Pasadena High Schoolers To Use 3D Printers To Make Medical Masks

LOS ANGELES, CA — Maranatha High School in Pasadena has embarked on a project to help in the fight against COVID-19 by using 3D printers to create reusable protective face masks for medical professionals facing critical shortages of necessary protective gear, the school announced Tuesday.

The school's TILE -- Technology Integration Learning Environment -- Lab, under the direction of faculty member Miguel Almena, started using its 3D printers for mask making after the teacher learned of the need from his wife's friend, who is a nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Downey.

She shared that staff were facing a shortage of protective face masks and requested Maranatha's help with 3D printing about 80 or more high filtration masks, the school said.

Almena saw this as an opportunity for Maranatha to utilize its resources to serve the needs of others, part of the school's mission statement.

The lab's equipment was sitting unused while the campus was closed due to the statewide stay-at-home order and was stocked with plenty of raw materials just waiting to be put to good use.

Almena said he located information on a website profiling the work of Dr. Dusty Richardson, a neurosurgeon at the Billings Clinic in Montana, who was freely distributing a print file for a 3D mask he had helped create in order to support local hospitals across the globe.

Armed with the proper print files and a plan, and able to work remotely, Almena successfully sent the first test print from his home. Having determined his plan would work, he received approval from the school's administration to begin printing the first batch of masks.

Since each mask is reusable and can be sanitized, he also ordered disposable hospital-grade filtration squares which can be inserted into each mask. These will be delivered along with the printed masks to the nurse at Kaiser in a few days, according to the school.

City News Service