The document outlines the design procedure for creating an alginate condom with antiviral and spermicidal properties. It will be made through a process of combining sodium alginate and acrylamide polymers within a 3D printed condom case, then applying heat. This will result in an interior antiviral layer surrounded by an exterior spermicidal coating. The procedure involves dissolving ingredients to make two batches, placing the first in the condom case and heating, then repeating with the second batch. Finally, antiviral and spermicidal lubricants will be applied to the interior and exterior. The condom aims to prevent STDs and pregnancy while improving pleasure during sex.

1. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
ENGR 103 ­ Spring 2016
Freshman Engineering Design Lab
“Antiviral and Spermicidal Alginate Condom”
Project Design Procedure
Date Submitted: April 27, 2016
Group Members {Talaial Alina, tba28@drexel.edu }
{Dan Nguyen, dn422@drexel.edu }
{Gabriel LeVee, gbl29@drexel.edu }
{Chris Yankelunas, cjy27@drexel.edu }
Technical Advisor {Hao Cheng, ​hcheng@coe.drexel.edu​}
Abstract:
The design procedure will create an alginate condom that combines pleasure, durability,
and drug delivery properties. This will be achieved through combining the properties of alginate
and acrylimide. Then, a composite of these properties, within a 3D printed case of the condom,
will be heated under a controlled temperature. The final resulting product should not only uphold
the standards set by the contraceptive industry, but also apply innovative drug delivery and
alginate solutions to condom development. Within this process, the primary issue may be
ensuring that the spermicidal coating, alginate layer, and underlying anti­viral layer work
cohesively. 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 sexually transmitted
diseases, and prevent unplanned pregnancy.
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2. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
1 Design Procedure
1.1 Image of Design
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. These three components will
form an effective condom that confronts sexually transmitted diseases, improves pleasurability during sex,
and advances safe sex.
1.2 Ingredients
The materials necessary to create an alginate condom (Figure 1) are listed as follows:
The first batch involves two 25 mL flasks, 4.1 mL of .48 g of sodium alginate dissolved
in 10 mL of water, 5.5 mL of a solution of 1.87 g acrylamide dissolved in 10 mL of water, 337
microliters of a solution of 0.2g per 100 mL N,N’­methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA), 102
microliters of a solution of 0.2 M ammonium persulphate (APM), 8.2 microliters of N, N, N’, N’
­ tetramethylethylenediamine.
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3. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
The second batch follows the previous steps but the changes necessary are: 4.1 mL of a
solution of 0.24 g of sodium alginate dissolved in 10 mL of water and 5.5 mL of a solution of
0.935 g acrylamide dissolved in 10 mL of water.
1.3 Procedure
The experiments to create the alginate condom will be conducted in Dr. Hao Cheng’s
Nanobiomaterials and Cell Engineering Laboratory. The experimental procedure will involve
two similar batches; with the first batch involving 0.48 g of sodium alginate and 1.87 g of
acrylamide, and the second batch involving 0.24 g of sodium alginate and 0.935 g of acrylamide.
For the first batch, dissolve 0.48 g of sodium alginate into 10.0 mL of deionized water.
Extract 4.1 mL of the solution and place solution into a 25.0 mL beaker (beaker 1). Afterwards,
dissolve 1.87 g of acrylamide in 10.0 mL of deionized water within a 25.0 mL beaker (beaker 2).
Then, extract 5.50 mL of the solution and mix with the sodium alginate in beaker 1. Afterwards,
supplement 102 microliters of 0.20 M ammonium persulphate (APM) in beaker 1. APM serves
as a thermoinitiator that creates free radicals which add nonradical monomor units and build the
polymer chains for alginate and polyacrylimade. This allows for polymerization of alginate and
acrylimide. Then, add 8.20 microliters of the catalyst ​Tetramethylethylenediamine ​into beaker 1
to accelerate the reaction.
For the second batch, repeat the steps previously discussed except dissolve 0.24 g of
sodium alginate into 10.0 mL of deionized water and dissolve 0.935 g of acrylamide in 10.0 mL
of deionized water.
