Fighting the Pandemic: Building Ventilator Parts

November 24, 2020 | By: Jason Cannon 

When somebody becomes hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications, necessary medical equipment needed for treatment can be out of reach for certain area clinics and hospitals. Watch how engineers and experts are working towards building ventilator parts to help communities in need.

The logistics of transporting patients from rural areas to regional centers poses significant challenges. Nurcan Bac, Burak Aksak, and Richard Gale were part of a team that included Joe Dannemiller, Mark Dannemiller, Jeff Hanson, Robert Kovenburg, Derek Johnston, Roy Mullins, and numerous others who worked on developing prototypes for transfer line ventilators to help give community healthcare providers much needed relief. Ludlum Measurements of Sweetwater, Texas is working with the group on developing beta units based on two ventilator designs. They plan on having 150 units in production by the end of the year, but with the hope that they won't be needed.

You can read more about other pandemic relief efforts and other research stories in the newest edition of Discoveries.

tags: COVID-19, Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, Innovation, coronavirus, ventilators