Content warning: My project deals with pediatric sexual abuse. Please take care of yourself and feel free to forgo reading any parts of this blog.
As we entered into week five of the internship and the last full week of prototyping, iteration was our best friend. We began the week by laser cutting our acrylic base and rotation lock mechanism. Both worked well as a proof of concept, but we had a few details to iron out. We varied a few dimensions on our base, as well as changed the thickness of the acrylic. Our rotation locks had to be iterated so that they would fit exactly in the keyholes in the base without slipping side to side. Throughout the course of the week, I probably 3D printed 15 different peg sets- it was so finicky to find the perfect fit! We also iterated on our Mason jar attachment mechanism to ensure the sizing was correct and the mechanism would securely hold the labia and hymen caps onto the model.
Left- This is our acrylic base and rotation lock dodecagons! Right- The attachment mechanism with the cylinder, labia and hymen table, and screw cap!
On Wednesday, we hit a slight bump in the road. Elise decided to clean off the acrylic base because there were smudges all over it. She used concentrated isopropyl alcohol. Soon after cleaning, the base cracked like crazy. It literally degraded before our eyes! This made us take a step back and reconsider materials, as many hospitals do use alcohol-based cleaning supplies. Additionally, one of the constraints on our model was that it needed to be easily sanitizable. Ultimately, we decided we do not have enough time to switch materials, and we struggled to find one that won’t degrade in the presence of isopropyl alcohol- after all, it’s job is to kill anything and everything. For now, we plan to clean our model with non-alcoholic or low concentration alcohol-based cleaning supplies, and we hope further teams can do more research into this issue. Though this situation was frustrating, it taught me a very important lesson- never assume any design criteria will be easily met! Our team figured sanitization wasn’t a huge thing we needed to design around, and we could just wipe down the model with any cleaning supplies. Man, were we wrong!
Our acrylic base that degraded after being cleaned with isopropyl alcohol- a sad day for us!
Throughout the week, we also continued molding the labia and hymen. We tried many different ways of molding and attaching the labia and hymen: gluing them together, cutting out the hymen, molding them together, and adding another layer on a partially cured labia for the hymen. After much iteration, we decided it would be best to glue the crescentic hymen and labia and add a hymen layer after partially curing the labia for the annular hymens. We also acquired pigmentation to create labia in different skin tones, and we experimented with that at the conclusion of the week.
Hymen and labia caps that were molded separately and glued together. The left is a non-estrogenized crescentic hymen and the right is an estrogenized annular hymen.
Outside of prototyping, this week also contained logistical tasks as we prepared for the conclusion of this internship. For team PIPER, this included developing a testing plan and project transfer documentation. For our testing plan, we created forms for user feedback both before and after using our model. We will send this plan to our client so she can gather clinical provider feedback at a training in early August. In regards to project transfer, we began working on a product specifications document, user instruction manual, materials list, and cleaning instructions. Another key task was preparation for our project showcase and pitch next week. I cannot believe we are entering our final week of the internship, but I am excited to share our work with a broader community next week.
I grew even closer to my team and the other interns this week. On Wednesday night, team PIPER got Baskin-Robbins for team bonding. The ice cream was delicious as always, and we ended up chatting for three hours! I appreciate our close bond and group dynamic, especially given our project subject matter. Our constant laughter and growing list of inside jokes never make for a boring day. On Saturday, the TAs organized an intern pool party! We ended up playing pool basketball for over two hours- it was so fun! Again, my competitive side came out, and I was able to help my team score some points. I’ve also got a painful sunburn and some gnarly blisters to show for it- haha! I am so grateful for the other interns, and I feel I have made some wonderful friends as a result of this program. I am walking out of this week a bit sentimental that the program is wrapping up, but I am so excited to share our progress and finish strong next week!
Our ice cream selfie! Yum!
See y’all soon,
Shannon