Hundreds of young Greek scientists and volunteers, using new technologies, their scientific training and with a high sense of commitment, “equip” doctors and health centres in the country with masks to protect the country’s hospital workers. The examples are many and encouraging, giving hope and life, removing through these acts of giving, the uncertainty and fear that COVID-19 causes in all societies worldwide. Some of the initiatives created in the midst of the pandemic by public or private actions of Greek scientists in the country to research, design and produce practical solutions to address critical problems caused by COVID-19 are presented below.

3D Makers.gov.gr

3d-makers.gov.gr, an initiative of the Ministries of Digital Governance and Health, acts as a bridge that brings together, connects and centrally supports the emergency needs that exist today in the health sector with the creation and supply of equipment from all those initiatives of citizens, groups and institutions that assist daily as 3d-makers in an effort to stop the pandemic in Greece. It is based on the dissemination and teaching of digital skills through the application of crowdsourcing at the state level, with the aim of developing and creating a framework with a long-term perspective to enhance the country’s digital transformation.

Through this initiative, an invitation is extended to the “community of makers” to participate in the production of the necessary equipment, making face shields and hands-free Materialise-type knobs. The page provides detailed instructions and specifications to ensure availability to adequately protect health workers during the pandemic. Thus, those wishing to contribute to the production of this equipment will declare the types and quantity they can produce, as well as the time of delivery. They will be sent to the Central Material Warehouse of the Ministry of Health and then distributed to the units of the country. The initiative has so far attracted more than 120 events of interest.

In particular, the Prusa type face shield is a type of extended mask that covers the whole face, has an ergonomic design and is reusable after appropriate disinfection. It is composed of three elements: the basic support part produced on the 3D printer (.stl file), a gelatin, which can be cut by hand or on a cutting machine such as a laser cutter (.dxf file), and a connecting element, e.g. a rubber band. The proposed plan is the third improved version. It is important to note that regular disinfection, according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer, remains of utmost importance.
Learn more: https://3d-makers.gov.gr/

COVID-19 Response Greece

The new voluntary action COVID-19 Response Greece was established by scientists and startupers from Thessaloniki with a technological and scientific background, aiming to design practical and immediately applicable solutions to address the critical issues arising from the pandemic. Within less than a week from the start of the action, COVID-19 Response Greece volunteers managed to find design solutions and production means to mass produce, in quantities of thousands of pieces per day, a substitute for a protective face shield that does not require a 3D printing process.

Their construction was based on the open and free designs created by the volunteers of COVID-19 Response Greece, from a food packaging materials industry in the Pella area. During the previous days, shields had been produced on a small scale, which were distributed free of charge by the volunteers to the AHEPA Hospital, the General Hospital of Kastoria and the Hippocrates General Hospital. The great response to the initiative resulted in the design and delivery of 30,000 face shields in 76 destinations throughout Greece within 3 weeks.

In addition to the face shields, the team is working on other projects such as respiratory protection masks, substitute non-invasive ventilation devices for inpatients, and software tools such as an online self-assessment & remote monitoring system for those with possible symptoms. Also, online platforms for home entertainment for children aged 5-12, as well as webinars by mental health experts.

The COVID-19 Response Greece community already has more than 270 members and is open to anyone who has the willingness, training and time to contribute to this collective effort and to the competent authorities, institutions and health professionals who can point out critical problems and needs that they have recorded in order to design immediate solutions.
Learn more: https://www.covid19response.gr/

Scientific team of the National Technical University of Athens

The NTUA also participates in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, constructing and delivering front panels to the hospitals “Evangelismos” and “Sotiria”. The design and implementation of the production is carried out by the scientific team, researchers and students, of the Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (RNanolab) of the School of Chemical Engineering with the assistance of the team of the Rapid Prototyping and Tooling Laboratory of the School of Mechanical Engineering, while the cutting of the front parts is also carried out at the NTUA, by the Preforms Laboratory of the School of Architecture.

In addition, it is planned by the 3DP-NTUA hub members, labs and teams, to produce a wider range of healthcare products at an increasing rate and size, with more and more 3D printing units being activated in combination with product design. The actions are carried out in close cooperation with the medical staff of the hospital’s peak care units. The NTUA has the necessary equipment, experience and know-how to produce through 3D printing plastic components (PLA, PETG for the main parts and transparent sheets of PC, PET for the front) and assemblies that are necessary and missing health material (multi-purpose masks with filters, respirators for ICU etc.) within a short period of time.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/2VtrxOn

Scientific team of the Technical University of Crete

The scientific team of the Technical University of Crete manufactures, through 3D printing, protective face shields, which are available to hospitals in Crete, such as the General Hospital of Chania “Agios Georgios”, the Venizelio Hospital of Heraklion and the Naval Hospital of Crete, but also to other institutions, such as the Municipalities of Chania and Rethymnon for the “Help at Home” programme. By 16/04/2020 a total of 362 Thorax_TUC protective visors had been manufactured and delivered.

The collaborative effort involves the laboratories of the Technical University of Crete, namely the Computer Aided Design (CAD) Laboratory, the Digital Construction and Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, the Built Environment and Energy Management Laboratory, as well as the TUCER Research Group.

The team went on to design and produce Thorax_TUC face shields to meet part of the increased needs due to the pandemic. The Thorax_TUC face shields are based on the corresponding design by Josef Prusa and are specifically designed to protect healthcare professionals, featuring an ergonomic and simple design consisting of minimal components with the aim of cost-effective and rapid manufacturing, using 3D printing. The protective visor is used as an aid to the work of professionals.The designs and files to be printed are available in a public repository, ready for immediate printing on a 3D printer.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3bEB6Qe

Scientific team of the University of Ioannina

The University of Ioannina is also implementing an effort to support the public health care system, using 3D printing for the manufacture of face masks to protect the health care staff of the University General Hospital of Ioannina.

Utilizing the resources and equipment of the Foundation’s laboratories, the first prints in optimal quality of production and hygiene have already been completed and the gradual delivery of the material to support the work of the nursing and medical staff of the University Hospital of Ioannina has begun. This dynamic process under the pressure of time, requires constant updating and improvement of printing parameters and material designs, in order to save valuable time and increase the production rate.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/34Z2jua

Hellas COVID19 3D Printing Supplies

The volunteer 3D printing team in collaboration with the Ministry of Health prints protective shields for the country’s medical and nursing staff. The group has about 1,850 members. A total of 350-370 3D printers are available to print the personal protective equipment, with a plan approved by the Ministry of Health.

From the moment the team was created, the response from people who have 3D printers and people who want to help with sponsorships has been very strong. There is also great interest from organisations that need the shields in their daily battle with the virus. About 70 professionals and 205 amateurs with their printers participate in the group. The protection shield consists of 4 parts: the upper and lower plastic (this is printed by 3D printers), the rubber, the membrane (Zelatin of specific specifications and thickness). Volunteers print the top and bottom and send them to the team in Athens where they are packed (along with the rubber and the membrane) to be sent to the Ministry.
Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2867852269960154/