Walbro Engineering Manager, New Product Development Brad Roche joins host Tyler Kern to outline how the company is doing its part to assist medical personnel on the front lines of the battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic.
On this episode of Talking Shop with Walbro, host Tyler Kern was joined by Walbro Engineering Manager, New Product Development Brad Roche for a special discussion about how the company is helping those on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walbro has created an aerosol shield for nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists to utilize during intubation, which protects these front-line healthcare workers from aerosol particles potentially spreading the novel coronavirus.
The product addresses a critical need for personal protective equipment, or PPE, that has been exposed by the accelerated spread of the virus.
“Through some brainstorming that we did, we tried to identify a lot of things that we could help with, then we started reaching out to medical professionals,” Roche said. “Through their guidance and feedback, we’ve created this device, which is largely based on something people are building in their garages. We thought we could bring a level of professionalism to it and make it a lot more durable, a lot more usable and (make it) last a lot longer for medical professionals.”
The entire process of engaging in this transition to supporting the medical community took less two weeks, with the initial brainstorm coming in mid-March, further consultation and improvements aimed at mass production toward the end of the month, and the first prototype-tooled version finalized on March 27.
Though Walbro was able to convert a plant typically manufacturing products like fuel tanks into a viable location for the production of these shields, Roche said the real heroes are those serving our global community on the leading edge of the fight against COVID-19. Learn more today at https://www.walbro.com/aerosol-shield/.
For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Healthcare Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.
Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!
Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale
Higher education is under pressure. Over the past few years, public confidence in the value of a four-year degree has declined significantly, with fewer Americans expressing a strong belief that traditional higher education delivers a worthwhile return on investment. At the same time, employers consistently report that graduates lack job-ready skills—particularly the “durable skills”…
Healthcare providers across the U.S. are facing a growing wave of claim denials that is putting pressure on already strained hospital finances. Industry research from the American Hospital Association shows that nearly 15% of medical claims submitted to private payers are initially denied, forcing hospitals and health systems to spend about $19.7 billion annually attempting…
At ISE 2026, Jabra highlighted how meeting technology is evolving to support the realities of hybrid work, where the experience must be equally effective for people inside and outside the room. In a conversation with Craig Durr, Chief Analyst and Founder of The Collab Collective, Jabra’s VP of Video Product Olly Henderson explained that…
Starting in 2026, The Marketing AI SparkCast alternates between the Marketing AI Pulse Monthly Brief and in-depth interviews with leading marketing AI innovators. This episode is the February 2026 edition of the Monthly Brief and focuses on trust and authenticity in an AI-driven world. Aby Varma and Matt Cyr explore the emergence of advertising inside…
Virtual care is no longer an experiment—it’s a structural shift in healthcare. Telehealth usage remains significantly higher than pre-2020 levels, and providers across disciplines are rethinking how to deliver higher-quality outcomes without the overhead and insurance constraints of traditional clinics. Meanwhile, recreational and endurance sports participation continues to rise, with millions of Americans registering…
Hospitals and surgery centers own millions of dollars in equipment — but owning assets and having actionable visibility into them are two different things. Most systems maintain inventories, yet many struggle with outdated records, fragmented tracking, and limited insight into useful life or service contracts. With nearly half of U.S. hospitals reporting negative operating…
