Startups
Coronavirus

University of Delaware-made HensNest protective mask is headed toward mass production

Mechanical Engineering Design Studio's co-directors led the design process of the reusable N95 alternative, now in a testing phase — and they're looking for makers to produce it.

The assembled HensNest protective mask. (Screenshot)

Makers, entrepreneurs and even organizations such as Delaware Libraries have all joined the cause to create donatable items to aid in the fight against COVID-19, including personal protective equipment like face shields and masks.

It’s no surprise that the University of Delaware’s Mechanical Engineering Design Studio is involved as well — and has come up with a simple design for a 3D-printed mask that, unlike fabric masks, aim to reach the level of protection offered by an N95 respirator.

Design Studio co-directors Jenni Buckley, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Whitney Sample, an industrial designer with 20 years of experience in the medical field, worked with faculty, students and clinical partners to develop a design that can be 3D-printed quickly and easily assembled with a square of filter material, such as an HVAC filter.

The design, called the HensNest, can be found on the NIH 3D Print Exchange for free, and a tutorial on how to assemble it is on YouTube:

The design was based on an open-source design by Mark Fuller at GE Additive, with the UD team adding its own innovations.

While the design is available, it has not yet been tested and is not FDA approved — but the team is proactively looking for makers interested in producing HensNest masks when the testing in done and they known the safest filter material to use.

One company, Celanese Corporation in Kentucky, already has plans to mass produce the HensNest using injection molding, according to UDaily.

If you’re interested in helping with this project, contact Jenni Buckley at jbuckley@udel.edu or Whitney Sample at whitneys@udel.edu.

Companies: University of Delaware

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

After the election, go to Thanksgiving dinner anyway

How 4 orgs give back to their local tech community

Hispanic tech workers more than double representation in key US cities

This Week in Jobs: Unfreeze your career with these 30 open roles

Technically Media