A friend of mine recently mentioned that his grandfather died in the bird flu epidemic of 1918. The flu killed 675,000 Americans that year when the population was only 100 million. That equates to almost 2 million fatalities for a similar percentage today. Some 40 million died worldwide in a matter of months. Most of the dead were between 20 and 40 years old. It seems older people may have built up resistance after surviving lesser strains of flu.

Today, of course, the avian influenza in Asia is making headlines and may be headed this way. Maybe it won't be a pandemic or even an epidemic, but it seems wise to make a few preparations. Better safe than sorry.

There seems little chance of sequestering the bird flu because it's carried by ducks and geese that migrate long distances. Fortunately for us, the virus must first mutate before making the jump to humans. But mutations could make airborne transmission possible and the pandemic a reality.

Too bad there is no ETA on the disease. Some Chicken Littles expect it this year (2006). But the most level-headed estimate says it will hit sometime in the next 20 years, based on past cycles of infectious diseases. And don't count on a last-minute vaccine. Although new production methods such as human-cell cultures and DNA vaccines look promising, the epidemic could blow through in a matter of months. Production vats might just get ordered as the epidemic wanes.

Here's where you come in. The virus infects the lungs filling them with fluid, making it a chore for victims to inhale and exhale. The infection will skyrocket demand for simple items such as surgical masks and gloves, and more complex equipment such as respiratory ventilators, which are much more than simple air pumps. DRE Medical Equipment (dremed.com) shows a cross section of used equipment. Complex units have flat panel displays and stand five-ft. high. Others sit on table tops.

In small quantities, ventilators cost upwards of $20,000 each. The Australian government considered part of its preparation to spend $6.2 million for just 303 of them. Most of about 100,000 ventilators in the U.S. are already in use. Your job is to bring down the cost of ventilators and make them more affordable.

Of course, current regulations and conventional planning suggest that expensive equipment should not just lay around hospitals. And that makes 500,000 new ventilators worth $10 billion waiting for an uncertain emergency seem a bit wasteful.

So I ask: Is it possible to build a $1,000 ventilator?

Additional useful equipment would be personal breathing filters worn like masks. But these must trap airborne viruses. The masks would have to cover the nose and mouth to prevent inhaling contaminants and be light and comfortable enough to wear for long periods. These would be immediately useful in location where the flu has already been identified.

A lot of equipment, such as traditional masks and gloves, will be needed quickly, so there will be no time to place large orders from low-cost manufacturers across the Pacific. This makes a good argument for production in the U.S..

Who's going to pay for all this, you ask? In one way or another, we all are. We'll pay out of pocket now for the preparations or we'll pay with our lives. The decision is not difficult.