Apple Faceshield
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“Our first shipment was delivered to Kaiser hospital facilities in the Santa Clara Valley this past week, and the feedback from doctors was very positive,” Cook says. “These pack flat, one hundred per box. Each shield is assembled in less than two minutes and is fully adjustable. We’re sourcing materials and manufacturing in the US and China.”
Apple plans to ship more than one million shields by the end of this week and a further million each week after that. So far the company has been working to distribute them across the US, but plans to expand elsewhere soon. “Our focus is on unique ways Apple can help, meeting essential needs of caregivers urgently and at a scale the circumstances require,” Cook says.
Did they adapt an existing cutting tool? New tool? What were those factories making before the pandemic?
Most medical professionals don’t even wear this full kit routinely in hospitals, let alone when they are out in public, so there’s no need for the public to use them in general working conditions.
Faceshield therefore protects from the main transmission vector. It's not impossible to get infected otherwise, simply much less likely. Your main enemy are getting coughed/sneezed/talked at in close proximity.
Surface spread is likely also extremely limited (source: Prof. Hendrik Streecke who continues to study COVID-19 in the German epicenter of Heinsberg [2]). Money quote from source:
> "Wir waren in einem Haushalt, wo viele hochinfektiöse Menschen gelebt haben, und trotzdem haben wir kein lebendes Virus von irgendeiner Oberfläche bekommen.“
English: "We have studied a household where highly infectious individuals resided and have still been unable to find any living virus on any surface."
All virus residues found have been dead virus material.
[1, German] https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus...
[2, German] https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/covid-19-wie-lange-sich-das-c...
This study talks through the advantages of adding them to the repertoire for infectious disease control as part of your PPE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015006/
I believe face masks are only 95% effective at best and that's only with a proper N95 which a lot of medical staff appear not to be able to get hold of. Hence they're wearing things like Buffs or cycling masks to make do. In that situation, having another layer that can stop droplets etc. from reaching the mask in the first place makes sense to me.
Plus it stops a whole lot of messy body fluids from reaching the mask and goggles which cuts out a swap/clean cycle (again, difficult if there's no spares!)
[Edit to correct 'googles' to 'goggles', FFHS]
(though N99 and N100 respirators do exist)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/map-reveals-hidde...
Ideally, they'd be cheap enough for municipalities to buy and distribute.
This burst of PPE being produced in mass quantities are and were never meant to go in the hands of the general public (i.e., non healthcare workers), though. The general public does not need to be walking around with a full face shield, that’ll be a waste of materials, time and money, unfortunately.
It may not be a terrible thing if some percentage of people buy "unnecessary" Personal Protective Equipment. It creates some distributed supply in case something unexpected happens, even if under normal circumstances the equipment is unused.
1. "There may be some protection from droplets and liquids propelled directly onto the mask, but a faceshield would be a better choice if this is a concern." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commenta...
These things are common sense. If you don't believe a face shield will help, why bother sneezing in your elbow?
We have three modes of potential transmission:
1) Large droplets, where face shields increase the effective distance from others. 2) Contact, where faceshield prevent you from accidentally touching your face. 3) Aerosol, where faceshields don't do a thing.
But reducing 2 out of 3 modes of transmission for a buck or two makes complete sense.
So... how do you reconcile your statement with that?
They are at great risk for infection and for being vectors of infection, and are performing an essential service.
These face masks are a great piece of technology for them: effective, reusable, and comfortable enough to wear for a full shift.
Mostly time given current priorities -- given that we've spent 100000x the materials and money buying every kind of disposable plastic crap every year for no reason at all...
A face shield sounds like a prudent way to reduce one’s risk while also being able to interact with others. Why not let citizens buy them after shortages end?
About 100 people in America die per day from motor vehicle accidents. Next I suppose you're going to tell me that the extra $50 it costs to install a seatbelt in my car is a waste of materials, time, and money too, right?
But I doubt it will work well against coughing because the airflow can just go around it.
LaVision had this great visualisation about the coughing airflow: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kYJvU81DKgk
Unless my math is wrong: 330M/52
What's so wrong with that? Do you not believe that yes, everyone should be able to have protective equipment not just health care workers? In what kind of a country do we live where we have to ration health care supplies (a basic one at that -- it's literally clear plastic) to only those working directly in health care? It's merely a hope woofie11 expressed, and I too have the same hope: that yes, our system is good enough to protect everyone and rationing shouldn't be needed.
Woofie11 said nothing about not giving supplies to those that most need it first and nor have I.
Didn't vote him down, but it is a bit silly. Apple isn't becoming a medical supply company, they are producing a product to fill an urgent medical need. They don't have the distribution network to supply these to retail, nor is it likely they ever will.
