College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Biomedical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Biomedical Engineering
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Biomedical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 3
BS in Biomedical Engineering
Date
3-2024
Primary Advisor
Robert Crockett, College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Department
Additional Advisors
McCall Brinskele, Orfalea College of Business, Industrial Technology and Packaging Department
Abstract/Summary
The following paragraphs illuminate the important engineering and innovative steps that were taken to improve the quality of life for the millions of people who experience a menstrual cycle through the development of a new menstrual cup and applicator. The global feminine hygiene products market is a growing industry currently worth $40 billion. There is demand for improvement to the devices currently on the market. Millions of people could be positively impacted through redefining and creating of new menstrual products that are more comfortable, convenient, and sanitary. Our focus was on developing a novel menstrual cup and applicator that addressed key customer needs and a gap in the market for beginner friendly menstrual cups. This process involved collaboration with other engineers, a study of background literature, a patent search, user interviews, and competitor analysis, to understand the challenges faced by individuals using existing menstrual products. Based on this research, we generated multiple design concepts emphasizing comfort, leak resistance, ease of use, and sustainability. Rapid prototyping and testing were critical stages where we iterated on design features such as material selection, design components, and manufacturing methods to create a functional prototype that would closely match the response of medical grade silicone and be able to be mass manufactured. Our final qualitative tests of the cup prototype demonstrated a tendency of the rim to deform at the site of the tension mechanism attachment, indicating strong potential for success in later quantitative tests when a medical-grade prototype is completed.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/bmedsp/186