Researchers at UC Santa Barbara begin 3D-printing face masks

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara's California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is responding to the desperate need of protective masks across the country.

Right now, the lab is prototyping three different designs of face shields. The lab hopes to make 10 of the more complex designs per day, and 100-200 per day of the simpler design.

The idea was quickly put into action.

David Bothman, manager of CNSI’s Microfluidics Lab and the Innovation Workshop, is spearheading the effort.  

“In the course of one day, four faculty members who are familiar with the workshops and had read about the work being done elsewhere around the world, got in touch with references, contacts and offers to help,” he said.

Bothman reached out to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and has created an online portal where people on campus can sign up to help.

Bothman praises UCSB's efforts to help amid the crisis, including making hand sanitizer in the labs to use on campus.