Life difficulties are always a kind of litmus test - they reveal the personality from its true side: they reveal the villains, give birth to heroes. Among such heroes who have helped and continue to help doctors fighting the coronavirus epidemic are 3D makers. And although few people know about their round-the-clock work throughout the country, it was they who supplied hospitals with protective shields, adapters for ventilation and other necessary consumables. Who are they, these humble heroes? All-Russian network Respirators, shields, overalls, adapters - all this is necessary for doctors all the time. Doctors in all regions of Russia faced a particular shortage of consumables this spring - during the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. While officials were sending these materials as humanitarian aid to Europe and complicating procurement rules for our hospitals, those who care - programmers, developers, and anyone who knows how to work with 3D printers - got down to business. To the detriment of their free time, more than two thousand Russians from different regions have united into a whole all-Russian movement of makers - volunteers who, using 3D printers, make visor shields, boxes (they provide additional protection to the doctor during patient intubation) and special adapters to masks. completely insulating face. All these means of protection were donated by volunteers and are still being transferred to medical workers. “After I learned that Western makers help doctors, I printed several prototypes on my own and started looking for doctors who need 3D-printed products and volunteers with printers in my region,” a 32-year-old resident tells the Interlocutor Ufa Alexander Ulitin. - The first few days I had only two or three orders from doctors, and then the demand began to constantly outstrip the supply. Doctors from the Ministry of Health helped a lot, disseminating information, but wishing to remain anonymous. Word of mouth, Avito, social networks - everything works.
Ufa doctors are protected by makers' products
When we already started work, I was invited to join the all-Russian project "Makers against COVID-19" - this gave us, the makers in Ufa, a lot of sponsorship and informational support, exchange of experience and mutual assistance. Ulitin works as a programmer in an Israeli startup, and, of course, volunteering takes him, like other makers, a lot of time: at first, the bosses expressed dissatisfaction, but later softened - they understood and accepted the priorities that Alexander had built. The shield was improved As it turned out, 3D printers are not uncommon and very affordable: for $ 300 you can get a decent car, and for $ 800 you can even get a very good one. According to Alexander, many homemade programmers buy themselves such a thing. And thanks to this, there are so many people who can, can and, most importantly, want to help doctors: the makers have united in specialized regional and federal chats on Telegram, where they discuss the technical features of the development of medical devices, exchange experience, news, and there they are also found by those who need shields, suits, adapters - doctors. Ulitin, together with volunteers, print visors - these are protective shields that are attached to the face. They are in great demand, doctors are especially looking forward to them. In addition, both in Ufa and in other regions, volunteers make filter adapters for ventilators.
Ventilator parts are also printed on printers
- It looks like this: the adapter is put on the mask, and on it - the filter, thanks to this design, the doctor can work fully equipped for the whole shift, - says Alexander. - It is a kind of replacement for glasses and respirators in case they are in short supply. We also make adapters for gas masks for one and two filters. The former are intended for women - because they have a smaller lung volume; the second, double, - for men. One shield, which is made from only PET (polyethylene terephthalate), is made in seven minutes. Prior to this, the makers used a modification of the shield of the Czech engineer Prusz, the pioneer of 3D printing. But this technology took a lot of time - it took three to four hours to create a visor. - We then decided to abandon it, since it is really difficult: first we printed the frame, then we took it to the place where the PET sheets are cut, and then we took it all to the third place, where the assembly was carried out. After - delivery to the warehouse, then to the doctors. A very long chain, - explains the press secretary of the movement Maria Nemtsova.
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Now the visor is being prepared very quickly, and its cost has decreased fivefold: the price of one shield with delivery is 30 rubles. Back in April, makers, including those from Ufa, planned to produce anti-decubitus pillows - these are pillows with recesses for the nose and mouth, from where the tubes can be brought out to the ventilator. At first, the volunteers had questions about how relevant it would be and how to reduce the cost of production so that the quality would not suffer, since the production of one such pillow costs about 15 thousand rubles.
These pillows make it easier for patients to lie on their stomach, which is often required in the hospital.
And in early August, Alexander Ulitin said that 30 pillows for patients in intensive care units of Bashkir hospitals were ready. Although all these consumables that volunteers make are not certified, the makers are confident that these shields are as effective as conventional certified products. In addition, this is definitely better than nothing, according to both volunteers and doctors who do not stop making orders. A kind of spare lifebuoy. Plastic World Another maker - Vladimir Kolpakov from Pskov - works in the "Young Technician" leisure center. Learning about the emerging maker movement, the young man joined the activists and created his own Pskov group of volunteers who print the details doctors need: someone does it from home, and someone even at work. - So far, we print almost everything with our plastic, which was found at the people's homes, - explains Vladimir Kolpakov. - 4 coils REC PLA 750 grams each received from coordinators from Moscow. We are waiting for 5 more coils from the St. Petersburg coordinators. Plus, we have now managed to agree on help with the Titan-Polymer plant: they promised us to fit PET.
Vladimir Kolpakov created a group of volunteers in Pskov who help doctors
When it became clear that diving masks are suitable for working in the "red zone" (the Italians were the first to guess about this: they pull out a tube from the masks, and put a simple adapter instead, then insert filters from ventilators with antibacterial protection), a major distributor of sports of goods donated swimming masks to volunteers free of charge. Alas, the Ministry of Health has not officially approved the use of underwater masks, although they are effective. However, other large enterprises, including RUSNANO, help 3D-makers with plastic: some for free, while others give it at cost, so volunteers start to get into debt. But it's worth it - the lives of doctors and patients are still more important. And some of the makers felt the danger themselves: in July, Alexander Ulitin and his wife had a coronavirus. “I’m watching the situation, I get first-hand information, and it’s very sad,” says Alexander. - Take care of your elders, as well as diabetics, heart patients, vascular patients. We are all tired of being afraid, but we must not lose our vigilance: do not go to friends with "just a cough" and "only 37"!
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* * * The material was published in the publication "Interlocutor +" 09-2020 under the title "3D-makers against coronavirus".
