Limerick Student's Tipped Invention Born

A University of Limerick student has been announced as one of the forerunners in a prestigious invention competition.

James D’Arcy has been announced as the only Irish entry through to the final stage of the James Dyson Awards with his medical device called Flo2w.

The oxygen-delivery system has been designed to replace the "big, intimidating" oxygen masks currently used in hospitals.

The device holds an oxygen tube to the patient’s head with adjustable fastenings that can be clipped on and off.

Mr D’Arcy (23), from Minane Bridge in Cork, has already beaten more than 500 entries from 21 countries across the world to make the final 18. He could win the grand prize of €12,000 plus €12,000 for the design department at the University of Limerick, where he has just completed his final year.

In his description of the device, Mr D’Arcy said the system integrates a new form of regulating oxygen in an innovative and easy way for both the patient and health care professional.

"The headpiece is single patient use only but it does not need to be disposed of at weekly intervals. Instead the tubing carrying the oxygen can be easily clipped on and off. As this is classed as clinical waste, it must be disposed but the headpiece can be easily cleaned, through alcohol or gamma sterilisation and reused for that patient meaning less material being incinerated," he said.

The 23-year-old said the inspiration for the project came from his father, who was in hospital for over eight months.

"It was here that I noticed the amount of issues with the current respiratory masks. The flimsy strap that was poorly attached to the mask kept loosening and after a period of time, the strap was causing pain above the ear. In addition to this, the top of the mask was causing pain at the bridge of the nose and led to skin sores developing in this area."

The prize, founded by inventor of the range of vortex vacuum cleaners, also includes entrants such as the Copenhagen Wheel, which stores otherwise wasted energy from cycling and returns it as torque later; and a desalination life raft that can provide fresh drinking water to stranded sea goers.

(DW/BMcC)