UPDATE: Rowan shares designs, instructions for 3D-printed face mask

Update: After releasing the original designs on April 1, Rowan engineers continued to refine the designs based on user feedback. The new designs and updated instructions are now posted on the site.

Note: “N95 masks and surgical masks can be cut to make multiple filter inserts. The best performing readily available materials are high-quality, high-thread count cotton and allergy reduction HVAC filters sandwiched between simple cotton layers. Other materials such as coffee filters (three layers), cotton bandana layers, or non-woven gauze provide limited protection.”

After real-world testing by two regional hospitals, Rowan University is releasing the designs and instructions for a 3D-printed face mask that can be washed, disinfected and reused in case of an emergency shortage.

Offered in three sizes, the face mask design features a replaceable filter that can be fitted with readily available sterile, nonwoven materials. The mask can be dipped in hot water and molded to the individual’s face.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends N95 masks to protect health care workers against coronavirus. While Rowan’s mask is not intended to substitute for the N95 model, it provides a mechanical barrier in the absence of standard personal protective equipment, or PPE.

After receiving requests from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Inspira Health for a 3D-printed face mask, Rowan faculty and students began working on the project on March 22. Adapted from a design shared by Billings Clinic Foundation, the masks were tested by health care providers at Cooper University Healthcare and Inspira Health.

“The collaborative effort involved the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, as well as colleges throughout the University, who worked day and night to solve the problem,” said Rowan’s president, Dr. Ali Houshmand.

“We’re getting requests from all over the country,” Houshmand said. “I’m proud we can share the design so anyone with a 3D printer can produce these masks anywhere in the world.”

For the mask design and instructions, visit rowan.edu/mask