Wednesday, 1 April 2020 Prototypes of 3D printed face masks delivered to the General Hospital Izola for testing

The University of Primorska joined the initiative Zaščitimo Slovenijo and in collaboration with the General Hospital Izola and Technological park Ljubljana printed first protective face masks. The first prototypes of the masks have been already delivered to the hospital, where they are currently being tested in real environment. 

Masks are made by the researchers from the UP FAMNIT Human-Computer Interaction Lab, who are currently printing masks day and night. The purchase of 3D printers was recently enabled by the InnoRenew CoE project. 

These masks are compatible with microbiological filters used in hospitals. The model of the filter, that served as a basis for the mask, is certified to be 99.99% effective in guaranteeing protection. They are intended for multiple use, they are made out of PLA material and they are made in two sizes (male and female).

The university is also supporting other projects to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. Some are already being implemented and you can read about them here, others are in a testing phase, while some are still being developed. The combining factor of all of them is the wish of the university to proactively support the epidemic management.