Then, place the first batch into the 3D printed case of the condom. Next, deposit case into
a consumer oven, or in an oven in the lab if it is available. Then, adjust the temperature of the
oven to for three hours.0 C5 °
After the mold is developed in the oven, remove mold immediately from 3D printed case
of condom. Immediately, repeat previous part for oven for the second batch in the same mold.
Regarding the first batch and the second batch, place and cool molds into respective multivalent
solution beakers containing 337 microliters 0.013 M ​N,N'­Methylenebisacrylamide and ​200
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4. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
microliters of 1M calcium sulphate ​for 3 hours. The N,N'­Methylenebisacrylamide serves to
form covalently cross linked bonds with the acrylimide and the calcium sulphate forms ionically
cross linked bonds with the alginate.
After the two molds are constructed from the two batches, the antiviral lubricant
(Antibacterial Lubricant ­ ​OCO® (Only Coconut Oil)) will ​be coated inside the condom whereas
the spermicidal lubricant (​Spermicidal Lubricant ­ Trimensa Pharmaceuticals Prepair
Spermicidal Lubricant, 2.4 Fluid Ounce) wi​ll be coated outside of the condom. These substances
will compose the drug delivery aspect of the condom.
The final prototypes of each condom may withstand forces of up to “​9,000 joules per
square metre” [4] and provide the necessary durability as a potential condom consumer product.
The next steps are to conduct experimental trials of the condom and determine consumer
viability.
2 Budget
Table 2: Budget for ​Biomaterials and Mechanical Hardware
Category Projected Cost
Mechanical Hardware $60.00
Biomaterials $43.02
Total $103.02
2.1 Mechanical Hardware
A pump, a ruler, several beakers, and also a thermometer will be purchased from Amazon
for testing purposes as part of the Mechanical Hardware aspect of the budget. The pump will be
used to test the flexibility of the contraceptive during the testing phase once a prototype has been
made. The ruler will be used for measuring the expansion of the finished product, length of the
material itself, and for other relevant purposes. Secondly, the beakers will be used to collect the
materials and will aid in the experimentation process. Thirdly, the thermometer will be used to
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5. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
test the temperature since the mixing process is temperature sensitive (it cannot be too hot nor
too cold). 3D printing will also be essential in creating a mold of the design. The materials for
the 3D printer will be obtained from local convenience stores. The estimated cost for all of these
materials is $60.00 (cost that also foresees broken materials).
2.2 Biomaterials
Chitosan, spermicidal lubricant, and antibacterial (antiviral) lubricant will be purchased
from Amazon as part of the Biomaterials section of the budget. The antibacterial lubricant will
be purchased for $16.95 under the following name: Antibacterial Lubricant ­ ​OCO® (Only
Coconut Oil). The antibacterial lubricant will be used to reduce the risk of transmission of STDs
if the contraceptive fractures. The spermicidal lubricant will also be purchased for $13.48 under
the following name: Spermicidal Lubricant ­ Trimensa Pharmaceuticals Prepair Spermicidal
Lubricant, 2.4 Fluid Ounce. The spermicidal lubricant will kill any sperm cells if the
contraceptive breaks to reduce the risk of pregnancy for the users. The chitosan will then be
purchased for $12.59 under the following name: Now Foods Chitosan 500mg Plus Chromium,
120 Capsules. The chitosan will specifically increase the durability of the hydrogel
contraceptive. These materials will be held under the alginate hydrogel provided in class that will
hold the materials together through cross­linking at the atomic level.
3 References
[1] 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.
[2] "2014 STD Surveillance| CDC", ​Cdc.gov​, 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats14/default.htm. [Accessed: 08­ Apr­ 2016].
[3] S. Lin, C. Cao, Q. Wang, M. Gonzalez, J. Dolbow and X. Zhao, "Design of stiff, tough
and stretchy hydrogel composites via nanoscale hybrid crosslinking and macroscale fiber
reinforcement", ​Royal Society of Chemistry​, 2016. [Online]. Available:
http://www­bcf.usc.edu/~qimingw/Papers/18_fiber.pdf. [Accessed: 27­ Apr­ 2016].
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6. ENGR 103 Project Design Procedure Section 071, Group 07
[4] K. Sanderson, "Super­Stretchy Hydrogel Can Take a Hit", ​Scientific American​, 2012.
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