It is tragically ironic that going to hospital can make you more ill. Infections picked up from a hospital visit, such as MRSA, are a major source of death and disease around the world, in rich and poor countries alike.

At Altitude Medical a simple technology is being developed to help reduce hospital acquired infections (HAIs), with the potential to save millions of lives and billions of pounds.

The statistics are scary. It is estimated that 10 per cent of people admitted to hospitals in the UK contract an HAI, leading to 20,000 annual deaths, an average of two extra weeks in hospital for each patient treated successfully and many amputations and other injuries.

HAIs cost the NHS 1bn pounds every year - one per cent of the total NHS budget.

In the US, the figures are even more dire: almost 100,000 deaths, two million infections and $25-37bn spent annually. Globally, HAIs cause as many as two million deaths each year.

Worst of all, there is a growing consensus that the problem is rapidly becoming worse, with a recent study reporting deaths due to Clostridium difficile infection up 72 per cent in the UK just over the past year.

The greatest tragedy in all of this is that HAIs are basically preventable.

These infections are mainly passed through contact with doctors and nurses who don't wash their hands often enough.

Although it is well-known that HAI rates tumble if hand-washing rates go up, in practice it's been impossible to enforce compliance -healthworkers are busy, tired, forgetful and constantly in a rush.

Alex Oshmyansky and Dan Nicolau, two friends reading for doctorates at the Centre for Mathematical Biology at Oxford University, often talked about putting their skills together to start a business - Mr Nicolau is an engineer from Australia and Mr Oshmyansky is a medical student in the United States.

Last year, Mr Oshmyansky mentioned the idea of a door handle that would double as a disinfectant dispenser, ensuring anyone using a door would have their hands automatically sterilised.

Not only would this reduce disease and save lives, but it quickly became clear that the economic case is compelling in its simplicity.

As HAIs cost thousands of pounds to treat, even preventing one infection a year would save a hospital far more than the cost of installing these handles.

From there, the idea took off very quickly. They pulled in a design engineer at the Saïd Business School, Jake McKnight and a genetics student, Will Motley, who were both excited about the project.

Mr Motley brought in Virginia Gardiner, an industrial design student at the Royal College of Art and Altitude Medical was born.

In late 2007, Altitude Medical entered Idea Idol, the Oxford Entrepreneurs' flagship student business competition.

After beating competition from more than 100 other business and philanthropy ideas, they found themselves in the final.

With only two stress-packed minutes to pitch their project to an all-star panel of judges, including Deborah Meaden of TV's Dragons' Den fame, they shared the top competition prize, taking away £4,500 to help start the business.

The Idea Idol audience also accorded Altitude Medical the smaller, but most heartening Audience Prize of £500.

So what is the next step? The company is in its infancy, so countless hurdles await and there is so much to do.

But the Idea Idol prize money is certainly not gathering interest. While their team set about building and testing prototypes, Mr Oshmyansky and Mr Nicolau are off to the US to set up a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the Infection Protection Handle.

By the time the Venturefest science and technology fair takes place on July 1, at the Unipart site in Cowley, they will have a working prototype with which to lure potential investors.

The fledgling company hopes to see the Infection Protection Handle on doors within a couple of years, and not just in hospitals.

Have you ever been shocked at the lack of hygiene in pub toilets? Bars, restaurants, public bathrooms, venues, workplaces and schools could all benefit from products designed to increase hygiene.

It's a simple concept, but isn't that often the case with all the best business ideas?

o Contact: dan.nicolau@balliol.ox.ac.uk o This page is compiled by The Oxford Trust, www.oxtrust.org.uk