Both respirator
The Both respirator, also known as the Both Portable Cabinet Respirator, was a negative pressure ventilator (more commonly known as an "iron lung") invented by Edward Both in 1937. Made from plywood, the respirator was an affordable alternative to the more expensive designs that had been used prior to its development, and accordingly came into common usage in Australia. More widespread use emerged during the 1940s and 1950s, when the Both respirator was offered free of charge to Commonwealth hospitals by William Morris.
Development
In 1937, Australia faced a
Adelaide inventor Edward Both was approached in the hope that he could provide an alternative to meet the demand brought on by the epidemic. Both ran Both Equipment Limited with his brother Donald, and had previously developed medical apparatus. It took a few weeks for the pair to create their own iron lung, which they named the "Both portable cabinet respirator". Unlike the Drinker's machine, the Both respirator was made from plywood (even though it continued to be referred to as an "iron" lung), and this both kept the price down and made it more portable. The Both device cost only £100, was portable due to its light weight and the addition of wheels, and was simple enough that hospitals could build their own in their workshops, and it soon proved to be a success.[1] The portability also opened up other possibilities, and as a result people who needed extended assistance from the device were able to use one in their private residences: indeed, in 2003 there were still five privately owned Both respirators being used in residences within Victoria.[1][4]
Both and Nuffield
In 1938, Edward Both traveled to England to sell an
Nuffield was taken by the design, and in November of that year he offered to turn over part of his car factory for the manufacture of the Both respirators and to provide the respirators free of charge to any hospital in the
References
- ^ .
- PMID 779520.
- S2CID 27533352. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2019-02-24.
- ^ "Both respirator". Powerhouse Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- The Argus. 18 March 1939. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Iron Lung not Perfect". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 January 1939. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- S2CID 54283110.