When a New Jersey hospital couldn’t find enough batteries to keep its air purifying respirators working amid COVID-19, it turned to nearby Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University for a solution. A team there has since designed and produced rechargeable batteries using 6-volt gel cells, available at home improvement stores, to keep things running.

Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J., uses custom-made batteries for powered air purifying respirators that protect users by filtering out contaminants while supplying clean air. Respirator hoods require non-rechargeable lithium batteries that, because of COVID-19, were on back-order in April and not available for months.