SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News)—There is a national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Although the state says Utah isn’t feeling the impact folks are preparing.
A 3D printer at Cottonwood Dental usually prints teeth models and surgical guides.
Doctor Cody Boseman says since the governor banned all non- essential surgeries there is a lot of downtime.
Related: What is a stay-at-home order and which states have implemented them?
“With the current pandemic we aren’t using that, so it’s just been free and open,” Dr. Boesman said.
So he is using the printer to make face masks to donate to medical personnel and all others on the front lines of the pandemic.
It takes about four hours to print the mask. In the video above Dr. Boesman shows us the process after the mask is printed.
“This is done printing we will pull this print tray out so you can see how it looks, Dr. Boesman said. “Then we cure it and attached some elastic and this is our filter material that goes over the top.”
He said the filter is similar to the N95 mask. Dr. Boesman says the filter can be removed and discarded and the mask can be easily sterilized.
Related: Homemade masks could be ‘last resort’ during coronavirus pandemic
“We are still trying to get the design right,” he said.
Once that happens, Dr. Boesman plans to donate the masks to people in need.
“If I am not putting my resources into my business and give back to the community,” he said. “I’d love to be able to donate to them.”
Doctor Boesman says each mask costs about $5 to make.
To note these masks are not FDA approved.
Other coronavirus related stories:
- Auto insurance companies return $800 million in premiums because no one is driving
- Wildfire trucks retrofitted to operate as ambulances because of COVID-19
- Survey: People working from home are neglecting personal hygiene
- KFC donates meals to health care workers in Utah
- Utah could be out of COVID-19 testing supplies in one week
