Southport Magazine

As Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, like healthcare agencies across the country, faces shortages of PPE, LCFL Board of Directors Member Dave Pearce and his friend and neighbor Jim Gerlach are 3D printing face shields for clinical staff members.

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (LCFL) continues to provide care to patients with serious, chronic or life-limiting illness, in patients’ homes or in hospice care centers. While clinical staff utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure patients, families and staff alike stay safe, some PPE items like face masks have experienced supply shortages.

Pearce and Gerlach both have 3D printers made by Prusa, a company located in Prague. When COVID-19, the emerging Coronavirus, was first identified, Prusa developed a design to 3D print a face shield and made the software available on the company website. With the supply shortages facing healthcare providers, the men began using their 3D printers to make face masks for LCFL clinical staff.

The 3D printers work by melting plastic, which comes in reels that resemble heavy fishing line, and building objects layer by layer, Pearce said.

“The results are amazing, but very slow,” he added. “To make eight face shields, for example, it takes over 11 hours. A full 24 hours of printing yields only about 16 shields.”

While the 3D printing makes the basic frame for the face shields, the men needed to find clear material to attach that would provide protection while still allowing for clear vision. They tried simple laminate, like that used to protect documents, but it was not as clear as it needed to be. After searching, they found a clear plastic that would meet their criteria. The men also found plastic shelf liner material to add adjustable straps, making the frames customizable and more comfortable.

Since the face shields are entirely plastic, they can be sanitized and reused.

“Dave and Jim have put many hours of work into making these masks, and we are so appreciative of their efforts,” said LCFL President and CEO Gwen Whitley. “Our team continues to provide vital care for those with serious or life-limiting illness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these face shields help ensure the safety of our patients, their families and our team as we do so.”

Since starting in March, the men have made more than 150 face shields for LCFL staff members to use.

“Making these shields has been satisfying,” Pearce said. “We are not only helping our staff and patients stay healthy, we are also letting them know how much we appreciate them.”

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to the highest quality LifeCare, education, and supportive services to our patients, their families, and the communities we serve. For more information, visit lifecare.org.

Amanda Hutcheson

PR & Communications Specialist