The winner of the James Dyson Award in 2009 was AUTOMIST by Yusuf Muhammad and Paul Thomas.
In recognition of their victory, they have won £10,000 to develop their design. £10,000 will also be awarded to their university department to support the development of future projects by other promising students.
Read about the winning entry, as well as the fifteen international finalists, here.
2009 SECOND
Pressure Alert for an Endotracheal Tube. UK
Problem:
The "Pressure Alert" is a unique adaptation for a medical device called an Endotracheal Tube, which is inserted into the patient's airway allowing them to breathe during anaesthesia. The airway is sealed to prevent leaks by inflating a balloon called a cuff. If the cuff pressure is too high, it could bruise or split the windpipe.
Development:
To understand the problem of judging cuff pressure, the designer conducted independent hospital tests. With these directing the product design specification, subsequent modelling took a variety of forms from cut-off values to colour-changing paint.
Solution:
The chosen concept went through many refinements with the calibration of the 'pop-up' mechanism requiring specialist engineering to give a reliable and safe 'Pressure Alert' - a nodule that pops up when cuff pressure reaches dangerous levels, providing a visual warning for anaesthetists.
2009 Winner - Automist