BOSTON (WHDH) - Brigham and Women’s Hospital has created a special face shield to protect against COVID-19 and the design has been made available for other healthcare facilities to copy as the pandemic escalates.
After searching for a solution to the shortage of personal protective equipment that hospitals across the country are facing, Brigham and Women’s set out to make a 3D printed shield that offers far more protection than the typical face covering.
“They’re lightweight, they are substantial, and they are far more protective than the PPE that we were receiving,” dermatologist Nicole Le Boeuf said.
The particular face shields are specially designed with a piece that looks like a shark fin and provides additional protection.
“So if a physician or provider is going to intubate a patient and look down, the virus could splash their forehead and that didn’t feel very safe,” said emergency medicine toxicologist Ed Boyer.
Hospital workers also made the shield larger in length.
“You could maximize protection lengthwise but also toward the ear,” resident physician Dr. Sherry Yu said.
The hospital created four prototypes before settling on a final design. They then partnered with several local manufacturers to have hundreds of them printed.
Hospital staffers say the face shields give them a sense of confidence as they work to save lives.
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