1. ENGR 103 ­ Spring 2016
Freshman Engineering Design Lab
“Antiviral and Spermicidal Alginate Condom”
Final Report
Date Submitted: June 02, 2016
Submitted to: Hao Cheng, hcheng@coe.drexel.edu
Group Members: Talaial Alina, tba28@drexel.edu
Dan Nguyen, dn422@drexele.edu
Gabriel LeVee, gbl29@drexel.edu
Chris Yankelunas, cjy27@drexel.edu
Abstract:
Sex is a natural activity that provides a method of reproduction, and pleasure to people’s
lives. Yet, men and women repeatedly refuse to employ condoms during sex. This refusal causes
the rate of sexually transmitted diseases to rise, negatively affecting the wider population. Thus,
how can the general public, public health authorities, and scientists confront this complex issue?
The project sought to address this question by developing an alginate condom that combines
pleasure and durability to innovate within this area. This will be achieved through combining the
properties of alginate and acrylimide in a condom sheet. Then in a hypothetical scenario, a
composite of these properties will form a tangible condom within a 3D printed case of the
condom. The final resulting product should uphold and exceed the standards set by the
contraceptive industry. Within this process, the primary issue may be ensuring that the condom
chemicals and 3D printed condom case can combine to create the condom. The final product
should be appealing to a variety of customers, and fulfill the core objectives of helping users
engage in pleasurable sex, defend against sexual diseases, and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

2. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
Introduction
1.1 Problem Overview
The Center for Disease and Control reports that “20 million new sexually transmitted
infections [or sexually transmitted diseases (i.e. STDs)] occur” [1] annually in the United States;
a challenging issue for policy makers, health planners, and researchers. These diseases often
spread because individuals ​frequently “enter into sexual relations with a dislike of condoms and
a perception of condom sex as “other sex” [2] according to researchers Jan Browne and Victor
Minichiello in the ​Sociology of Health and Illness ​journal. This perception leads these persons to
avoid condom use that would prevent the spread of STDs. Therefore, the project initiially sought
to develop an innovative alginate based, male hydrogel contraceptive to encourage safe and
pleasurable sex to reduce this trend of sexual diseases. However, as the ten weeks progressed, the
group reevaluated project development efforts.
The first stage involved researching the properties of alginate and its application as a
male contraceptive. The second stage involved creating the necessary mechanical CAD designs,
depicted below in Figure 1, for the contraceptive.
Figure 1: The mold of the alginate condom is comprised of an interior antiviral layer surrounded by an
exterior spermicidal layer that are added at the end of the design procedure.
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3. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
The third stage involved purchasing the materials under a flexible budget of $300 to create these
designs. The fourth stage entailed designing and purchasing the actual 3D printed condom case
(height of 9 inches) illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
​ Figure 3: Top down view of 3D printed condom case
Figure 2: Front view of 3D printed condom case
During this process, the group faced the challenge of creating the alginate layer since the
gel often resulted in a clumpy and indefinite substance. The group consulted with PhD students
in Dr. Hao Cheng’s lab to solve this issue. Additionally, in the fourth stage during Week Seven,
the 3D condom case fractured which required revising the project development plan, and
creating a minitaure version of the actual condom sheet.
The fifth stage entailed creating different versions of the sheet. These trials determined
the necessity of substituting and changing the amounts of certain materials to create the sheet. In
the sixth stage, the final alginate condom sheet should meet all expectations and be properly
packaged. The last stage will conclude with the final report presentation that will present a
summary and analysis of group efforts over the duration of the course. This analysis will yield
questions and conclusions about the actual durability of an alginate condom and its effectiveness
in delivering antiviral drugs to eliminate STDs.
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4. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
1.2 Existing Solutions
Compared to existing consumer latex condoms, the alginate condom sheet is expected to
be exceptionally durable and have the ability to deliver drugs. In addition, the alginate condom’s
thinness increases sensitivity compared to traditional condoms. Furthermore, it allows those
allergic to latex to safely use condoms in the form of an alginate condom. However, alginate
condoms can be difficult to produce because of the cost and precise materials required, as
depicted in the budget in Table 1.
