‘This Is Truly a Last Resort.’ Makers Are 3D Printing Ventilator Parts and Sewing Masks Amid a Critical Shortage in Medical Supplies
IN THE NEWS / APRIL 2020
While most of Adam Gainer’s family works in the medical field, the career path never interested him. Instead, the 35-year-old pursued engineering and design; he’s now working on a master’s degree in product design and innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University. But the global pandemic has thrust him, and thousands of other engineers, designers, and self-styled “makers,” into the healthcare world, producing gear for medical workers on the front lines like modern-day Rosie the Riveters.
“If any single one of my face shields were to help a single person, then I feel like all my energy and time has been worth it.”
-Adam Gainer, Master of Product Innovation student at VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation
TIME
