Respirators are of great help for people, especially for those under surgeries or in coma who cannot breathe on their own. Forrest Morton Bird, an American aviator, inventor, and biomedical engineer, enhanced the original respirators and made the improved version available to the public.
The U.S. inventor was actually developing gadgets that would allow pilots flying at high altitudes to breathe with ease. He later discovered a functional similarity between airplane wings and human lungs that could help humans breathe. So, he focused his efforts on improving ventilators for patients.
After testing a prototype that he made with strawberry shortcake tins and a door knob, the inventor commercially released the Bird Mark 7 Respirator in 1956. His invention gradually replaced the large and heavy metal respirators. He also introduced the “Baby Bird,” which is a breathing device for infants with respiratory problems that significantly reduced death rates.
In 1995, Bird was inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Former-U.S. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Citation and, later, President Barack Obama also presented him with National Medal of Technology and Innovation. On Aug. 2, Bird, 94, died at his home in Sagle, Idaho.