Sani-Mask : The world's first fully sterilizable 3d printed mask

cults3d

#FaceCoveringChallenge See the research and assembly guide at nemotech3d.com/sani-mask GCODE files available. Tested on Prusa i3 MK2S with Polypropylene from Smart Materials and Smart Stick adhesive on bed. MUST USE POLYPROPYLENE TO BE CONSIDERED STERILIZABLE! DO NOT USE PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, OR OTHERS!!!! GCODE files included for Small, Medium, and Large masks 3D printing has gained wide adoption as a way to produce many different kinds of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers at KCUMB developed a new testing method that discovered almost all PPE being produced via 3D printing is impossible to sterilize effectively. Using new methods and materials, the researchers were successful in designing and testing an n95-like mask that was comfortable, effective, and fully sterilizable and reusable. Professor Jeff Staudinger of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences was initially contacted by Nemotech Lead 3D Systems Engineer Daniel Hawkins about an idea Mr. Hawkins had regarding a 3d printed face mask for use in the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Hawkins was concerned that the current designs being tested could be potentially harmful, believing that the testing methods may be incorrect. Mr. Hawkins claimed to have an idea for a mask that could be effectively sterilized, and would be faster and more efficient to produce. The problem lies in the way 3d printed objects are tested for successful sterilization. The testing procedures have been around long before 3d printing, and have stayed the same for years. Current tests utilize a method by which the surface of an object is swabbed, then that swab is either submerged in growth media or wiped onto an agar plate. The researchers found these tests to be flawed, since they do not account for the porosity created by the internal lattice structure, or “infill”, that is used in the 3d printing process. The millions of pores created by the infill are an ideal hiding place for microbes, and are impossible to sterilize, even utilizing an autoclave. This lead the researchers to design a test whereby the 3d printed object is inoculated with large amounts of bacteria, then sterilized, then completely submerged in growth media. These tests showed that a 3d print utilizing any amount of infill became impossible to sterilize. This lead the researchers to question if a change in the way an object was 3d printed, and the material it was made out of, could allow it to be sterilized. Through this, they discovered if a 3d printed object was made utilizing polypropylene (a common medical-grade plastic), and printed without infill in a single wall “vase mode” fashion, those objects could be sterilized by any conventional sterilizing method, including simple household bleach. Knowing this, the researchers designed a mask dubbed the “Sani-Mask” that is 100% sterilizable, fast and easy to produce, and seals effectively without the need for an external seal. The mask is compatible with any filter material, including surgical mask material, and DIY options such as blue shop towels and HEPA filters. The product and associated research can be viewed at https://nemotech3d.com/sani-mask . This design is free to download, and anyone with a 3d printer can begin producing it at any time. The team hopes this will help get PPE into the hands of people who need it during this crisis.