WILLEMSTAD – Green Phenix and Ba3dprinting have joined forces and converted snorkel masks into respirators.
This idea comes from Italy where a start-up started working on this and made the models public (open source). This allows them to be taken over and printed with a high-quality 3D printer.
“Several diving schools have made masks available and the first model is currently being tested,” says Sabine Berendse of Green Phenix. She was approached with the idea and then contacted BA3d Printing to have the attachments printed.
“You must have a qualitative 3D printer for this project. We have now used the same material as was done in Italy.”
Medical professionals are testing the devices and contact has been made with the government of Curaçao. “We are waiting for the test phase first, but the government of Aruba is also interested.”
Berendse does not dare to say how many snorkels can possibly be converted: “Printing takes two to three hours and we have quite a few snorkeling masks, but let’s hope that it is not necessary at all here.”
Green Phenix would really like to stress that these are solutions that will only be used as a last resort, in case regular medical materials run out.