When the coronavirus pandemic began ratcheting up in New Jersey and surrounding states last month, personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers was soon in dangerously short supply. Nick Callan ’23, home on spring break, and his mom, Kate Leahy, saw a news report that mentioned how people were using 3D printers to create much-needed items. A robotics enthusiast and experienced user of maker space devices, Nick had already read some online articles about the 3D printing effort, and he knew that this was something he, too, could do to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Fast forward several weeks, and the duo is deeply involved in the region-wide PPE Made in USA project that has united 40-plus makers in the fabrication of protective face shields. Their involvement inspired Blair computer science teacher Michael Garrant and his wife, Vanessa, to jump into the project, as well, using 3D printers on loan from Blair’s maker space. Ms. Leahy estimates that upward of 2,000 of the face shields are expected to be in use at area hospitals by the end of April, and thus far, Nick and the Garrants have contributed hundreds of PLA plastic headbands and chin pieces, which they have 3D-printed at their respective homes.

Making Connections

Beyond his expertise at making face shield parts, Nick’s flair for making connections has been an important part of his effort to help. He made his first connection when he registered online with Budmen Industries, a 3D printing company that is matching people with 3D printing capabilities with hospitals and medical personnel in their geographic areas that need 3D-printed PPE.

While he waited for a response, Nick quickly yet thoroughly researched published face shield designs and set about troubleshooting potential production and materials pitfalls. He decided that the PRUSA RC2 model was best and prototyped it using materials he found around the house, including a long, stretchy balloon leftover from a birthday party that perfectly secured the device around the back of the wearer’s head. 

When Rutgers University medical student Archana “Archie” Babu contacted Nick 42 hours after he had registered with Budmen, he was ready to share his ideas. Ms. Babu was one of many third- and fourth-year medical students who had been tasked with finding outside-the-box solutions for PPE. She met with Nick and Ms. Leahy—at appropriate social distance—on their driveway, where Nick walked her through three versions of the face shield, showed her his PRUSA RC2 prototype and provided her with the specifications.

That connection with Ms. Babu turned out to be a key part of the PPE Made in USA project that, at the time, was coalescing. Ms. Babu took Nick’s specifications back to Rutgers Health/University Hospital and, as Ms. Leahy put it, “quarterbacked” them through the approval process and protocols. Meanwhile, Ms. Babu’s colleague, Rowan Sawhney, was working simultaneously with Newton High School STEM teacher Jim Hofmann. He is the parent of another Rutgers medical student, and at the time was securing materials, printers and makers to start fabricating face shields and working on channels to distribute the devices. 

Through the Rutgers connection, Nick’s PRUSA RC2 face shield prototype became the model that Mr. Hofmann, who is now the overall leader of the PPE Made in USA project, landed on for production. And, when Nick and Ms. Leahy saw the network Mr. Hofmann had built, they were excited to combine their endeavor with his and begin printing face shield parts in earnest.

To make the most of his efforts, Nick also leveraged his connection to his K-8 school, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart. Headmaster Rik Dugan and director of technology Ray Shay were happy to join the project by loaning Nick the school’s idle 3D printers. They added 20 rolls of PLA printing plastic to boot. Nick and Ms. Leahy brought Princeton Academy’s two MakerBots home, set them up with their own MakerBot, and all three machines have been in constant use ever since.

Another Project & More Connections

As the face shield project progressed, Nick had been providing regular updates to his grandfather, Curtis Callan, a physics professor at Princeton University. Thus, when Dr. Callan received a request from a university colleague for Formlabs printers needed to 3D-print swabs for COVID-19 testing, he forwarded it right away to Nick and Ms. Leahy to see if they might be able to help.

That same day, during a conversation with Mr. Garrant about the face shield project, Nick mentioned the email from his grandfather. “I immediately alerted Nick and his mom to the fact that Blair has a Formlabs printer in the maker space,” Mr. Garrant said. The wheels were soon in motion to get the printer off Blair’s campus and into Nick’s and Ms. Leahy’s hands. 

Head of School Chris Fortunato quickly gave his blessing to the loan, and, within 24 hours of the request, Associate Head of School Ryan Pagotto ’97 retrieved the Formlabs printer from the maker space and relayed it to Mr. Garrant, who brought it to Nick and Ms. Leahy. Of course, proper social distancing was observed throughout the entire process. Nick and Ms. Leahy are standing by to begin printing swabs with the Formlabs printer as soon as approvals are in place.    

Helping Others with ‘Ingenuity & Elbow Grease’

When they took a moment to reflect on the whirlwind of events that have transpired over the past few weeks, Ms. Leahy, Mr. Garrant and Nick each expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to contribute to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

“Jumping in and giving back to those in need, in this case healthcare workers who are risking their own lives to help others, is something I felt compelled to do,” Ms. Leahy said. She noted that the speed with which Rutgers’ medical team approved a device for use “in the field” is unprecedented, speaking to the urgency of the need and situation. “I knew our communities would be suffering, and it makes me happy to know that we’ve been able to help, even in this small way.”

Mr. Garrant is grateful to Blair for its support of the 3D printing projects, which has allowed him and Mrs. Garrant to make a difference. “It’s been fun for Vanessa to assist in managing the 3D printers and preparing parts for delivery,” he added. “She is thrilled to share the small part we are trying to play to help others in our area during the pandemic. As long as there is a need for what we can produce, we will continue with the fabrication efforts.”

Nick observed that the ability to make and 3D print is not the first thing you think of in an emergency, but he is glad that his passion for making and his specific skill set have proven helpful in the current situation. “Seeing a network come together in this way has shown me there’s no special sauce to helping others—just ingenuity and elbow grease,” he said. And, having met some EMTs who came to pick up face shields when he and Ms. Leahy were dropping off printed parts was a real grace note for him. “Meeting them and seeing the joy on their faces has elevated my faith in humanity.”