Dr. Lei Kerr, professor in the CPB department, recently loaned an anesthesia machine to Oxford’s local McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital.

In March, the hospital began to reach out to the university, asking for any materials, like gloves, masks or lab coats, that could be donated. Following the outreach, Dr. Kerr and her colleagues began to think of ways they could help.

The machine was originally used in one of Dr. Kerr’s research projects where she was creating an “ artificial nose.” During the project, she used the anesthesia machine to mimic the breathing process.

“That anesthesia machine [is] used for projects, but I feel like if it can save peoples’ lives, [it] is doing much more than it was originally designed to do,” Dr. Kerr said.

The machine can be converted to a ventilator and, due to the shortage of this type of machinery during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kerr felt compelled to assist. 

“I feel very grateful to be able to help,” Dr. Kerr said. “The virus situation made us actually unite together.”

By Jenna Calderón, CEC Reporter