Emerson Respirator/Iron Lung
What is an Iron Lung?
A Tale of Two Names: Invented by John Haven Emerson in 1931, the Emerson Respirator (or the Iron Lung as it is more frequently called) creates a microenvironment that mimics the way the body’s chest muscles and diaphragm move air into and out of the lungs.
A True Lifesaver: In the 1940s and 1950s, incidents of polio began to rise to epidemic proportions. The iron lung became one of the most iconic objects of the polio epidemic.
Current Use