Readily available, cheap, disposable, lightweight, does not restrict visibility.
If you're working in the wind, you might need to weigh down the bottom part with something, but that's also trivial to do.
Not recommended for infants and small children, of course...
If they want to make them for sale they should, 1k a mask for the general public.
Mixed feelings about this. What happened to the reports that Apple suppliers were essentially using slave labour to build their products in China? I didn't see any response at all from them - do they care?
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-forced-uighur-labor-ip...
I’m not saying it’s not a problem, but it’s not an Apple problem. It’s a doing business with China problem.
How many people do we think would choose not to buy a smartphone made in China this year, if they knew the supply chain used slavery. Sadly, I don't think people care - as long as they get the latest iPhone... (maybe why I am being downvoted?)
Based on that design (and others) makers in Germany have started organizing, so that people can either request shields or supply shields. Organized on Slack and into local distribution hubs. We hace started sharing supplies and even got discounts from filament vendors: https://www.makervsvirus.org/en/
Edit: Just wanted to share something related and not downplay Apple with this comment. Would love if they'd opensource their designs ;)
I'm honestly not sure why people don't just use plastic food wrap as a cheap improvised alternative for face shields. It's lightweight, readily available, disposable, fits over any attire and does not restrict visibility.
This can be a supplement until the original supply chains are up to speed and the doctor's can get the real equipment through official channels.
2. It's really hard to breathe through food wrap and it doesn't cling to hair well.
You wrap it around the top of your head (forehead level), so it sticks to itself. You keeps the bottom part loose, so it doesn't restrict breathing. It works.
The speed of product delivery is a combination of how quickly you can make it, but also how quickly you can deliver it.
3D printing loses on production speed, but wins on delivery because it can be made a few minutes' drive away from the hospital.
Ping matters as much as bandwidth.
While we're waiting for mass production to step up, these local productions make a difference now.
In the meantime injection mold factories started creating the mold, fine tuning it and are now producing in large quantities.
But you see, for 2 weeks (or more) the big factories had 0 face shields coming out, which matters a lot.
People on the field don't need great and efficient solutions 2 weeks down the line, they need good enough solutions NOW.
I don't understand how the comment can have upvotes. "feels good"? Really? People with 3D printers are making a difference and actually helping those in the field. From health staff, to law enforcement to other areas. Shame on you.
And no I don't have a 3D printer. Unfortunately.
The TLDR is: 3D printing can start instantly. Someone with CAD skills can have a design made, 3D printed and out for evaluation in hours. In takes days (or weeks) to get a good injection mold tooled and up and running. Then once the injection molding is going, 3d printing can switch to working on something else.
This is all about fast. fast. fast.
https://github.com/aon3d/covid-face-shield
Full disclosure: I work for Aon3d.
I've also heard about regional schools using their 3D printers to make those.
You can see the shields, complete with the "Prusa" label on the 3D printed parts even in regular news coverage worn by medical personel.
If you have a factory that can make a face shields by the milion, definitely go for it! Still, you need then to transfer the finished shields to all the many places that need them, which can somtimes be tricky with all the lockdowns and border checks in place.
Are people iterating on the design much?
Bleach+vinegar = chlorine gas, Bleach+ammonia = chloramine, Bleach+rubbing alcohol = chloroform
Just don't mix bleach with anything.
And while we're at it, don't mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, either.
Thanks to your comment I now know the other nights, where they were not rendered unconscious by blunt trauma, but rather through a rag of chloroform, they were probably inhaling phosgene too.
Those boys were sure putting their futures at risk!
Bleach+vinegar = chlorine gas
Bleach+ammonia = chloramine
Bleach+rubbing alcohol = chloroform
(though not mustard gas)
<meta name="robots" content="NOINDEX, FOLLOW" />
So the page was made available for the intended customers only, healthcare workers who likely know how to properly use bleach to clean it. This page won't be indexed by search engines.
Ironically, because it was posted on HN, it will appear, but as a link inside of an HN story.
They who?
Sterilization and disinfection are NOT the same thing. The products they suggest using for "sterilization" are disinfecting agents. They will kill most, but not all, microbes. Sterilization implies that you've eliminated everything, and requires much more intense methods.
For example: 3% hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant. The most similar sterilant that I'm aware of is hydrogen peroxide gas plasma.
Since this is going to medical professionals they should already know how to sterilize face shields and the like.
"You can sterilize and reuse your face shield. It has been evaluated to be compatible with the following chemicals:"
I interpreted that to mean that those chemicals could be used to sterilize the mask, which you've now explained to be incorrect. A nitpick, but a valid one all the same!
