Moncton teacher uses 3D printer to help health-care workers, inspire students

A Moncton teacher is helping health-care workers and hoping to inspire her students to find ways to solve COVID-19-related problems while they are home during the pandemic.

Grade 5 immersion teacher Venessa Poirier-LeBlancbrought her 3D printer home when schools were closed, hoping to better learn how to use it so she could help her students with more complex projects when things get back to normal.

When her mother, who works at a nursing home, started wearing a mask every day, she quickly found a project she calls"ear savers."

It's a way to hold surgical masks in place without having the elastic straps rubbing behind your ears for long stretches.

"I said why don't you bring it and test it, so now she's been wearing it every day," Poirier-LeBlanc said of the S-clips she has printed.

The classroom 3D printer has now been used to developthree prototypes for health-care workers, with the approval of Bessborough principal Nick Mattatall.

"When they're wearing these masks for 12-hour shifts I can just imagine how sore their ears, their face must be,"
he said. "And if this makes a little bit of a difference then it's a good investment."

'Ear savers' being put to the test

Mattatall's mother and many cousins are nurses, and he has sent the prototypes to all of them to try out. So far, he said, the smaller S-shape design seems to be the most popular.

"We decided on one now that we can print in about 11 minutes and it has virtually zero hair tangle and it's fully customizable and uses hair elastics along with the little S-hooks that we've created." he said.

The ear savers are now being put to the test with health-care workers wearing them throughout their shifts.

"We're going to get feedback from them and then we'll create an open source document anybody with a 3D printer can use to create these."

Moncton teacher uses 3D printer to create 'ear savers' for surgical masks

5 years ago

Duration 2:07

This Moncton teacher created a 3D-printed clip that holds surgical masks in place without causing irritation behind the ears.

Lessons to be learned

Poirier-LeBlanc said it's a simple way to help those on the front lines.

"As long as parents from the community want some, we'll print some and deliver them to them without contact of course. Just drop them on their steps."

Part of the at-home learning packages for Bessborough students includeCOVID-19 related challenges.

Students have been asked to come up with their own ear savers made with things around the house.

Mattatall said he's seen some interesting designs made with hot glue guns,pom-poms and pipe cleaners.

Even though Poirier-LeBlanc isn't in the classroom with her students every day, she believes this will provide a valuable lesson.

Her students are only allowed to use the 3D printer for something with a purpose, and she can think of no greater one than this.

"This is actually a real use," she said. "So I'll be able to go back and show them something I printed is being used by people in the community, so it's going to make their head start thinking a little bit more."

Poirier-LeBlanc said she may not be a health professional, but she is still helping. It's a lesson she hopes to share with her students.

"At least if I can help keep people that are helping other people safe at least I'm doing that and contributing to society and keeping busy." Poirier-LeBlanc said.