A UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR CA3D+
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to all of us. When the pandemic struck, CA3D+ sought ways to partner with the broader UCSF community to help with pandemic efforts throughout the organization. Our efforts provided innovative solutions for our colleagues on the front lines of patient care and garnered national recognition.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, UCSF Health faced an acute shortage of the face shields that are required for our frontline providers to treat patients. Led by co-directors Dr. Alexis Dang and Dr. Alan Dang, and in partnership with The Makers Lab, we mobilized 18 3D printers and set up operations in the medical library on the Parnassus Heights campus within 48 hours. Over the next few weeks, dedicated volunteers 3D printed more than 8,000 face shields onsite, in compliance with FDA guidelines. Ultimately, we produced a surplus and were able to serve several of our affiliated hospitals throughout the region. The project concluded when the commercial supply of face shields was assured. To date, 8,500 face shields have been printed for health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
See the Project Recap from the Makers Lab for the Face Shields project here!
3D-printed door handles
Additionally, in an effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission, we developed 3D-printed door handles. 3D printing was an ideal technology for this response, which required rapid prototyping and flexible design to fit the multiple types of door handles within the UCSF enterprise.
3D AeroNabs Models
UCSF has been at the cutting edge of the COVID-19 pandemic since its beginning. One example involves the development of AeroNabs, a form of pharmacologic PPE that potentially inhibits the COVID-19 virus from attaching to cells in the lungs. CA3D+ worked collaboratively with researchers to develop 3D models of the AeroNabs molecule for instructional purposes.
Congenital Heart Walk
CA3D+ has partnered with the Children's Heart Foundation https://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/ at the San Francisco Congenital Heart Walk to support CHF's mission of raising funds for research in congenital heart disease (CHD). We brought along 3D-printed, extended reality and "holographic" models for the participants to experience, raising CHD awareness.
