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Bucknell professors making PPE for hospital

Some engineering professors at Bucknell University are designing and making personal protective equipment for medical professionals.

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Like many professors around the country, Brandon Vogel of Lewisburg is working from home. The Bucknell University chemical engineering professor is teaching classes online, but he also wanted to use his skills to help during the current pandemic.

Vogel contacted a friend who works at nearby Evangelical Community Hospital.

"We got an immediate response back that said, 'actually we're in dire need,' or 'we could really use intubation tents,'" Vogel said.

Intubation is when a doctor puts a tube down a patient's throat, into their airway. This is done so the patient can be put on a ventilator. When this happens, fluids can go into the air, hence the need for intubation tents.

"It basically allows the doctors to put a shield around the patient while they're doing this process, and the mist that may come out is caught by the shield, preventing it from going into the room."

Vogel started last week and came up with a way to make a lot of intubation tents. Home Depot donated supplies, including PVC piping.

"It's easy to feel kind of helpless and like everything is against you, so when you can take something into your own hands and do something positive, I think that's great."

Some of Vogel's colleagues in the engineering department at Bucknell are helping him, while other professors are making masks and other personal protective equipment.

"Engineers, I think that we all feel we have a unique skill set, and we can apply it to solving problems, and we are trying to solve these problems," Vogel said.

Vogel made 15 intubation tents for Evangelical Community Hospital over the weekend. He has been asked to make about a dozen more and says he is happy to help.

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