KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — A couple of Western Michigan University students have picked up their fifth major award for a ventilation device that could save the lives of countless babies around the world.
It replaces a unit that can cost up to $25,000 with a simple device that only costs $25, called the Neovent.
Both Steven John of Portage and Joseph Barnett of Kalamazoo have volunteered in third-world hospitals.
“The device is simple — there’s just one moving part, and the delivered pressure is set by the depth of water in the container,” John said in a video published by WMU.
They have just won first prize in the collegiate competition sponsored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, which came with a check for $12,500.
– John McNeill
