Missouri State University’s Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) and health innovation giant CoxHealth have teamed up to create personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers using 3D-printing and laser-cutting technology. The collaboration saw concepts move from initial idea to production in less than two days.
“Challenges like COVID-19 cause organizations to look outside the box to find solutions, which is what we’re doing to help provide PPE for our local healthcare workers,” said Scott Rogers, System Director of Performance Integration and Innovation at CoxHealth. “This is an exciting development that we hope will make a real difference for our staff and other health systems across the country and around the world.”
Using examples of existing PPE, JVIC research technicians identified a way to cut and provide the plastic face shields. CoxHealth worked alongside JVIC to develop a design that would use existing and readily available PPE parts. Each component of the shield can be taken apart and replaced separately, making them both efficient and easy to supply. In addition, each component can be cleaned thoroughly according the hospital’s stringent guidelines and used again.
“We are pleased to be able to answer the call and assist CoxHealth solve an immediate problem related to COVID-19,” said Allen Kunkel, Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Director of the Jordan Valley Innovation Center at Missouri State University. “I am proud that we were able to step up so quickly to design a solution with the CoxHealth team that will meet their needs and can also be shared with other healthcare systems across the nation.”
What Next?