The Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans has launched an initiative to 3D print personal protective equipment for front-line workers, according to New Orleans City Business.
Currently, the school has developed a prototype of an N95 mask that is made of a complex polymer. This 3D-printed mask can be disinfected and reused.
"One of the limiting factors is the speed at which the equipment can produce this PPE," said Robert Laughlin, DDS, chairman of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the school of dentistry. "We have applied for a grant to obtain high-speed equipment that would increase our production multifold in getting this invaluable equipment out."