Special airflow shield for medical workers manufactured in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Instead of launching a high-temperature superconductor business, a Santa Barbara businessman and his team are working to help medical workers in the front line of the coronavirus crisis.
"We put this machine shop together a week ago," said Ray Karam.
The site is now putting out clear, thin shields, "specifically for medical use," said Karam.
The product is attached to a helmet that has a special filter and a small fan. The airflow shields are considered more comfortable.
The assembly is currently all done by hand. That includes cutting, bonding with iron and preparing the shields for final assembly.
The finished product, "keeps a fresh source of air at all the times for the nurse or the doctor to ensure they have a highly filtered air that has no COVID virus in it," said Karam.
Doctors and nurses say there's a shortage. Karam said, "This is similar to what they would have ordered but they can't get them, so we've stepped in to help them."
The goal now is to produce a mask every ten seconds using a newly designed process currently in development.
"Once this is done we have a design for a fully automated heat press. You push a button and do the complete seal," said Karam.
Those working on the project are both the crew for the semiconductor company and volunteers who want to help with the urgently needed helmets.
"That is the beautiful thing about a pandemic or a crisis. People show their bright side. They come in, they contribute and they do it for the right reasons," said Karam.
The finished shields are expected to be used at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital and the U.C. San Diego Medical Center for now. Other hospitals are being contacted.
Karam is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and U.C. Santa Diego alumni. He has been involved in engineering projects and auto industry components for more than 20 years.
