BCN3D Delivers 400 3D Printed Face Shields to Medical Workers, Plans to Print 2,000 More

BCN3D , a manufacturer of 3D printers based in Castelldefels (Barcelona, Spain), has devoted all its technological and manufacturing potential to helping doctors and assistants who have ordered parts in Barcelona and other cities in Spain and worldwide. If necessary, the company says plans to print 2,000 more face shields.

The lack of protective equipment for assistants, nurses, doctors, intensivists, and other medical workers in Spain and all of Europe and other countries is exposing healthcare workers to increased risk of infection, which in turn endangers patients, who could be infected by doctors or nurses from the COVID-19.

Faced with this extraordinary pandemic situation, the professionals at BCN3D have turned to helping. More than 50 employees are fulfilling the company's campaign of BCN3D "We are here to help" in which its Farm of 63 3D printers are used to print face shields for hospital workers and others who are fighting COVID-19.

In the last few days, more than 50 hospitals and primary care centers in the province of Barcelona, other areas of Catalonia, and other regions in Spain have responded to this campaign by requesting masks or protective visors like face shields for healthcare workers.

The first design, which has been validated by hospitals, meets the safety criteria so that they can be reused (they are disinfected daily with geek + water and soap). According to the company, among the specialists who will use the 3D printed face shields with protective screen are radiotherapists who perform chest x-rays, among other specialists.

Since last week, BCN3D The Farm 3D printing has been printing 3D protective visors that are fastened with a transparent acetate screen and a rubber back fixture. BCN3D has already distributed 400 3D face shields to the following Spanish hospitals:

Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona (60 face shields)
Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol de Badalona (Can Ruti) (50 face shields)
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Sant Boi de Llobregat (30 face shields)
Hospital Antoni Lleuger de Gimbernat de Cambrils (30 face shields)
CAP Roquetas de Barcelona (30 face shields)
CAP Río de Janeiro de Barcelona (40 face shields) (first photo in this release)
Hospital de Viladecans (15 face shields)
Hospital Virgen de los Lirios de Alcoy (Alicante) (50 face shields)
Hospital de Granollers (45 face shields)
CUAP Castelldefels (30 face shields)
Clínica Tomás Boix de Olot (Girona) (15 face shields)

A total of 2,000 face shields are expected to be delivered in the next few days. Each one of the printed visors has been validated by the hospital centers so that they can be reused.

Among the centers that have received the material, the company says Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona stands out because it is committed to being an innovative health center and has played a role in coordinating, supporting, and validating the BCN3D’s protective face screen model as a safety measure against coronavirus infection.

Arnau Valls, coordinator of the 3D printing unit of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona, notes that “in the current situation, in which adult or general hospitals are treating the highest volume of patients by COVID-19, our role is to support and collaborate with all our means in the management of the coronavirus crisis, in this case, from the innovation in 3D printing of medical material.”

Requests from hospitals in Catalonia and the rest of Spain and Europe will be managed through a special form .

As part of the 3D printing platform, 3DCovid19.tech , to help hospitals in their fight against the current pandemic, BCN3D is joining with the CIM Foundation of the UPC and other companies in the sector to manage and assess the shipment of 3D printed protection parts for the medical sector. In addition, BCN3D has prepared a new form on its web site to manage all initiatives of 3D desktop printing that wish to contribute to the project of 3D printing parts for hospital use.