A Boy Scout from Maple Ridge, B.C. is being recognized for using his 3D printer to create “ear gears” for surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Heather Roney, her 12-year old son, Quinn Callander has created several hundred of them from home so far and donated them to healthcare workers around the world.
The device which goes behind the head and is also called an ear guard with hooks that attach to the straps of a mask and take the pressure off the backs of the ears.
The device also helps those who have birth defects that affect their ears or have lost an ear to have disfigurations due to an accident and cannot wear the mask correctly.
According to Roney, the initiative was sparked by a Facebook post from a local nurse who was hoping someone would make a device to relieve the pressure off her ears.
Quinn found some prototypes online, made them with the large selection of 3D printing filament material the family already had, and gave them to a family friend who is a nurse to pick the most effective one.
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CDC – Cloth Face Coverings: How to Protect Yourself and Others
FDA – N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks: Important Information