Custom-made vent hoods and 3D printed face masks are just a couple of the ways Chatham-Kent businesses are coming up with outside-the-box solutions to help local healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.
Heating and cooling company Handy Bros. has begun constructing exhaust hoods for Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA).
The company was contacted by a CKHA electrician last week who was looking to make negative air pressure rooms at the hospital's Wallaceburg and Chatham sites to prepare and deal with the pandemic.
The rooms would require vent hoods, which were needed as soon as possible. Handy Bros would normally order the hoods from its supplier. However, according to Eric VanPuymbroeck, commercial manager, they knew there was no time to spare.
"We looked into it and we knew, with the pandemic going on, that there was no way we could have any custom ones ordered in time," he explained.
Instead, the company enlisted some of its most seasoned sheet metal workers to create a vent prototype, which was quickly approved.
The hoods are created in-house as needed and can be built and delivered within hours. So far, the company has made five.
"For example, [the electrician] called me Friday at noon and said he needed to finish rooms in Wallaceburg by four o'clock. We're so committed to the cause right now that our guys had it done by 1:30 p.m. and I had it delivered by two o'clock," explained VanPuymbroeck.
Handy Bros Vice President Mitch White said since the company is one of the few places considered an essential business and stay open, it was the perfect time to give back.
"We deal with fresh air, clean air, comfort... it just happens to be our specialty and we happen to be up and working. We're a big name in the Chatham-Kent community so we do want to give back and help where we can," he said.
Meanwhile, denturist Vayia Dalios and the team at Dalios Denture and Hearing Clinic were looking for ways to help while the family-owned clinic was temporarily closed due to the pandemic.
Dalios said she wanted to be proactive and creative during the closure, which led her to a Facebook group filled with 3D printing ideas to help healthcare workers. The clinic uses 3D printing technology in its day-to-day operations and Dalios decided to use the technology to create personal protective equipment.
On the Facebook group, Dalios found 3D printing files that worked with their printer and tested out different mask prototypes before landing on one.
"This mask that I specifically ended up choosing to print is one of the masks that have been approved in the [United] States," she explained. "It's supposed to be pretty much a prototype to an N-95 mask, which is the mask that our frontline staff are using right now and that there's a shortage of."
Dalios got in touch with CKHA to see if they could use the 3D printed masks to help offset the shortage they are dealing with. The printed mask can be used up to six times.
3D printed masks from Dalios Clinic (Photo via Facebook)
In addition, Dalios Denture and Hearing Clinic also donated several boxes of vital protective supplies including gloves and disposable masks that they won't be using while closed.
"At the end of day, I just figured what's the point of having them just sitting at the office in this time of need? I donated whatever I could and we ordered a few more," she said.
Dalios said she is working on trying to print a face shield to donate next. She added that anyone interested in following in the clinic's footsteps can reach out to her for more information on how to get started with the 3D printing of masks.
"Really anybody who has the technology can print and help out," she said. "There's this really awesome Facebook group... 3D Print COVID-19. It's brilliant people from all over the world that are coming up with ideas on what we can print to help the hospitals around us... I'm just happy that my little dental office was able to do something to contribute."