The University of East Anglia is using their 3D printers to create much-needed relief goods to the front lines by creating face masks as well as ventilator parts. This is all to fight the coronavirus and doing their part to help save as many lives as possible.
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Why Do It In The First Place?
The project lead Dr. Aram Saeed, from UEA's School of Pharmacy, had this say, "It is absolutely vital that universities join forces with healthcare providers and businesses to find creative solutions to fight Covid-19.
"We need disruptive technology to expedite the process of designing and developing key ventilator parts, and we hope to connect with other universities and expertise around the globe.
"It's still very early days for this project, but the response so far has been amazing. It is very much a steep learning curve, but we have a fantastic team of researchers and Ph.D. students working on this, and we will be using our academic networks to help solve the problem."
Who Are They Working With?
They partnered up with healthcare providers to be able to understand their needs with hopes to assist them in similar projects for other universities to follow suit locally and even internationally.
They also are working with SyncNorwich, which is a local tech community as well as the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. This is one of many collaborations by the UEA to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Justin O'Grady, who hails from UEA's Norwich Medical School, is leading a new portable coronavirus kit that could be used out by the NHS staff in the upcoming weeks to come. It would provide the result to be displayed on a smartphone and in just under 50 minutes after taking a throat swab.
Other Projects UEA Has In Place
Technicians from UEA are using their facilities to make hand sanitizer gels that are already being distributed and applied to the NHS in Norfolk and in more places who are in need.
Mark Hitchcock from UEA's Health and Social Care Partners, said, "We have been working with hospitals and trusts across the region. Those relationships have never been so important as we have released academic clinicians to support the NHS, worked closely to understand the medical needs that COVID-19 raises and then mobilized teams from across the university, Norwich Research Park and beyond to work on solutions."
Additionally, Professor Fiona Lettice, UEA's Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation said, "After the initial task of quickly moving a university to remote working, learning, and teaching, and postponing all but essential research within laboratories, the amazing research and innovation community at UEA has turned its skills and expertise, to help us face this challenge and crisis.
"We have leveraged our academic and business partnerships to work together tirelessly this weekend to help our NHS colleagues and the patients they will need to treat. There is much still to be done, but we are committed to do all we can to help."