We are working with several major hospital groups and that is something they have asked for specifically. Actually they have requested we make modifications to the various open source designs to accommodate that.
The hospitals we are working with wouldn’t accept this design.
This is also why the NIH approved design incorporated a top cover: https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013359
This was at great expense to efficiency of printing, but it was something that was required for approval.
To be clear, I'm not talking about Cook or Elon, but the genius engineers they've cultivated to work for them.
Clear instructions, kick-ass animations.
I'd love to be able to afford support sites like this one.
N95 masks do the same, but also protect you from 95% of particles that meet the following: "The particle size distribution will be a count median diameter of 0.185±0.020 micrometer and a geometric standard deviation not exceeding 1.6. Each respirator filter unit will be challenged with an aerosol concentration of 100 ± 10 mg/m3"
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/stps/pdfs/TEB-APR-STP-0001-5...
They are also tested for air flow rates to meet standard for inflow and outflow.
They don't protect you against the virus, they protect you against the aerosols that may be carrying the virus.
Face shields are for protecting against liquids and solids, not particles.
They might be useful for people like checkout clerks, but a fixed screen would do the same.
Aside from that, it's pretty nice.
This is intended to be a face shield. I'm sure Apple could make surgical masks? But that's not the most acute supply need at the moment.
Analysts criticize lack of ports, launch titles, developer support.
https://pac-dent.com/products/infection-control/ishield-disp...
Very interesting summary of the effectiveness of face shields [1]
"Utilizing a cough aerosol simulator loaded with influenza virus (aerosol volume mean diameter of 8.5 μm) and a breathing simulator, Lindsley et al.[16] reported 96% and 92% reductions in the risk of inhalational exposure immediately after a cough for a face shield at distances of 18 in (46 cm) and 72 in (183 cm), respectively. Decreasing the aerosol size to 3.4 μm resulted in the face shield blocking 68% of the inhalational exposure at 18 in (46 cm) immediately after the cough and 23% over 1–30 min post-cough (during which time the larger aerosol particles had settled out and droplet nuclei had formed and remained airborne so that flow occurred more easily around the edges of the face shield)"
Seems like a face shield may be very good protection for a short term exposure - especially combined with a mask. e.g. walking by someone who coughs.
It also makes me wonder about a face shield fixed with something to blow filtered air in from the top of the shield. I assume that would make it less likely for air to come around the edges of the mask and possibly be more comfortable than a mask. You could have a shield blowing a constant cool breeze on you. Although this would have the disadvantage of needing batteries and replacing filters.
I find masks uncomfortable. My face or nose itches. My glasses fog up. I feel like a face shield might be more comfortable.
Based on what medical professionals are saying, regular shields aren’t going to protect you from normal aerosols. Social distancing is probably better for people coughing near you. And buying shields is only going to increase mortality for hospital workers.
Also, mild discomfort is a small price to pay compared to not infecting and killing people around you.
Why not spend couple more cents and build in a clicking adjustment mechanism??
But overall, good job Apple :)
Also, is there a way that hospitals can make an 'order/ask'? Like: we need 5 ventilator splitters.
There is this tremendous spirit and untapped generousity, but blind donating isn't the best, nor is getting a bunch of supplies that don't work.
Anyone trying to coordinate all this?
https://www.makersasylum.com/covid19/
Their open source face shield designs, which include different materials: https://github.com/MakersAsylumIndia/Covid-19
I thought this was too funny not to share.
2) Because they have the spare cash to spin this up very quickly.
3) Because they want to help (or at a minimum, look like they're helping).
Are there any reasons why they _shouldn't_ be making this kind of stuff? Other companies also meet all 3 of those conditions, and I think we should be glad (note: I'm saying 'glad' and not 'grateful') that any of them are doing this.
They're going to make a million face shields this week, and one million per week thereafter, with the intention to produce them above US demand levels to help other nations. I'd say it qualifies as a lot more than looking like they're helping.
One notable problem during the pandemic is the shortage of personal protective equipment -- sometimes called PPE. This equipment is critical for people to prevent getting infected and infecting others. Organizations with large manufacturing capacities, such as Apple, are looking to help by leveraging their supply chains, manufacturing base, and other talents, by manufacturing PPE for medical workers or even for normal people like you!
EDIT: Octoth0rpe posted at the same exact time, lol.
Like many companies, they are looking at their skillset in terms of 'how can we use this to help in a pandemic', and every company doing that should be given credit for it.
Because contrary to the HN cliché, not all companies are solely motivated by filling shareholder pockets and being evil.
See also: The hundreds of other companies making, importing, and distributing medical supplies at their own expense.
It will be a fashion wearable. No doubt.
