The Medicine and Health Sciences and Engineering Faculties at Stellenbosch University (SU) have been collaborating with Stellenbosch community members to produce and provide additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers.
This was according to dr Rudolph Venter, an orthopaedic surgeon and lecturer at SU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The PPE components produced through this collaboration consists of three parts: a printed headpiece, a clear plastic visor clipping in front and an elastic band at the back, said Venter.
Examples of the PPE, ready to be distributed between high-risk medical professionals, like those working in Covid-19 intensive care units.
The collaboration came about after the Unit for Infection Prevention and Control (UIPC) at Tygerberg Hospital indicated a need for visors, to help prevent transmission of Covid-19 to healthcare workers.
Venter came across and used “a sturdy design” published online by the 3-D printer developer, Prusa3D. In order to create the headpieces, the faculty’s 3-D medical printing lab, run by Venter, was repurposed.
Shortly after, Venter was approached by SU’s Engineering Faculty and medical science students who offered to help make visors, he said.
“Before I knew it, my 3-D printing lab was taken over by enthusiastic students, assembling the PPE,” said Venter.
Fifth-year medical students assemble PPE at Tygerberg campus. From left to right: Ryno van der Westhuizen, Luné Smith and Sageun Lee. Smith said around 650 have been distributed and her team is expected to deliver at least 200 more next week.
Dr Rudolph Venter details the role played by WeFightBack, a group of medical students co-ordinated by Luné Smith.
Efforts from SU Engineering
Kevin Neaves, chief technical officer at SU’s Mechanical Engineering Department, has printed over 400 headpieces for the initiative.
“Normally, I run the 3-D printers for mechanical engineering in our department… I moved them [to my] home,” said Neaves.
According to Kevin Neaves, chief technical officer at SU’s Mechanical Engineering Department, permission from the Engineering Faculty and a travel permit, enabled him to fetch four of the university’s 3-D printers to use at home in addition to his own.
PHOTO: Melody van Rooyen
Colleagues from the Industrial Engineering Department at SU, Devon Hagedorn-Hansen and Martin Bezuidenhout, are also using 3-D printers to contribute, said Neaves. According to Bezuidenhout, with material sponsored by STC-LAM, he has printed over 25 headpieces.
When filament started running out, the Engineering Faculty was approached by a doner who sponsored funding for materials, said Neaves.
“We’re working on ways to repurpose them [printing material] into new 3-D printing filaments,” Venter said.
Additional contributions came from Rapid 3D, a local engineering firm, and Curro Schools, he said.
Community Contributions
The demand for PPE identified on social media had various Stellenbosch community members offering assistance, and those owning 3-D printers proved instrumental in furthering the initiative, Venter said.
Luné Smith, coordinator of WeFightBack, explains the gravity of community contributions for healthcare workers.
“When manufacturers aren’t able to keep up with demand [for PPE], there’s an opportunity for the community to step in and help!” said Mathew Buchanan, a software engineer and community member who had printed over 50 headpieces for the project.
The 3-D printer used by community member Matthew Buchanan to produce over 50 headpieces that were sent to Tygerberg Medical campus for students to use in assembling face shields for healthcare workers.
PHOTO: Matthew Buchanan
One community contributor, Adrian Woodley, used a mould as an alternative to continue making headpieces when his 3-D printer broke.
Adrian Woodley, a retired pilot and community member speaking to MatieMedia.
The four-step process followed by community member Adrian Woodley in making headpieces with a silicone mould after his 3-D printer gave problems.
On the left is Venuchka Vermeulen and Nicola Duvenhage standing next to nursing staff who work in the screening area of Tygerberg Hospital.