With college football and the normalcy of being a student-athlete on pause right now as the nation and world fight the coronavirus epidemic, University of Toledo senior offensive lineman Luke Doerger looked for a special way to serve his community.

Knowing he had a 3D printer and inspired by the online 3D printing community, Doerger decided to create surgical shields to donate to local hospitals.

“I saw the opportunity to make a difference how I could, and I jumped on it,” Doerger said. “I was raised and brought up my entire life with the ideal that if you are able to help and able to make a difference then you are called to fill that need and take action to do what you can.”

Doerger saw a need in the current global climate and is acting on that need.

“There was just this surge of movement from the online community in 3D printing to create these around the globe wherever the need wasn't being met by the current supply of medical supplies,” Doerger said. “There are the hobbyists, which I would consider myself right now, that have one maybe two, maybe three printers at their disposal. Hundreds of those people, if not thousands, are taking that same call to action. This is a global thing, not just something in the U.S., which is a really neat thing to see.”

To create a surgical shield, Doerger first downloads the standard model for the face shield and starts printing those with the 3D printer. He then uses specific plastic he has ordered for the visor of the face shield.

Then he also orders elastic to create what he calls “a snug, but comfortable” fit for the face shields. He uses a template for the face shields so they can be cut to proper specifications and the holes are where they need to go to fit onto the visor properly.

Once he has a batch of surgical shields done, Doerger said he plans to put on some latex gloves and a mask and take Clorox wipes and wipe down all the shields, “making sure there is the lowest possibility of contamination on them as possible”.

He will then pack up the shields and store them away for a day or two, before bringing them to whoever needs them.

So far, Doerger has made 30 shields, which is the most he can make with his current set of supplies. He is hoping to get more supplies in to continue with the production of the shields.

Life without football and a normal school routine has been a change for Doerger, who is a mechanical engineering major.

But he believes creating the shields has helped him fill that void.

“Going through this has definitely been a humbling experience because having football and being a normal student-athlete let alone a normal student, having that all but stripped away from me has been a very interesting and humbling experience,” Doerger said. “It gives a lot of perspective and through that being able to take the time and do what I can to help the cause has been very humbling. Beyond that, seeing so many other people out there, not just with these 3D-printed face shields, but people learning to sew in order to create surgical or protective masks.

“It's been a very cool process to see and has been a testament to a common goal that's been set out by everyone to better the human condition even in the worst-case scenario.”

First Published April 10, 2020, 6:45 p.m.