(Photo | Courtesy of Central Oregon 3D Prints to Protect)
Central Oregon Engineers & Healthcare Practices with 3D Printers are Stepping Up to Stop The Shortage of Masks & Shields in our Local Hospitals & Clinics
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has lived in Central Oregon for a period of time, that there is a business community here unlike any other. And as the Coronavirus pandemic has continued to evolve from day-to-day, and our medical professionals and facilities have begun to feel the strain of the immense demand placed on them and lack of supplies available, it should also come as no surprise that the close-knit community in and around Bend began to search for ways to help.
When doctors Blair Struble, of Struble Orthodontics, Jeff Johnson of Bend Dental Group and Brian Rosenzweig of Rosenzweig Orthodontics realized that local hospitals and medical clinics were running out of medical masks and shields, they knew they needed to do something about it, and fortunately, the solution was at their fingertips. They used their knowledge of 3D scanning and printing in the dental arena to connect the dots between digital scanning, used in dentistry, to 3D printing in engineering and manufacturing, and quickly donated personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies within their practices. They then decided to coordinate an effort to reach out to colleagues and friends who have 3D printers to set in motion the wheels to help our medical professionals who are in desperate need of donated masks and other essentials. Within a few days, community members and other dental practitioners, like Doug Beck, a local engineer, stepped up to partner in a campaign to help produce 3D instructions and resources to print masks.*
“I knew that I couldn’t just sit back and let this pandemic wreak havoc on our health care facilities and the incredible medical professionals that are working day and night to protect our community and those infected from this virus. I had to do something,” stated Dr. Struble. “My family moved to Bend when I was just four years old. It’s my home, where I own my business and my whole family resides here. I currently don’t have a way to serve the community through my orthodontic clinic and I’m so grateful that I have a way to assist during this difficult time!”
The website, CentralOregon3DPrintsToProtect.com, launched on March 25, with the mission of providing instructions, video clips and examples of how to print medical-grade 3D masks and shields. The team working with Dr. Struble also launched a public Facebook group to support and celebrate the efforts of this campaign.
You can reach out to Dr. Struble and her team via the website, and find and join the 3D Prints To Protect Facebook group at, facebook.com/groups/3DPrintToProtectMedicalWorkers and Centraloregon3DPrintsToProtect.com
