Epipen Drug Delivery
(Impeded by Covid 19)
When individuals suffer a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), epinephrine is the drug administered to relieve the inflammation. Currently, Epipen and Epipen Jr. are two of the most common methods of injecting epinephrine into the body to combat anaphylaxis, and are often injected in the upper thigh. Such a severe reaction is life-threatening, so it is vital that the epinephrine is administered properly and stored under optimal conditions as to not lose any potency of the drug. It is a light sensitive solution, and turns a pinkish/brown hue when overexposed to light, and is also unable to be refrigerated. Due to the present design of the Epipen and Epipen Jr., there are questions regarding the efficacy of the injector casing and this is what our team is focused on improving and studying.
The primary problem that we have identified with the current EpiPen design is that the case is not reusable. This leads to increased cost for families and schools and leads to more plastic waste. Our team’s goal is to design a reusable EpiPen so that the cost of the device is virtually a one-time cost, with the only future costs being refill vials of epinephrine. We are currently focusing on EpiPen use in an elementary school setting and have been contacting various school nurses. We hope to find out relevant information and understand the financial impact of annually purchasing EpiPens. We hope to detail out a blueprint of our proposed casing by the end of January and then 3D printing the parts by the end of next semester.
The primary problem that we have identified with the current EpiPen design is that the case is not reusable. This leads to increased cost for families and schools and leads to more plastic waste. Our team’s goal is to design a reusable EpiPen so that the cost of the device is virtually a one-time cost, with the only future costs being refill vials of epinephrine. We are currently focusing on EpiPen use in an elementary school setting and have been contacting various school nurses. We hope to find out relevant information and understand the financial impact of annually purchasing EpiPens. We hope to detail out a blueprint of our proposed casing by the end of January and then 3D printing the parts by the end of next semester.
Team Member Bios:
Lydia Cardwell is a sophmore studying Biomedical Engineering. She plans to further her research pursuits on campus in industry.
Xingnan Lin is a junior studying Computational Neuroscience and plans on minoring in data science. He is interested in utilizing computer science and artificial intelligence in the medical field.
Helen Salinas is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Mechanical Engineering and a specialization in computer programming. She is interested in entering the medical device field.
Noah Tristan is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Mechanical Engineering. He is planning on earning his Masters in Mechanical Engineering Design/Product Development, and hopes to one day start his career as a R&D engineer within industry.
Sabrina Sy is a sophmore majoring in biomedical engineering and hoping to minor in business law. She plans on pursuing a career that combines medicine, engineering, business, and social justice.
Anokhi Kholwadwala is a junior majoring in astronautical engineering and minoring in natural science. She plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career that combines the fields of medicine and engineering.
Xingnan Lin is a junior studying Computational Neuroscience and plans on minoring in data science. He is interested in utilizing computer science and artificial intelligence in the medical field.
Helen Salinas is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Mechanical Engineering and a specialization in computer programming. She is interested in entering the medical device field.
Noah Tristan is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Mechanical Engineering. He is planning on earning his Masters in Mechanical Engineering Design/Product Development, and hopes to one day start his career as a R&D engineer within industry.
Sabrina Sy is a sophmore majoring in biomedical engineering and hoping to minor in business law. She plans on pursuing a career that combines medicine, engineering, business, and social justice.
Anokhi Kholwadwala is a junior majoring in astronautical engineering and minoring in natural science. She plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career that combines the fields of medicine and engineering.