The Ruins Catheter, designed by Idan Raizberg, is a device made to rescue people from collapsed buildings or debris. The rescue device could be used after earthquake or in response to any collapse. The design is inspired by a medical balloon catheter, used to expand arteries.

“At the start of the project, I outlined for myself a common and modern scenario in which houses collapse – due to various disasters around the world – and living people are buried under them, who can be rescued through this method that I chose. During the course of the work, I put forth various solutions to extract those trapped underneath the rubble, but the concept which I finally chose appropriately uses the core concept of the medical catheter and sends it into a different environment, with the common goal of saving lives,” Idan Raizberg.

The device looks like a capsule. The capsule is placed inside an opening within ruins. Once in place, a balloon inflates the structure until it is large enough for a person to fit through. The device locks in place at this width. Once the first corridor is inflated, further corridors can be expanded so that the system grows to a depth that allows it to reach those in need of rescue, thus creating a safe corridor for them to escape through.