After discussing our second design review, which included our prototype and visions for the final product, we came up with some useful feedback and potential issues. One thing we need to consider for the final design is the pressure used to apply the microneedles to the patient; we tried to address this problem by creating an applicator attachment to stabilize the device. We also designed a groove in the device so the plunger can only get pushed down to a certain distance. However, those do not standardize the amount of pressure a doctor uses to physically push the button down. We were also reminded that if we use microneedles, they have to be injected into the patient fast, in order to reduce the risk of the arm/skin bending before insertion. The next part of our design phase would have to focus on these issues and provide a solution that stays true to our original stamp design.
I have found two articles that address the issue with the force applied to microneedles for insertion into the skin. They can be found here and here. Both of these research articles discuss the force thresholds: a minimum force must be applied, but there is also a maximum force they can reach before breaking. This is something to consider if we do not use dissolvable or biodegradable microneedles. These are just some more quantitative angles we have to look at for our design and how we can get it to function properly.
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