In response to the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers treating patients during the coronavirus pandemic, Bossier Parish Community College is partnering with local companies to produce face shield masks for medical workers.
Lamont Lackman, Assistant Professor and Industrial Technology Program Director, was contacted last week about the need for parts.
The Industrial Technology lab, housed in BPCC’s Division of Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, has 10 3D printers, eight of which are being used for this project. Lackman is currently making the frame for two different face shield designs for two different companies.
Printing the parts at BPCC is only a single step toward a finished product. Parts are being delivered to private companies for final assembly and distribution to medical groups in need.
Lackman delivered the first set of completed parts Friday.
BPCC is proud to join the nationwide effort of using 3D printers to produce and deliver medical supplies to areas where they are needed. Megan Bange, Dean of Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, said helping in this critical endeavor is part of fulfilling the college’s mission.
“The mission of the college is to support the community and the people of our community; we are pleased to be able to do our part to help support the individuals in our area hospitals and medical facilities,” Bange said.
She also praised Lackman’s work with the project.
“This is just another example of the fantastic faculty members we have at BPCC,” she said. “Lamont is one of the top faculty in the Division of Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with his work to help students excel, evolve his program to fit industry needs, and now, to use his talents to help support the healthcare workers in the Shreveport/Bossier area.”
According to infectious disease experts, wearing face shields can help prolong the life of the masks doctors and nurses are quickly running out of day after day. These shields protect the face from splashes, sprays, and spatter of bodily fluids, protecting medical professionals from coughs and sneezes of potentially positive COVID-19 patients.