Life Saver bottle
Encyclopedia
The Lifesaver bottle is a portable water purification
device. Designed by Michael Pritchard, the bottle filters out objects larger than 15 nanometres. The bottle is used by people hit by disasters to create safe drinking water or while camping. It is also used by impoverished people around the world to make safe drinking water.
disaster in the U.S., Michael Pritchard, a water-treatment expert in Ipswich
, England began to develop the Lifesaver bottle after hearing the idea from Dr. Zackary Kepes and Austin Castellano. Pritchard presented a prototype of the Lifesaver at 2007's DSEi
London, where the product was named "Best Technological Development". Pritchard's entire stock of 1,000 bottles sold out within four hours of the presentation.
Speaking at TED
in 2009, Pritchard estimated that by utilising the Lifesaver bottle reaching the Millennium Development Goals
of halving the number of people without drinking water will cost $8 billion; while $20 billion would provide drinking water for everyone on Earth
.
and the results found it to completely filter out all bacteria and viruses.
es, bacteria
, and heavy metals. The carbon filter does not require chemicals. The process of filtering the water takes 20 seconds, allowing for 0.71 litres (1.5 pints) of water to be filtered. Once a filter has reached its limit, it will not allow contaminated water to be drunk. The Livesaver bottle has been used by soldiers for drinking water as well as cleaning wounds.
To filter the water, one puts contaminated water in the back of the bottle, then screws the lid on. The lid has a built in pump which is operated manually with a hand, the pumping action forces the contaminated water through the nano-filter and safe drinking water collects in another chamber in the bottle. The drinker then opens the top of the bottle from which safe drinking water comes out.
A much larger version of the Lifesaver bottle, called the Lifesaver Jerrycan
, has the same filtering technology. The can allows for the filtration of 10,000 to 20,000 litres (2,650 to 5,300 gallons). One jerrycan filter can provide water for four people over a three-year span.
Portable water purification
Portable water purification devices also known as point-of-use water treatment systems and field water disinfection techniques are self-contained units that can be used by recreational enthusiasts, military personnel, survivalists, and others who must obtain drinking water from untreated sources...
device. Designed by Michael Pritchard, the bottle filters out objects larger than 15 nanometres. The bottle is used by people hit by disasters to create safe drinking water or while camping. It is also used by impoverished people around the world to make safe drinking water.
Development
After the 2004 Asian Tsunami and Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
disaster in the U.S., Michael Pritchard, a water-treatment expert in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, England began to develop the Lifesaver bottle after hearing the idea from Dr. Zackary Kepes and Austin Castellano. Pritchard presented a prototype of the Lifesaver at 2007's DSEi
DSEi
Defence Security and Equipment International is a defence and security equipment exhibition held every two years in London Docklands, which draws thousands of visitors, both trade and military...
London, where the product was named "Best Technological Development". Pritchard's entire stock of 1,000 bottles sold out within four hours of the presentation.
Speaking at TED
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2009, Pritchard estimated that by utilising the Lifesaver bottle reaching the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
of halving the number of people without drinking water will cost $8 billion; while $20 billion would provide drinking water for everyone on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
.
Independent Test Results
In 2007, the LifeSaver bottle was tested by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a constituent college of the federal University of London, specialising in public health and tropical medicine...
and the results found it to completely filter out all bacteria and viruses.
Use
The bottle's interchangeable filter can purify between 4,000 and 6,000 litres (1,050 to 1,585 gallons). It filters out objects bigger than 15 nanometres—including virusVirus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es, bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
, and heavy metals. The carbon filter does not require chemicals. The process of filtering the water takes 20 seconds, allowing for 0.71 litres (1.5 pints) of water to be filtered. Once a filter has reached its limit, it will not allow contaminated water to be drunk. The Livesaver bottle has been used by soldiers for drinking water as well as cleaning wounds.
To filter the water, one puts contaminated water in the back of the bottle, then screws the lid on. The lid has a built in pump which is operated manually with a hand, the pumping action forces the contaminated water through the nano-filter and safe drinking water collects in another chamber in the bottle. The drinker then opens the top of the bottle from which safe drinking water comes out.
A much larger version of the Lifesaver bottle, called the Lifesaver Jerrycan
Jerrycan
A jerrycan is a robust fuel container originally made from pressed steel. It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. The development of the Jerrycan was a huge improvement on earlier designs, which required tools and funnels to use.-Uses:Today similar...
, has the same filtering technology. The can allows for the filtration of 10,000 to 20,000 litres (2,650 to 5,300 gallons). One jerrycan filter can provide water for four people over a three-year span.
See also
- LifeStrawLifeStrawLifeStraw is a water filter designed to be used by one person to filter water so that they may safely drink it. It filters a maximum of 1000 litres of water, enough for one person for one year. It removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of parasites...
- Tata SwachTata swachThe Tata Swach water purifier is developed by Tata Chemicals, a part of the Tata group in India. The Swach was designed as a low cost purifier for Indian low-income groups, who lack access to safe drinking water...
- Slingshot (water vapor distillation system)Slingshot (water vapor distillation system)Slingshot is a water purification device created by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway PT. Powered by a stirling engine running on a combustible fuel source, it claims to be able to produce clean water from almost any source....
External links
- Lifesaver Bottle USA homepage
- Lifesaver Bottle Taiwan homepage
- Michael Pritchard speaking at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....