Toronto Public Library Lends 3D Printers to Support COVID-19 Medical Efforts

Photo Courtesy: Joshua Hiansen.

Toronto Public Library (TPL) is providing 10 of the library's Ultimaker 2+ 3D printers for loan to a team at Toronto General Hospital to support their efforts to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

A team at the Lynn and Arnold Irwin Advanced Perioperative Imaging Lab (APIL) department, led by Doctor Azad Mashari and production manager Joshua Hiansen, is producing face shields that include 3D printed components.

The face shield is made from plastic, Mylar and elastic, and covers the whole face, protecting the nose and eyes from droplets that may contain coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

The APIL project is part of a larger initiative being spearheaded by Dr. Tarek Loubani through the Glia Project that has arisen in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for more PPE for frontline workers.

In addition to TPL, other partners supporting APIL's work in Toronto include Ryerson FCAD, Objex Unlimited, Mosaic Manufacturing and Autodesk, who have provided APIL with several printers on loan as well.

Many public libraries around the world have makerspaces and 3D printing technology and programs, such as TPL's Digital Innovation Hubs. In response to COVID-19, several libraries are supporting similar 3D-printing community efforts, including Kitchener and Stratford.

March 27, 2020