Blue-White engages all resources to quickly develop temporary ventilator

Blue-White Industries and city officials in Huntington Beach, California, collaborated to design, develop and test prototypes for ventilators.

June 26, 2020

2 min read

For two weeks, seven of Blue-White’s most experienced engineers — mechanical, electrical and manufacturing — collaborated with company president and CEO Rob Gledhill to design, develop and test prototypes.

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.

Blue-White’s ventilator is currently in long-term testing and is being submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval.

“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,” Gledhill said. “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.

“With a strong desire to be of service, and with will and determination, we produced what we believe is an exceptionally high-quality and reliable piece of equipment,” said Gledhill. “We developed the Blue-White Temporary Ventilator using 100% in-house parts, raw materials and existing equipment.”

Blue-White’s ventilator is currently in long-term testing and is being submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval. In the meantime, Blue-White’s team is busy developing a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack so the ventilator can be portable.