Phoenix Doctors Developing 3D Printed Protective Mask

By Katherine Davis-Young
Published: Monday, April 6, 2020 - 5:05am
Updated: Monday, April 6, 2020 - 9:40am

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Barrow Innovation Center 3D printed mask
Barrow Innovation Center
Doctors at the Barrow Innovation Center in Phoenix are testing a new 3D printed protective mask.

Hospitals nationwide are facing shortages of the N95 masks used to protect doctors and nurses from exposure to COVID-19. Some Arizona doctors are developing a new alternative.

Phoenix’s Barrow Innovation Center, part of the Barrow Neurological Institute, is developing a protective mask that can be made with a 3D printer. The masks are plastic and use a snap-on cartridge that can filter out 99% of particulates. Dr. Michael Lawton with Barrow said they’re also studier than N95 masks.

“You don’t just use these once as a single use and then discard them, you have the ability to use these over and over for a three-month period,” Lawton said.  

The lab has the ability to produce about 80 of these masks per day at a cost of about $20 each. The lab is hoping for emergency authorization from the FDA to fast-track production.

Barrow Innovation Center 3D printed mask
Barrow Innovation Center
Doctors at the Barrow Innovation Center in Phoenix are testing a new 3D printed protective mask.

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