Forrest Bird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Forrest Bird
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Forrest Bird (left) receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George W. Bush (right) in 2008
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| Born | June 9, 1921 |
| Died | August 2, 2015 (aged 94) Sagle, Idaho
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Doctor of Science in Aeronautics (1977) Doctor of Medicine (1979) |
| Alma mater | Northrop University (ScD) Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (MD) |
| Known for | Bird Universal Medical Respirator (1958) |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Moran (m.1945) Dominique Deckers (m. 1988) Pamela Riddle (m. 1999) |
| Children | Catherine Bird |
| Awards | National Inventors Hall of Fame Presidential Citizens Medal National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2009) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pulmonology, Intensive Care |
| Academic advisors | Andre Cournad |
Forrest Morton Bird (June 9, 1921 – August 2, 2015) was an American aviator, inventor, and biomedical engineer. He is famous for creating some of the first reliable mass-produced mechanical ventilators. These machines helped people with serious breathing problems.
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About Forrest Bird
Forrest Bird was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts. His father encouraged him to fly from a young age. By the time he was 14, he had already flown his first solo flight!
By age 16, he was working to get many important pilot certifications. This showed how dedicated he was to flying.
In 1941, Bird joined the United States Army Air Corps. Because of his advanced skills, he became a technical air training officer. During World War II, he got to fly almost every type of aircraft. This included early jet aircraft and helicopters.
Newer planes could fly so high that people couldn't breathe enough oxygen. This caused a risk of hypoxia, which is when your body doesn't get enough oxygen. Bird found an oxygen regulator in a crashed German bomber. He realized it had a special breathing system.
He took the regulator home and improved it. His design became the standard for high-altitude oxygen regulators in military planes for a long time. Bird also studied medicine to understand how the human body works under stress during flight. This knowledge helped him create amazing respirators and ventilators.
In 1967, Bird developed the Bird Innovator. This was a special version of the Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibian aircraft. His company was first called Bird Oxygen Breathing Equipment Inc. Later, it became Bird Corporation.
Forrest Bird lived in Sagle, Idaho, near the Canada–US border. His home, factories, museum, and ranch were all there. He loved collecting and restoring old planes, cars, and motorcycles.
In July 2007, Forrest and Pamela Bird opened the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center. It shows off Bird's many aircraft and inventions.
Forrest Bird received many important awards. On December 10, 2008, President George Bush gave him the Presidential Citizens Medal. This award honored his amazing inventions and his work to keep America at the forefront of discovery. On October 7, 2009, President Barack Obama gave him the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This recognized his "outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology."
Forrest Bird passed away at age 94 on August 2, 2015, at his home in Sagle, Idaho.
Mechanical Ventilators
A mechanical ventilator is a machine that helps people breathe when they can't do it well on their own. It pushes air into the lungs and lets it out, acting like an artificial lung.
The First "Bird" Machines
All of Bird’s ventilators were made with clear plastic cases. Bird thought that if people could see inside the machines, they would understand them better. This would help them use, fix, and apply the devices more effectively.
Bird's first prototype was made from strawberry shortcake tins and a doorknob! Most of these early units were sold to the Army. After more improvements, he released the "Bird Universal Medical Respirator" in 1955. It was a small green box, often called the "Bird." This machine quickly became common in hospitals.
The Bird Mark 8 model added new features. He also made a ventilator especially for babies, nicknamed the "Babybird." This device was very important. It helped reduce the number of babies who died from breathing problems from 70% to just 10%. The Bird Mark 7 Respirator is still used in hospitals around the world today.
Awards and Recognition
Forrest Bird received the Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award in 1985. He continued to help develop new breathing machines, including the VDR. This ventilator helps even the most challenging patients.
In 1995, Bird was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This is a special place for people who have created important inventions. The American Respiratory Care Foundation even named one of its yearly awards after him.
History of Bird Corporation
- 1965: The first factory assembly line began making a medical respirator for home use, called the Mark III.
- 1971: Bird introduced the first ventilator made specifically for infants.
- 1978: Bird sold his company to 3M.
- 1984: 3M sold Bird Products to a management group.
- 1987: The Bird 6400ST was released. This was a new generation of ventilator.
- 1995: Thermo Electron Corp. took over Bird. That same year, Bird was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
- 2002: The company became part of VIASYS Respiratory Care through various changes.
- 2009: The company became part of CareFusion Corp., a subsidiary of Cardinal Health Inc..
See also
In Spanish: Forrest Bird para niños
