Madiha Choksi, Research and Learning Technologies Librarian at Columbia University Libraries
In response to the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) as hospitals and clinics scramble to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, librarians at Columbia University have released a Guide and Design for Rapidly Manufacturing Face Shields with a 3D printer and household tools.
Last week, Dr. Pierre Elias, a Columbia University Cardiology Fellow, reached out to Research and Learning Technologies Librarian Madiha Choksi to ask about utilizing the Libraries’ 3D printers and staff expertise of the Libraries’ Studio to produce supplemental face shields. Dr. Elias sent along a design for a face shield visor posted by Budmen Industries. Choksi took the Budmen design and optimized it, cutting the printing time by one third.
The new visor design takes about an hour to print, and the acetate for the front of the shield can be cut and molded by hand. A simple hole-punch makes the holes that connect the front of the shield to the visor
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Choksi delivered five prototype shields on March 21 to Dr. Elias, who then requested 1,000 shields for New York Presbyterian Hospitals. Head of Research Data Services Jeremiah Trinidad-Christensen has also been in touch with Columbia faculty about utilizing additional campus 3D printers. Choksi also delivered ten prototypes to Laurell Taylor, RN, who has distributed them to front line health care workers around New York City to test for usability and durability. The workers include ICU nurses, nursing administrators, and medical assistants processing laboratory specimens
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
