Ā鶹“«Ć½

Contact: James Caskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Ā鶹“«Ć½ State UniversityĀ researchers are working to convert over 550 ventilators from battery power to AC power so they canĀ be usedĀ in the stateā€™sĀ medical responseĀ toĀ the COVID-19 coronavirus.Ā 

MSUā€™sĀ Paul B. JacobĀ High Voltage LaboratoryĀ was contactedĀ by the Ā鶹“«Ć½ Institutions of HigherĀ Learning this week to discuss converting theĀ battery-poweredĀ ventilators,Ā whichĀ areĀ designedĀ to fill temporary needsĀ in the aftermath of emergencies like hurricanes.Ā Once converted to AC power, which will allow forĀ easierĀ long-termĀ useĀ because they canĀ be pluggedĀ into a wall, the ventilatorsĀ willĀ be sentĀ to the University of Ā鶹“«Ć½ Medical Center in Jackson.Ā 

ā€œI am proud that our talented researchers can put their expertise to use as Ā鶹“«Ć½ continues the battle against COVID-19,ā€ said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. ā€œThese ventilators will allow our stateā€™sĀ outstandingĀ medical professionals to saveĀ moreĀ livesĀ and provide needed care, and I appreciate the team at our High Voltage Lab working to put these to use as fast as possible. MSU stands ready toĀ assistĀ in this fightĀ in any way we can.ā€Ā 

David Wallace, manager of theĀ High Voltage Lab, said he and his colleagues designed modifications that allow the ventilators to run on ACĀ power or battery power. Louisville-based Taylor Machine Works isĀ assistingĀ with sourcing parts for the ventilators and converting them. The ventilatorsĀ are expectedĀ to be ready for use by the end of this week.Ā 

ā€œWith the help of my graduate students, we were able to design the circuit that we neededĀ and figure out what parts we needed,ā€ Wallace said. ā€œWe have enough space in the lab and enoughĀ manpowerĀ to bring everything together and get these assembledĀ once all the parts are in place. Taylor MachineĀ WorksĀ is capable ofĀ doingĀ the same thing at their facility, soĀ theyā€™reĀ going to take our design andĀ convertĀ approximatelyĀ halfĀ ofĀ them.Ā BetweenĀ theĀ twoĀ ofĀ us,Ā weĀ canĀ haveĀ theseĀ readyĀ very quickly.ā€Ā 

The Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory is part of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.Ā The labĀ was constructedĀ in 1977 and is the largest university-operated high voltageĀ laboratoryĀ in North America.Ā For more, visitĀ .ĢżĢż

MSU is Ā鶹“«Ć½ā€™sĀ leadingĀ university, available onlineĀ atĀ .