Well thought of from Apple
Can we expect a ventilator machined from a block of aluminum next?
> The Czech 3D Printer company Prusa has been on it for a while: https://www.prusa3d.com/covid19/ and they have been open-sourcing the design. You can print it on a 3D printer.
This stops stuff going into your eyes. You must not ignore the ocular route. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...
This will me more useful to healthcare professionals (or family carers) working in close proximity to patients (or family) who may have covid-19, especially if those patients are coughing or the HCPs are performing AGP - aerosol generating procedures.
Surgical masks aren't really filtering anything microscopic that's floating in the air, just blocking spit and other macro stuff.
EDIT: I see now that the design is different, you’re right
The main difference is that it doesn't require 3D printing which is obviously a deal-breaker for the quantity needed. By incorporating the clear plastic as a structural element, they eliminated a piece from the design. The bottom piece is also eliminated.
Altogether more elegant and more useful than the Prusa design.
For anyone who has worked in product design and manufacturing, it is one thing to be able to make a few prototypes (which is where 3D printing shines), and another challenge to make 5 million of those prototypes per week. It is monumentally difficult to produce anything in high volume.
I wish the media would talk about many other amazing manufacturing technologies - injection molding (20 seconds a part!), die cast aluminium, water jet cutting, laser cutting, metal stamping, and machining. These are equally amazing technologies that make the world tick...yet 3D printing gets disproportionately amount of attention. Mold making alone is a topic of insane complexity and engineering challenges.
It's awesome that Prusa designed and open sourced face shields. Apple seems to have improved on those designs - to me, that's exactly the point of open source.
I'm not sure the Apple design was influenced by Prusa at all. The curved plastic is basically universal, and was present in face shields long before the coronavirus crisis. Some face shields used a rigid molded plastic shield, but that's obviously much harder to manufacture. If the shield is made of flexible plastic, something is clearly needed to tension it; the Prusa design used a rigid printed component, and Apple used another flexible component.
Prusa: https://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/How+to+assemble+the+Prusa+F...
KSU: https://www.ajc.com/news/local/kennesaw-state-staff-members-...
A lot of people were prototyping shields to satisfy a sudden and overwhelming demand, and with 3D printers it seemed like dozens of variations appeared overnight. I don't think attribution is a big concern.
You're right though that they're not the same, beyond what similarity the function brings.
This design is entirely die cut, which is incredibly fast. A machine could probably stamp out 10 of these in the time it takes to print one layer in a typical FDM printer.
You can – depending on the material. The problem is keeping them sterile because, as you point out, there's gaps between layers. And there's wear on the material with most sterilization processes. Which doesn't really help with the end goal. Ideally these would be quickly discarded.
> A machine could probably stamp out 10 of these in the time it takes to print one layer in a typical FDM printer
An Apple machine, right? Have they shared their designs so that other manufacturing facilities can build them? If they did not... then you'll get the obsession with 3d printing.
> On top of that, the design is already commercialized.
About the size of an Airpod stem. Thank you!
Sort of like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4lS9poHvpU
Or other such studio, probably...
I'm actually really concerned their physicians are using those N95 masks.
Thankfully face shields are less of a risk.
It's like they can't imagine a crisis worse than COVID being created by a sloppy and irresponsible response (exempting, of course, responses that hurt their investment portfolios, all of which are bad).
The goal at the moment for global manufacturing to produce PPE and masks in huge numbers as fast as possible. Not to create new sources of revenue.
> You can sterilize and reuse your face shield. It has been evaluated to be compatible with the following chemicals [...]
*Strap not included
But seriously - nice work Apple.
All jokes aside. This is great from Apple!
The latter seem mostly to update existing products like faster tests or trying to develop vaccines.
Whereas it’s the tech companies which are going a bit beyond their traditional business: Apple making face masks, Google and Apple making screening websites (other examples?)
All of which could be done by traditional health companies, but unfortunately innovation is not their strength. Need to be disrupted!
And no surprise from Apple, since Tim Cook has said before: “Apple’s biggest contribution to mankind will be in healthcare” and they are doing a lot more than these face masks.
Masks don't get us out of this crisis. The billions-fold more complex work of developing effective treatments and vaccines does.
What an odd sentiment you've got here.
Apple FaceShield® - A magical yet disposable premium face shield from yours truly at One Apple Park.*
*This device has not been tested or qualified to prevent or reduce infection, and does not provide particulate filtration. Not intended for use in surgical settings. These devices have not been disinfected or cleaned. Non-sterile.*
Only $99 yearly subscription. /s
Thank you. *Terms and Conditions Apply.
Copyright © 2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
Me: Ok.