By Warren Wise
wwise@postandcourier.com
Friday, November 11, 2011
Ron Fulbright of Spartanburg devised a roadway
reflector that he said cannot be damaged by snow plows or road-clearing
equipment.
Dan Blalock of Summerville developed a waterproof
brick capable of withstanding winds up to 240 mph and offering great insulation
to save on energy costs.
And Jerome Pearson of Mount Pleasant invented a
220-pound, solar-powered spacecraft to remove space debris and service
satellites without returning to earth.
Those were a few of the novel ideas for new
products laid out Thursday during the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's
Perfect Pitch contest for a $5,000 prize plus amenities.
But it was an idea pitched by Dr. Jimmy Rawls of
Folly Beach that wowed the panel of five judges and landed him the top prize.
As an anesthesiologist for 15 years, he said it
constantly nagged at him that the current intravenous lines being used are not
very pliable and sometimes kink up, which can result in blood clots, infection
and needless needle punctures when a new IV line has to be installed.
The Roper Hospital doctor likened his invention of
a new flexible catheter for IV access to a straw that bends. He calls it the J
Loop.
"It's amazing no one has thought of this
before," he said.
Rawls said 50 percent of catheters fail in the
first 48 hours, and hospitals spend $1.4 billion every year because of failed
IVs. He said the device could save medical facilities money on materials, labor
and litigation, and will lead to "less holes in the body."
Rawls has spent about $15,000 so far and a patent
is pending, but he is looking for someone to help him manufacture the device,
shepherd it through clinical testing and bring it to market. As part of his
reward, he also picked up free entrepreneurial training and a dream team of mentors
provided by the chamber.
He plans to use the $5,000 to buy more materials,
but the money can be used for anything, said Laura Williams, the chamber's
small-business director.
"I am just happy by being here," Rawls
said, referring to his making it to the finalists after 40 entries were
whittled down to 10, then five, then him. "Winning was just icing on the
cake."
The winner's idea was selected based on overall
viability, innovation/vision and profit/revenue potential.
The four runners-up and winners of $1,000 each
were: Blalock, for his waterproof bricks; Louise Hodges of Beaufort, for a
mechanism to apply an all-natural pest-control solution to new and existing
irrigation systems; James S. Norris of Mount Pleasant, for a cancer drug; and
Pearson, for his spacecraft device.
Copyright © 1995 -
2011 Evening Post Publishing Co.
Proof of concept prototype created by bioengineer Frank Patterson and bench tested May 2012
Dr. Rawls teams with Rebecca DeLegge (DeLegge Medical), a Charleston based bioengineering and medical device development expert October 2012
Infusion Nurses Society and Industrial Exposition in Charlotte, NC May 2013