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Detailed Experiments/

Test Planning and Setup

By:

Lucy Ostrowski

Gabriella Vasquez

Sebastian Orellana
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Microneedle dimensions:
1.2 mm length of cylinder
0.2 mm diameter
0.2 mm point
Total length: 1.4 mm

Mentor revisions: ​Blue

Dissolvable​:
Introduction:This experiment will model how the microneedles need to dissolve in the skin, and
will give us an outline for the size of the outer layer of the needle. The microneedle will be made
of hyaluronic acid, but since we couldn’t get ahold of that, we used sugar, which is also water
soluble and dissolves in the same manner as hyaluronic acid. (​info​) The microneedles need to
dissolve because they contain the vaccine within them, and when the outer layer dissolves, the
vaccine is released into the skin.
Question: How will the microneedles be able to quickly dissolve into the skin, releasing the
vaccine?
Hypothesis: If the microneedle has a thinner outer layer, the vaccine will be released faster.
Materials:
- Sugar (6 cups)
- White vinegar
- Corn syrup
- Food coloring (substitute for vaccine)
- Pot (medium)
- Pan
- Baking sheet
- Stove top
- Water (3 cups)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3NOJsnGK7c
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1. Turn on stove to medium heat and place a pot on top

2. Fill the pot with 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar
3. Stir mixture until all the sugar is dissolved
4. Keep on heat until the mixture reaches between 250 and 266 degrees F
5. Pour sugar mixture on pan lined with a baking sheet and create a thin strip
a. Test three different thicknesses
i. 1 cm
ii. ½ inch
iii. 3/4 cm
6. Let cool until touchable, but still malleable
7. Roll into cylinder shape to mock the needles basic shape (not to scale)
8. Let cool and solidify completely
9. Add food coloring to inside of cone
10. Dip cone in 98 degree water (mocks body heat) and let dissolve and release food
coloring
11. Time how long it takes for food coloring to be released into water (film process)
12. repeat experiment multiple times to collect strong statistics and get rid of outliers

Painless​:
Introduction: This experiment will allow us to understand which shape of microneedle will cause
the least amount of pain/breakage to the skin. We will model this by 3D printing the different
possible needle shapes and pressing them into a fake skin substance (foam). We will measure
the amount of pain that each needle created by observing the breakage caused by the foam.
Question: What needle shape will create the least amount of pain for the patient?
Hypothesis: If a skinnier needle is used, there will be less pain because the skin will have less
breakage.
Materials:
➔ 3D printer
➔ 3D modeling software
➔ 3D printing thread​ (PLA)
➔ Styrofoam (6x6x3 inch square)
➔ Fabric

1. Design 3 different to-scale needle shapes

a. Cone shaped
b. Pencil shaped (long and thin)
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c. Pencil shaped (shorter and wider)
2. 3D print all three needles
3. Set up “fake skin” by layering fabric over foam (​three different setups)
a. This models how the needle would have to break through that first layer of skin

4. Poke all three needles fully into “skin”, using equal pace and pressures
5. Remove all three needles
6. Remove fabric
7. Record damage to “skin’ by taking pictures of holes left and comparing ​size of the hole
and breakage/tearing to the fabric
8. Greatest size of hole in mm=most pain