of requests about the lifesaver bottle - on the blog and by email. We cut the poor man off before he'd really begun and listeners were left hanging. I've suggested we try to get him on again tonight to finish the job. Sorry it all got squeezed.
1215 UPDATE: Recording an interview with Mr Pritchard in 25 minutes. Hurrah!
1340 UPDATE: We have now recorded the interview, and if you'd like to know more about the product as some people have requested, it's .
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Brilliant, Eddie! It's a fascinating story of an invention which could literally save thousands of lives.
Michael Pritchard could be the new Trevor Bayliss.
Lifesaver: Seconded.
And please ditch twitter. Although I would not want all the one liners as separate Blog entries! (that does not mean that they could not be *part* of a blog entry.
Jolly good!
Sid
Excellent news indeed, Eddie. This is something that could save lives across the world, so it deserves the time. :)
Grrrr How can I be malicious if I haven't posted for a couple of hours minimum? (and I don't think I'm abusive either!)
Hi Eddie, yes you very naughty!
Michael Pritchard was on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Look East last eve, fascinating man, comes from Ipswich......get him back and do us proud!
DIY
How intriguing! I missed the programme last night (sorry Eric) so have no idea what a "lifesaver bottle" could be. I am happy to report that I shall be able to listen this evening. If it didn't sound so awful I would declare my breath to be "bated"...
Eddie,
I'm glad you might be able to finish the lifesaver bottle story off today. Are you also able to contact Hugh Sykes about the 'Blackwater' brigade in Iraq. Mr Sykes gave a very clear report on the World Service earlier today about what's going on over there. I think alot of PM listeners would be very interested in Hugh's report on this matter.
From IPSWICH, DIY?
In that case he's definitely worth listening to ;o)
I thought it was an inspired idea and I would love to hear more from him. A simple idea that could save thousands of lives - marvellous.
Eddie...nice one.
Just get rid of twittering and all will be froopy!
DIY
Hey Eddie - ditch the twitter dude.
Karen (8)
surprising I know, but yep, Ipswich.....!
DIY:)
They're quite pricey - smallest one 195 GB pounds + VAT according to the website. But has to be a great invention. Am I being cynical to think that it won't be long before someone is making money from fakes - could be even more dangerous than fake medicines.
I never click on the Twitter thing!
If Eddie takes his Twitter box off the blog, we'll all have to log in to Twitter to see what he was doing 19 hours ago. That will be time-consuming and, for us, inefficient.
Still don't quite understand.
But all power to him, if it works. If only it could be used to save lives.
Eric, are you really ditching Twitter? It might be a good way to save time. Which you could then use to frog.
Or work.
Well, wotevva.
this chap isn't the first to come up with a water filtering bottle, he's just linked somebody else's technology with the problem. as he works in the industry he knows the problem, that all previous filters let through particles smaller than the screen size. Somebody else has developed the screen, he has merely applied it.
Also all previous filters seemed fine until they were put into use and all bung up with the filtrate.
the same applies to the clockwork radio - somebody else developed the plastics that made the power losses small enough for clockwork to drive it.
but if these filters work they could be bought in the third world and used all year round, not just in a flood. Then you wouldn't need to get them there in a hurry.
I took a backpacker's ceramic filter trekking in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains years ago so that I could drink the mountain spring water rather than carry bottled water in my backpack...it's not a new idea! Though I guess putting the filter into a bottle is the required 'novel step' to make it patentable. All power to the man, but please, can he acknowledge that portable ceramic filters (cheaper than £200, too) are already around?
Not the world's first such system as claimed on the webiste. A company in California has been producing a similar bottle for years and their filter was tested by the UK Environment Agency in 2005. On the face of it, either the claim is purposely misleading or they have not done their market research.
A bit late now, I guess, to ask him .... but will it work with sea water, I wonder ?
And if the 'pores' in the filter element are so very fine, will they get bunged up in short time ( as pointed out in ' 15 ' ) ?
I guess this is the crunch of the matter: others may invent the technology that makes these things possible, but it is the art of applying that technology to situations where it can make a difference, or even help save lives.
I think it's great. The challenge now will be to make it infinitely more affordable.
I was listening last night and it all sounded strangely familiar. Looking through the comments, it obviously sounded familiar to others. 4 years ago, we built a website for a client who had developed a bottle water filter to take out viruses, pathogens etc. and has it on the market sub £40. I don't know exactly how the technology compares, but it seems the nett results are the same. His website is www.purehydration.co.uk and we made a video of it in action which you can see on site.
This is the best thing I have heard on radio for a long time. Wonderful news .
As the patent attorney acting for Michael Pritchard I have followed this with some interest. The reference to a competing product in (20) really goes to the heart of the matter. For a start, the earlier technology requires iodine (a foul-tasting chemical) and has a pore size of 2 microns. Michael's invention uses a membane having a pore size of 15 nanometeres and hence doesn't need any chemicals - nothing other than water gets through! There is no delay either. Once the bottle is pressurised water starts to flow. The stuff that doesn't get through merely forms a "cake" on the filter which can be rinsed off.
Hope that helps.
Dear Mr. Michael W.Pritchard,
the information regarding your product LIFESAVER bottle I have found on website are very interesting for me as my company STROJEXPORT TRADE PRAHA, a.s.having longtime tradion has been dealing with the problematic of production or treatment of water for the drinking water without any use of chemicals as well. You can visit our website www.strojexport-trade.cz or www.strojexport-trade.eu, .Should our products be interesting for you we can surely mutually assist.
In this connection I would like to ask you for the possibility of an exclusive sale representation for our company in the agreed territorial region.
I assume that in case when we are dealing with our products which are however more or less of some industrial character and use for indoor conditions we surely can be suitable partner bilaterally. Should you consider our idea to be purposeful we would welcome any your particular proposal in this direction.
Looking forward to your reply.
Best regards,
JOSEF FORMAN,commercional director