Immersed in life
Publish date 28-03-2021
Cristian Fracassi is a 37-year-old young entrepreneur, lives in the Brescia area and he too was nominated this year a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his commitment during the Covid-19 emergency .
In the first weeks of March, in fact, his company Isinnova had been contacted to make the valves of the respiratory masks, but immediately after a new surprise: a retired head physician of the Chiari hospital, Professor Renato Favero, had turned to Cristian and to his to develop not only some valves but a real breathing mask.
Cristian says: «The Brescia hospitals were in serious difficulty and, having no more official respiratory masks, we tried to help them by converting a snorkeling mask into a respiratory mask.
We took apart the mouthpiece and added a new element which we called the “Charlotte valve”. After 10 hours, I had the first prototype in hand and I tested it at the Chiari hospital. We spread the news and shared the files because the piece to be printed is very simple ».
The news has spread all over the world and in many countries, from Brazil to Taiwan to the Philippines, have begun to copy the idea. In Italy alone, 50 hospitals have turned to Cristian and his company for these masks and Decathlon itself has donated 10,000 snorkeling masks to which they have put the valves.
For Cristian and his collaborators and employees it was an unforgettable experience: «Making a contribution through 3D printing and my entrepreneurial activity to people's health is one of the most beautiful things that have ever happened to me from the point of view. from a work point of view, because if we manage to be useful even to a few people this makes us want to come to work even in these moments ». This story teaches us that any problem can become an opportunity and the transformation of diving masks has become an opportunity to stay immersed in life ...
Roberto Lerda
NP January 2021