TBGA and VA Collaborate to Create 3D Printed Austere Mask
COVID has spurned a lot of innovation in product design and development, especially in medical products. But, creating a respirator or ventilator is not quite the same as a Yoda head. A remarkable collaboration between The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) is trying to make a new kind of respirator a reality through 3D printing. With the VA working with a very experienced set of 3D printing consultants on a difficult product, this has to be a thorough process.
I spoke with John Barnes, the head of the Barnes Group Advisors and one of the most knowledgeable people worldwide in 3D printing for manufacturing, especially in the field of aviation. After helping to introduce 3D printing to Lockheed, he’s now a university lecturer at Carnegie Mellon and RMIT Universities. Also present on our call was his colleague, Andy Christensen, who specializes in 3D-printed medical devices, is an Adjunct Professor of the University of Ottawa’s Radiology department and a board member of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Special Interest Group on 3D Printing. The RSNA group is becoming very influential in the adoption of 3D printing in the medical field by consistently putting out useful information. Also hugely influential is Dr. Beth Ripley, the Director of the VHA 3D Printing Network at VA Health Care Systems and also a radiology professor. She’s in charge of the VA’s extensive evaluation and adoption of 3D printing and is now working tirelessly to get 3D-printed medical parts out the door to address the COVID crisis.