After reading a news article about a 12 year-old Canadian boy using a 3D printer to help nurses and doctors on the frontlines of the pandemic, JMA Designer Doan Pham put his personal 3D printer to use.

“I read an article about this boy creating a simple strip with hooks to adjust surgical masks which have caused chaffing and irritation of the skin behind the ear after wearing the masks for unusually long periods of time,” said Pham who also noticed a sudden movement for rapid production of medical devices after joining Facebook groups discussing 3D printers. “His design redirected the tension away from the back of the ears to the 3D printed ‘Ear Saver.’”

Pham decided to use his personal Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer to create “Ear Savers” and send them to friends and family in the medical field. 3D printers allow these inventions to be molded within 40 minutes, meanwhile similar products are manufactured in California, and metal molds are machined in Portugal then sent to China, taking weeks before being used for injection molding. If the mold is damaged, the product is sent back to Portugal for repairs then sent back to China, which costs thousands of dollars.

“The supply chain for medical devices is broken,” said Pham. “You can see why 3D printers are so effective in this situation where so many products must be quickly manufactured to meet the demands of the pandemic.”

JMA is no stranger to 3D concepts, and integrates virtual reality (VR) software and hardware into our services. VR allows our clients to visualize how conceptual massing relates to the site, shows changes in materials in real time, and aids in creating exciting marketing materials. According to Pham, his background as an IT professional makes programming easier, and architecture has helped him better understand 3D modelling and structural concepts.

3D visualization of layers and path of 3D printing - yellow and additional red marks shows how decreasing inefficient print-head movement can optimize how the printer behaves

“I always enjoyed building and fabricating throughout my academic studies,” said Pham who designed extensive architecture models and worked on set design at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

JMA is proud of Pham for using his skills and resources to help the men and women on the front lines of this pandemic. Anyone interested in learning more about making a difference at this time can read about various non-profit organizations here.

Kansas City Designer Helps Nurses and Doctors with Irritation from Surgical Masks