Dan Dillon is trying to help out Flin Flon’s first responders and health care workers during COVID-19 - one piece of pressed plastic filament at a time.
Dillon teaches at Many Faces Education Centre and has repurposed the 3D printer he used in his class to create small, but vital pieces of gear for frontline workers during the outbreak. His prints have consisted of three types of items - headpieces for masks to prevent facial irritation, components for larger face shields and plastic airways to be used by doctors during tracheotomies.
“In a doctor’s lifespan, they usually end up having to only do one tracheotomy. Now, because of COVID-19, cases of doctors having to do them have increased,” Dillon said.
The inspiration for the project came after Dillon heard from friends and acquaintances working in health care and as first responders. After hearing what they may need while fighting the spread of the disease, Dillon grabbed the 3D printer - which has been moved to his home from his classroom during the outbreak - and got to printing after finding existing objects and blueprints from 3D printing website Thingiverse.
“I gave them to friends and people who are working in the emergency services at the moment. Anybody who needs these, I've been offering them to them and reaching out to my network to see if there's people working on the front lines who could benefit from this,” Dillon said.
“I got a print going right now,” he said.
Dillon has used 3D printing as part of high school classes at Hapnot Collegiate and Many Faces Education Centre in the past. This past holiday season, Dillon and a group of students printed out several items for seniors living at Flin Flon’s Jubilee Residence, ranging from cookie cutters to holders for canes. In the past, Dillon has worked with students to create other projects or aids around the community.
Dillon said demand had not been overwhelming for the new items, but added any first responders or medical personnel with suggestions or hoping to obtain 3D printed items could simply call him and ask - he’s printing more, free of charge.
“There hasn’t been a mass demand, but there has been a number of these things given out.”
About 40 items have been given to ambulance attendants and paramedics, Dillon said, with eight sets of face shield components and mask straps provided to members of the Flin Flon Fire Department.
“It’s all for free. We’re giving them out,” he said.
There are some limitations in volume. Dillon estimates the printer can print out about 20 headpieces a day.
“I’ve been learning about this online. I've seen posts where people have helped out health care professionals or other people on the front lines by using their 3D printers as a tool of help,” he said.
Following the build, Dillon has either delivered the equipment or prepared it for pickup using social distancing
“What I’ve been doing is I’ll just leave this stuff on people’s doors or in my yard and people will pick it up,” he said.
Anyone hoping to request or acquire medical aids from Dillon can contact him via email at ddillon@ffsd.mb.ca or call (204) 271-4904.
