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
Behind every city vote, hospital budget or zoning decision is a leader navigating tough, often conflicting priorities. Right now, public leaders are operating in an environment of rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages and heightened community expectations—especially within safety-net systems that collectively provide billions in uncompensated care each year. The stakes are real—they affect patients…
Workforce shortages, shifting federal and state policy, and rising skepticism about the return on investment of a traditional four-year degree have pushed career-connected learning to the forefront of education reform. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment is expected to increase by nearly 4.7 million jobs between 2022 and 2032, with…
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future-state discussion—it’s a present-day leadership priority. As enterprises accelerate the adoption of generative AI and automation tools, hiring strategies are evolving alongside broader business transformation. According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 88% of organizations now report using AI in at least one business function, underscoring how…
Entrepreneurship is being glamorized in real time. Social media highlights overnight wins, AI tools promise instant scale, and private equity is reshaping industries at a rapid clip. Yet behind every “success story” is something far less flashy: failure, adaptability, and the discipline to keep going when life hits hard. According to the U.S. Bureau…
Artificial intelligence used to live in strategy decks and conference keynotes—but now it’s showing up in a very different place: right on the assembly tables where SPD technicians build trays for the next case. And it’s arriving at a time when the pressure on sterile processing has never been higher. As surgical volumes climb and…
Recognition is often described as a “nice to have” in healthcare, but on this episode of Care Anywhere, it’s framed as something far more essential. Host Lea Sims sits down with Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of The DAISY Foundation, and Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, co-founder of the organization, to explore…
