26 Jul 2021
Africa Prize: º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ student named One to Watch for low-cost ventilator design
School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering PhD student, Yusuf Bilesanmi, has won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation's One to Watch award for his low-cost ventilator, ShiVent.
The non-electric ShiVent system was created to allow non-specialised workers to treat patients with coronavirus.
The system works by connecting hospital patients to an existing oxygen source and blends air with the high-flow oxygen supply. ShiVent has been tested at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) and the Leicester Royal Infirmary Hospital.
Yusuf was one of 12 innovators who pitched their ideas to a live online audience who voted for the design which showed the most promise and potential for impact. He received a £5,000 prize from the Royal Academy of Engineering which organises the competition.
Speaking about the award, Yusuf said: “I was dumbfounded and super elated. I couldn’t believe we had won. It makes all the difference in the work we have done, the support we have received from the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ community.”