1.3 Project Objectives
The initial main objective was to create an alginate contraceptive that could comfortably,
safely, and effectively deliver drugs during emergencies. These emergencies occur when the
contraceptive ruptures, or the user has sex with a partner infected with an STD virus. During the
development process, the group created a condom case through an accurate CAD model.
However, since the 3D printed condom case fractured, the group reevaluated its objectives to
focus on creating a small prototype of an alginate sheet for a hypothetical alginate condom. The
final deliverable was thus a durable and small alginate sheet that fulfilled the new objectives.
2 Technical Activities
2.1 Project Timeline
Alginate Contraceptive Project Gantt Chart
Week
Task 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brainstorm and Research of Alginate Contraceptive x x x x x x x x x x
Research and Layout of Chemical and Mechanical Design x x x
Acquire Materials to Build Chemical and Mechanical Design x x x
Formation of Chemical Design and Mechanical Design x
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5. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
Testing and Product Finalization x x
Testing and Final Report Preparation x x
Final Report Presentation x
2.2 Research and Design of Alginate Contraceptive
Researching alginate and contraceptives allowed for the understanding of their properties
and durability. This research identified the mechanics and chemicals needed to tangibly achieve
the intended properties. In addition, it created questions as to what existing materials can be
substituted or improved to develop the alginate contraceptive.
After thoroughly understanding the chemical and mechanical properties of the alginate
contraceptive, a computer assisted design (CAD) of the alginate contraceptive was developed​. ​In
this design, there is multilayer comprising areas for a spermicidal coating, the alginate hydrogel,
and potential antiviral lubricant in descending order.
2.3 Acquire Materials to Build Mechanical Designs
The materials required to implement the mechanical designs of the alginate contraceptive
were the alginate hydrogel, ​N,N,N′,N′­tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED), ​acrylamide,
ammonium persulfate (APS), calcium sulfate, and N,N'­methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA).
However, the breakage of the 3D printed condom case introduced a significant challenge
to the project development process. Consequently, the group had to modify the original objective
of building an alginate condom. Particularly, the group began to instead develop a small
prototype of an alginate sheet that could represent the material present within a hypothetical
alginate condom. Many of these materials were expensive and complex to implement during
several experimental trials in Dr. Hao Cheng’s Nanobiomaterials and Cell Engineering
Laboratory (second and third experimental trial results portrayed below in Figure 4 and Figure 5)
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6. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
Figure 5: Third experimental trial results ranging
from lowest quality to highest quality gel (right to
left)
Figure 4: Second experimental trial result: distorted and evaporated gel
2.4 Experimental Trials and Finalization of Product
The last tasks of the project entailed creating the
final prototype of the alginate contraceptive sheet
depicted in Figure 6. This demanded several trials
improving the strength, durability, stiffness, and
appearance of the material.
After completing the design process, the group
created a final report and presentation that detailed
experiments conducted, technical challenges faced, and
project reflections after the ten weeks of development.
Figure 6: Final and Uniform Alginate Sheet Deliverable
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7. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
2.5 Project Budget
Format this section similar to the budget section of the Proposal.
Table 1: Budget for ​Alginate Condom
Category Cost
N,N,N′,N′­Tetramethylethylenediamine
(TEMED)
$82.00
3D Printed Condom Case $75.50
Ammonium Persulfate (APS) $68.00
N,N'­Methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) $15.92
Micropipette Tips $7.05
Calcium Sulfate $5.09
Alginate $0.00
Micropipette $0.00
Acrylamide $0.00
Total $253.56
1.1 The chemicals and materials purchased over the ten weeks of project development were as
follows: TEMED, APS, MBAA, calcium sulfate, a 3D printed condom mold, and the
micropipette tips. Additionally, the group obtained the alginate, the micropipette, and the
acrylamide from Dr. Cheng’s lab and the Innovation Studio.
