PPE from UNLV: Answering the Community's Call

LAS VEGAS - April 17, 2020 - PRLog -- In mid-March all the plasma cutters, 3D printers, gas gun and more in the College of Engineering's labs sat idle as COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions quieted the campus.

Health care providers across the Las Vegas Valley, however, were facing an unprecedented challenge, worsened by a lack of supplies to protect themselves. Could the UNLV College of Engineering turn the machines back on and help fill the gap for personal protection equipment (PPE), such as face shields?

"We talked about a few design options and (assessed) what raw materials we would need," explained Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Professor Kwang Kim. "All of us felt that what was taking place in New York could also happen in our community, and if we had the opportunity to help, we absolutely should."

A face shield, at its most basic, is a piece of clear, nonporous plastic which covers and protects the user's eyes, nose, and mouth from coming into direct contact with bodily fluids, like saliva droplets, that may contain the COVID-19 virus. They're designed to be worn in conjunction with a face mask.

"I was lucky to find some raw materials that would work and could be delivered in the first week of April," Kim said. "We produced our first prototype on April 3^rd."

KIm's team used a 0.015" polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC) film for the shield; polyethylene foam cubes attached to the film to rest against the wearer's head; and an elastic band fed through holes in the plastic to attach to the head.

As of April 13, 174 face shields had been produced by the UNLV team and distributed to caregivers in the community. The team will continue making face shields as long as the necessary materials are available.

Customizing a Solution for Ophthalmologists

While the college's design worked for most medical professionals, one of the college's medical partners Shepherd Eye Center noted some special challenges for the optometrists.

Peter Faught, experimental testing/prototype engineer in the college's Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction department stepped in to make a prototype specific to their needs.

Instead of being worn, this 1/8-inch acrylic shield has two circles cut out so it can attach directly to the slit lamp microscope that optometrists use to examine the structures fo the eye.

After meeting again with Shepherd and confirming that the prototype would in fact work, the College began production.

Fifty shields are being made for Shepherd, but UNLV stands ready to assist others as needed.

For more information: www.unlv.edu/engineering