ACT Medical wins UK James Dyson Award 2021
ACT Medical founder Joseph Bentley was 22 years old when his REACT medical device won the James Dyson Award in August 2021.
He explained how personal experience of the need to stop bleeding quickly from knife wounds had prompted him to begin his student innovation in October 2020.
10 months later his prototype REACT device had been recognised with the UK James Dyson Award - a prize recognising the next generation of design engineers.
Joseph had identified that the average wait time for an ambulance was just over seven minutes, yet it can take just five minutes for someone to bleed to death.
His mission while completing the BSc Product Design and Technology programme at Loughborough University became to design a device that could help first responders stem the bleeding.
The biggest Dyson Awards to date
It was the 17th year of the International James Dyson Award in 2021 and its work in championing ground-breaking concepts in engineering and design was growing.
Internationally, it was also a year in which the award had seen the highest number of entrants in its history across all 27 participating nations.
ACT Medical took the UK prize for Joseph’s REACT system.
‘REACT could be an impressive solution’
Dr Alex George, Dyson Ambassador and A&E Doctor, spoke for the judges of the UK awards in 2021.
“Sadly, knife crime is on the rise and we’re seeing more and more incidents of knife-related injuries in A&E departments in London and across England and Wales.
“Although more needs to be done in the wider community to tackle knife crime at the source, Joseph’s REACT concept could be an impressive solution to help first responders, police officers, and medical professionals deal with these types of injuries, should it pass its medical trials.
“Time is of the essence in treating these types of injuries and the REACT system could help buy some valuable time before full medical treatment can be administered.
“It’s great to see the James Dyson Award recognising young inventors, and I look forward to seeing how Joseph and the REACT device progress in the future.”
ACT Medical’s response
As he accepted the UK James Dyson Award UK, Joseph explained the personal nature of his motivation behind his vision for REACT.
“Knife crime is a topic that is personal to me, as two of my friends were victims of knife-related incidents,” he said.
“Thankfully both incidents were not fatal, but this is often not the case for so many others.
“Seeing the profound effect that it had on my friends and their families urged me to try and create a solution that could help others in the future.
“I was thrilled when I found out I’d won the national James Dyson Award.
“This prestigious endorsement confirms that the REACT concept could have real world benefits and a positive impact on society.
“Although medical device testing takes a long time, I’m looking forward to using the prize money to develop my innovation further and hopefully see the device in the hands of first responders saving lives.”
Onto the international stage
Winners from each of the 27 participating nations of the Dyson Awards are put forward to the International Dyson Awards.
Three months after taking the UK title, ACT Medical was announced as one of three organisations to be recognised on the global stage.
The 2021 International Awards had received a record number of entries worldwide - with Sir James Dyson himself choosing three global winners for the first time.
ACT Medical was one of the three, earning a £30,000 prize to support further development of the REACT device.
Sir James, Founder and Chief Engineer at Dyson, later said: “So promising were this year’s entries that we’ve awarded a third prize, focused on medical invention.”
ACT Medical’s award-winning medical device aims to save the lives of stabbing victims by stemming bleeding from knife wounds. Follow ACT Medical on LinkedIn for latest updates or email hello@actmedical.co.uk to speak to us directly.