Facing COVID-19 pandemic: development of custom-made face mask with rapid prototyping system.

Piombino, Pasquale; Committeri, Umberto; Norino, Giovanna; Vaira, Luigi Angelo; Troise, Stefania; Maglitto, Fabio; Mariniello, Domenico; De Riu, Giacomo; Califano, Luigi

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a global pandemic. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. Therefore, the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare professionals is essential. 3D printing technology could represent a valid option to ameliorate PPE shortages. METHODOLOGY Custom-made face mask were designed on the basis of facial scan and then 3D-printed. The whole protocol is executed with freeware software and only required a 3D printer. Six healthcare workers wore the device weekly thus expressing a judgment regarding quality of work, respiratory and skin comfort. RESULTS The estimated total cost of a single mask is approximately 5 USD. The virtual design of a complete mask lasted 68 minutes on average. Most healthcare workers rated comfort as very good. CONCLUSIONS Based on the encouraging results obtained, we can confidently confirm that custom-made masks are novel and useful devices that may be used in the fight against COVID-19.