions arising as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have had a significant impact on global production-rates and supply chains. This has coincided with increased demands for medical and personal protective equipment such as face shields. Shortages have been particularly prevalent in western countries which typically rely upon global supply chains to obtain these types of device from low-cost economies. National calls for the repurposing of domestic mass-production facilities have the potential to meet medical requirements in coming weeks, however the immediate demand associated with the virus has led to the mobilisation of a diverse distributed workforce. Selection of appropriate manufacturing processes and underused supply chains is paramount to the success of these operations. A simplified medical face shield design is presented which repurposes an assortment of existing alternative supply chains. The device is easy to produce with minimal equipment and training. It is hoped that the methodology and approach presented is of use to the wider community at this critical time.