1.2 Each material served specific roles
1.2.1 TEMED: ​N,N,N′,N′­tetramethylethylenediamine was used as the accelerator for the
covalently cross linked polyacrylamide. APS: ammonium persulfate was used as the
thermo­initiator which creates free radicals for polymerization. MBAA:
N,N'­Methylenebisacrylamide was used as the covalent cross linker for the
polyacrylamide. Calcium sulfate was used as the ionic cross linker for the alginate, and
has low solubility in comparison to calcium chloride. The 3D printed condom mold was
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8. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
used to create the shape of the condom, and originally intended to hold the combined
materials as they hardened through the polymerization process. The micropipette tips
were used to prevent cross­contamination of different liquids in the micropipette. The
micropipette was used to measure and dispense the different liquids used during the
experiments. The alginate was used as the primary biomaterial and monomer for the
hydrogel. The acrylamide, that was crossed linked with the MBAA, polymerized into
polyacrylamide. It was used to increase the mechanical properties (durability, elongation
factor, etc.) of the sheet when combined with the alginate.
3 Results
A durable and stretchable hydrogel condom sheet was finally developed. The strength of
this sheet is demonstrated in Harvard University experiments which proved a polyacrylamide
hydrogel is able to stretch to twenty times its normal length [3]. This is in comparison to standard
latex’s ability to stretch to approximately three times its normal size.
Furthermore, the final deliverable resulted after three experimental trials. The first
experimental trial conducted during Week Nine produced a deformed material unsuitable for
actual alginate condom material. The second experimental trial during Week Ten created the
intended material that lacked uniformity in a certain area. In this trial, the group adjusted its
experimental procedure after recognizing that the original procedure included incorrect amounts
of cross­linkers and excluded the step of placing the solution into an oven. Finally, the third
experimental trial constructed the main alginate sheet.
4 Discussion
The alginate condom sheet fulfilled the updated project objectives. In particular, the sheet
is durable, stretchable, and comfortable which are important characteristics for condoms.
However, the temperature, condition, and amounts of materials applied could have drastically
affected the final alginate condom deliverable. However, given more time and resources, the
group would alter the project in several areas. The group would solve the challenge of enlarging
the sheet to the actual size of a condom through greater amounts of materials. Furthermore, it
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9. ENGR 103 Freshman Design Final Report Section 071, Group 07
would work with test subjects to ask if they found the condom viable, safe, and comfortable. In
addition, the group would explore a range of contractors and chemical companies to affordably
purchase chemicals and a compatible 3D printed case to build the condom. The group would also
seek to solve the underlying issue of maintaing gelation for long periods of time, especially
without access to water. Another important issue to solve would be implementing drug delivery
properties within the condom to attack STDs.
In this scenario, the latex­free condom could be a revolutionary product, especially for
approximately 1%, or nearly 3 million Americans, allergic to latex [4], the standard material
used to produce condoms. In future experiments, the group would plan to lubricate the alginate
condom with spermicidal and anti­viral lubricants to achieve drug delivery properties. This could
ultimately make the condom inexpensive and appealing to a wider audience than those allergic to
latex. Indeed, these efforts could have consequences of encouraging safer sex and reducing STD
rates.
5 References
[1] "2014 STD Surveillance| CDC", ​Cdc.gov​, 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats14/default.htm. [Accessed: 08­ Apr­ 2016].
[2] J. Browne and V. Minichiello, "The condom: why more people don't put it on.",
Sociology of Health & Illness​, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 229­251, 1994.
[3] ​J.­Y. Sun, X. Zhao, W. R. K. Illeperuma, O. Chaudhuri, K. H. Oh, D. J. Mooney, J. J.
Vlassak, and Z. Suo, “Highly Stretchable and Tough Hydrogels,” ​Nature.com​, 05­Sep­2012.
[Online]. Available at: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v489/n7414/abs/nature11409.html.
[Accessed: 12­May­2016].
[4] ​“Statistics,” ​American Latex Allergy Association​. [Online]. Available at:
http://latexallergyresources.org/statistics. [Accessed: 12­May­2016].
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