Reusable respirators

The ExOne Co. in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh have partnered to develop reusable metal filters that fit into a specially designed respirator cartridge for sustainable, long-term protection from contaminants.

ExOne’s binder jetting technology is a high-speed form of 3D printing that can produce metal parts with specific porosity levels that effectively can filter out contaminants while allowing airflow.

The company has 3D-printed respirator filters using two metals — copper and 316L stainless steel — and a range of porosity levels for use inside a unique cartridge designed by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering. Initial testing for airflow and filtration efficiency is underway, and the filters are being optimized with the goal of adhering to an N95 respirator standard.

A reusable, sterilizable copper filter has been 3D-printed. Image courtesy of ExOne

“Our team has been working urgently to expedite this promising and reusable solution for medical personnel on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” said CEO John Hartner of ExOne. “Our customers routinely print porous metal filters for a variety of purposes, and we are confident that we’ll have a solution soon that can enable medical personnel to sterilize metal filters for repeated reuse, eliminating waste. Once approved, we can print these filters in a variety of sizes for respirators, ventilators, anesthesia masks or other equipment.”