Thanks to a bunch of Sudburians with access to 3D printers, Health Sciences North now has 800 made-in-the-Nickel City headbands in case its medical-grade supply runs out.
These headbands are designed to attach to face shields, an important piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With reports of PPE shortages in Ontario, Gisele Roberts, Laurentian's manager for innovation and commercialization, started looking into how the university could use its 3D printers to help, and settled on the headbands.
Since then, many other individuals and organizations with 3D printers have jumped on board to create the devices.
That includes the city's two colleges, Collège Boréal and Cambrian College, as well as SNOLAB, Science North, Lively District and Lo-Ellen Park high schools, and businesses including Hard Line Solutions and Ionic Mechatronics.
The headbands can be printed in less than an hour using an open-source design by the Swedish firm 3D Verkstan.
Roberts said she dropped off the first batch of 800 headbands at Health Sciences North on April 9.
“I think it just shows what kind of community Sudbury is,” she said.
“We're a fairly small community, a lot of people know each other, and the people that are working in the hospitals are our neighbours and our friends and our family.
“I think it just demonstrates the kind of close-knit community that we are, that everybody is willing to help out.”
Roberts said she's also getting requests for the 3D-printed headbands from other health-care institutions in the city — including long-term care homes — as well as other Northern Ontario hospitals.
In a written statement, Health Sciences North said the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges and very uncertain times for everyone.
“However, the one constant bright spot has been the solidarity and generosity of the community,” the statement said.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of local post-secondary institutions, as well as the donations and generosity of the dozens of other businesses, organizations and individuals who have donated supplies.
“These items are being kept in reserve, should we run short of our existing supply of medical grade PPE going forward. We are happy to say those supplies continue to be delivered and our supply remains adequate.”
Roberts said she is also looking to create a database of local ventilators that may be available for use by Health Sciences North should they be needed.
Although the local colleges have ventilators that were used by their paramedic program, Roberts said so far, she hasn't turned up any more of the life-saving devices locally.
“I'm not quite sure what other ventilators there are out there, but I just began creating an inventory of resources that can be accessed if necessary,” she said.
Anyone who wishes to make 3D printed headbands or who knows of a ventilator that could be used by HSN is asked to contact Roberts at 705-675-1151, ext. 3866 or [email protected].
