Cal Poly student designs 3D-printed respiratory masks

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Cal Poly engineering student, Cristian Sion, is taking his passion for 3D printing and putting it to good use during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sion has teamed up with Jeremy Ralston, a facilities engineer at the San Luis Obispo Surgery Center and Dr. Clint Slaughter, an emergency room physician at both French Hospital Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, to design N95-style respirators that medical professionals can use.

Together, they are creating respiration masks in his garage using 3D printers to address the nationwide shortage.

The team is building upon current designs out there, including the popular Billings Respirator, and making improvements such as increasing the filter size and adjusting the fit.

Sion, Ralston and Slaughter continue to work on the masks as they await government approval of their work.

Their immediate goal is to make sure healthcare facilities have the supplies they need, and then make the masks available to the general public.

For more information or to find out how you can help, visit their website at www.slorespirator.org.