May 11, 2020 (Blue-White release) — When officials in Huntington Beach, California, became concerned whether enough ventilators would be available to treat the anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, the city turned to Blue-White Industries, a local manufacturer of chemical metering pumps, flowmeters and water treatment accessories.
City officials asked Blue-White to quickly develop and build temporary ventilators that met multiple specifications and requirements. Without hesitation, Blue-White’s engineering team, led by president and chief executive officer Rob Gledhill, took up the challenge.
“Although the request was outside the scope of the products that Blue-White has manufactured for more than 60 years, we jumped at this opportunity to be of service,” said Gledhill.
“The initial design parameters called for us to automate the manual process of squeezing a manual valve bag (Ambu Bag) in emergency conditions to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients having difficulty breathing,” he added. “This process is meant to be used as a temporary measure, lasting from a few hours to three days, to sustain a patient until a long-term ventilator becomes available.”
For two weeks, seven of Blue-White’s most experienced engineers — mechanical, electrical and manufacturing — collaborated with Gledhill to design, develop and test prototypes. They drew on the expertise of local doctors, respiratory therapists and professors.
