A Nose For Invention
Ron Schilling says he didn’t set out to invent anything when he began tinkering with a piece of home medical equipment about a year ago. “I was just trying to solve a problem for myself,� Schilling said.
But as it turned out, Schilling may have found a marketable idea. A modification he made to a machine used to help people with sleep apnea made it more comfortable to use.
“We’re calling it the Remote Nostril,� said Schilling. “It even looks like a nose.�
The Remote Nostril is a length of plastic tubing and a vent that attach to the air supply hose of a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP.
The machine pumps pressurized air through a mask into a person’s nose and mouth, keeping the airway open and making it easier to breathe.
“But there has to be a way for the air to escape,� Schilling said, pointing out a tiny hole near the spot where the machine’s air hose joins the mask.
Schilling said he has a provisionary patent on his invention, and plans to continue pursuing a patent. He’s also looking forward to having his own booth at the Inventors’ Congress.
“We’ll have a bed set up with mannequins,� Schilling said, as well as a working demonstration of the Remote Nostril, “so people can actually see and feel the difference.�
Maybe the display will even attract potential marketers, he said.
Photo by Deb Gau.
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