Beaumont and Henry Ford Hospitals in Detroit each received 100 3D printed parts in an effort to repeat the success of a Northwell NY hospital to adapt BiPAP/CPAP machines to work more like ventilators for COVID-19 patients. The Detroit hospitals will conduct independent evaluations of the parts and determine if any design changes are needed.
Novastar Solutions of Livonia MI printed the 3D thermo-plastic parts on their HP 4200 3D printer. The parts are air-tight and can be sanitized. HP contacted Novastar requesting their assistance and provided the computer file used to print the parts.
Novastar Solutions is an HP Inc. partner selling and servicing HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers. Novastar’s Livonia, MI demonstration center houses three HP 3D Printers. Other Novastar efforts to join in the COVID-19 fight included 3D printing face shield frames (PPE) and medical mask adjusters using open source design files available on HP’s 3D printer website.
April 29 Novastar shipped 150 face shields to Pomeroy Living to distribute to healthcare workers at four assisted living facilities in Southeast Michigan.
MAGNET – a northern Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partner – contacted Novastar and requested 3D printing of a set of 12 prototype parts for a ventilator being developed by the University of Illinois. The ventilator is needed by hospitals in the Cleveland area.
An internist in the Ascension and Beaumont health systems in the Detroit area requested Novastar 3D print an adapter that allows one to connect a filter to a full-face snorkel mask for protection from corona virus.
Novastar donated time on the 3D printers, materials and their engineering and operation teams to meet the requests. Novastar’s CEO David Baumgarten says “I can’t hold my guys back at our 3D printing center – they get any requests for anything like this, they’re printing parts. We’re all excited to help and maybe save some lives.”
