Protective visors made by MUSE FabLab
Protective visors made by MUSE FabLab
MUSE FabLab, the digital fabrication laboratory of the MUSE – Science Museum of Trento, realised protective visors made of biodegradable plastic for the health personnel of the University of Trento, who carried out the Coronavirus diagnostic tests during the pandemic.
The request came from CIBIO, the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrated Biology of the University of Trento, which during the sanitary emergency carried out over a thousand Covid19 diagnostic tests per day. The CIBIO had in fact a specific need: to equip the personnel who analyses the Covid-19 swabs with protective, resistant, safe, functional and reusable visors.
MUSE FabLab staff managed to produce facial screens, washable and reusable with a visor made up of a special transparent "plastic" produced through the fermentation of corn starch. The product has been optimized starting from international models according to the needs of the University centre and it is now freely available from the MUSE FabLab website at this link.
As a result of this first attempt, Gianluca Lopez, designer and maker of the MUSE FabLab has started the Open Dpi project: thanks to crowdfunding, he managed to send more than 500 visors to hospitals and institutions that are carrying out Covid-19 diagnostic tests.
The makers network has indeed shared ideas and technological skills to produce valves, 3D printed masks, stethoscopes and other useful objects for hospitals and healthcare facilities, trying to help them during the Covid-19 pandemic. More information on the MUSE FabLab website.