An Argentine car mechanic invents birthing tool inspired by wine corks

It all started with wine: Jorge Odón, a car mechanic in Argentina, was inspired by a YouTube video demonstrating the removal of a sunken bottle cork to invent — of all things — a new birthing device that’s been enthusiastically endorsed by doctors, donors, and the World Health Organization.

Called the Odón Device, the gadget is designed to save babies trapped in the birth canal. That precarious situation can be deadly for infant and mother, and until now the techniques to mitigate it — especially in poor countries — were insufficient. In fact, such methods (including forceps and suction cups) can have fatal ramifications of their own. But now, as The New York Times recounts in detail, the Odón Device might very well be an affordable, easy-to-use alternative: the WHO is now overseeing tests of the device, which an American technology company hopes to start manufacturing in the near future.