IBM 2991

The IBM 2991 was a blood cell washer sold by IBM Systems Supplies Division (SSD). It took fresh blood or, in particular, frozen blood (stored for emergencies) and washed it clean.

Up until the 1970s SSD had been at the heart of IBM, for it had produced the millions of punched cards that had been IBM's cash cow for more than four decades. In the 1970s business was declining, as IBM's concentration increasingly turned to computing. Accordingly, the vice president in charge of SSD, Everett "Van" Van Hoesen, avidly searched for any new business that could be slotted into SSD. So SSD, an otherwise dying division, became a hotbed of innovation.

Searching for these new products Van started a campaign to win the first (2991) product 'mission', though SSD did not have any significant history of machine production. One key factor, though, was that the products being tendered for also comprised a substantial element of on-going income from the related supplies. In the case of the blood products the annual supplies income could easily run at a rate approaching the capital value of the machine! It was a situation that was familiar to SSD, brought up on the similar philosophy inherent in the punched card business. Van won the mission, probably due to his enthusiasm; and assisted by the fact that the business was much less attractive to other plants.

SSD subsequently added the IBM 2997 Blood Cell Separator and the IBM 5880 ECG System to its line of products.