Niagara College is getting $50,000 in federal funding to buy a 3D printer to help research how the COVID-19 virus spreads.
The state-of-the-art 3D additive manufacturing equipment will be used by researchers at the college's Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre at the Welland Campus.
The new biomedically compatible 3D printer will help researchers look into addressing special needs modifications to face shields/masks, 3D-printed nasal swabs and a patient-administered saliva collector.
$200,000 in federal funding was also given to Brock University to research the virus.
“The research infrastructure funded by CFI will expand Niagara College’s capacity to serve a wider array of people in need of specialized protection, testing and life-saving medical assistance,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, NC’s vice-president, Research and External Relations. “COVID-19 has highlighted the need for rapid, inclusive response to public health emergencies, and WAMIC’s research team responded by designing and manufacturing 37,000 face shields for front-line workers with Niagara Health [17,300] and other essential works in communities throughout Ontario [20,000].”