Anesthesia Machine

I'm sure they are hoping to hear an answer like "a giant dragon", "spaceship", or a replica of some famous skyline.

The last thing they would probably ever expect to hear is: "I'm building a full-sized anesthesia machine."

And yet, that's what I found myself doing during the summer of 2011.

I had to be talked into it. GE Healthcare had approached me in March of the year and started asking how much such a model would cost. I don't give out specific numbers on my website, but suffice it to say that my initial quote was a lot. I have not focused on building 3D sculptures for sometime now, and building a giant hospital contraption did not really pique my interest enough to change my mind.

But, as is often the case, negotiations continued, and eventually we came to agreeable terms. Once I realized this project was going to happen, then more mundane issues presented themselves.

First, I told, them, if they really wanted an accurate clone of this machine, I would need more than a few promotional pictures. I would need an actual anesthesia machine at my studio (that is, my house). Much to my surprise, they said, "okay, what's your address?" A few weeks later I had a legitimate anesthesia machine sitting in my living room (see right, it was one that was being sent away for refurbishing -- now detoured to sit at my place for the summer). We got insurance issues settled, and I made sure they wouldn't mind of my cat decided to climb around on this thing.

And that is how, by late May of 2011 I began building the "LEGO machine" as I called it.

Most of the time was actually spent waiting for pieces to arrive (since I keep very little in inventory these days). I ordered a lot (A LOT) of white bricks. In the end the model used over 30,000 pieces.

Here is a list of links to pictures that show some of the progression of the build:

• Starting at the bottom, we have the wheels.
• The machine was nearly hollow, but internal struts did have to be built from LEGO pieces to add support.
• The LEGO version is completely static. The drawers did not function, not did the LEGO version roll around.
• It was built in large, modular components that stacked atop one another.
• Here I've reached the "tabletop".
• The upper cabinet started getting a bit more interesting with knobs and colored components.
• Here is the beginning of one of the display monitors. No attempt was made to build them attached to the machine via the LEGO "arm" as in the real machine. The monitors would be displayed separately in the tradeshow booth where this model was eventually to end up.
• Almost complete at this point.
• A close up of some of the upper cabinet details.
• Another side-by-side comparison. 99% done at this point.
• Here is the machine at the tradeshow in mid-October.

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