The object
Arthur Lih invented LifeVac, a portable airway-clearance device that creates suction through a one-way valve to remove a choking obstruction. The manufactured safety tool offered families, schools and care settings a compact backup when standard interventions were unavailable or ineffective, and has achieved broad real-world adoption.
What Arthur did
Invented LifeVac, a portable one-way-valve suction device designed to clear an obstructed airway without pushing the blockage farther down.
Why it matters
LifeVac reports thousands of documented saves, while 2025 reporting described more than 4,700 people helped by the device worldwide.
Living-status check
Fox News interviewed LifeVac inventor and chief executive Arthur Lih in June 2025 about his ongoing work, positive evidence he was alive and active in 2025.