Stony Brook begins production of 3D-printed hospital equipment

As health care workers in New York State battle the spread of COVID-19, Stony Brook University is harnessing its 3D printing capacity to address a shortage of personal protective equipment for hospital personnel.

Stony Brook’s iCREATE lab has started manufacturing face shields using 3D printers. The shields are designed with specific parts that can be changed out and replaced, allowing for sanitized reuse.

Part of the school’s Division of Information Technology, the iCREATE program supports innovative technologies within the university to provide a collaborative, hands-on research environment.

The face shields have been reviewed by Stony Brook University Hospital personnel are compliant with medical regulations, according to Charlie McMahon, interim senior vice president and enterprise CIO for Stony Brook.

Stony Brook initially aims to produce 800 face shields while the university is currently in the process of acquiring more supplies in order to ramp up production to 5,000 units.

“We are doing something positive to protect the health of the medical professionals that are helping the community,” McMahon said in a statement. “Being able to be a part of keeping our medical professionals safer is a really good feeling.”