Team 18
Intravaginal Drug Delivery Device for Postmenopausal Vaginitis
Team Members:
Intravaginal Drug Delivery Device for Postmenopausal Vaginitis
Team Members:
Jayashree Iyer
Adriana Lopez
Katie Wilkinson
Team Mentors:
Dr. Shazia A. Malik, MD - Valley Urogynecological Associates
Dr. Brian MacArthur, MD - University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Dr. Lelan McCann, MD - University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Dr. Kelly Roy, MD - Arizona Gynecology Consultants
Dr. Kelley Saunders, MD - University Medicine Women's Institute
Dr. Jessica Weaver, PhD - Arizona State University, SBHSE
YouTube Link:
View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting
Zoom Link:
https://asu.zoom.us/j/3973132129
Abstract
Postmenopausal women often experience a significantly higher incidence of vaginal infections due to decreased estrogen levels, which imbalances the vaginal microenvironment and encourages microbial growth. Despite treatment being well established, recurrent infections, antibiotic resistance, lack of standard procedures, and discomfort are issues that patients face. Gels, creams, and suppositories do not provide long-term treatment and may be messy and uncomfortable to insert vaginally. Given these limitations, an unmet need exists for a minimally invasive transvaginal device that can deliver mess-free treatment over an extended time period. We intend to formulate a chitosan-alginate hydrogel to slowly release drug on a soft silicone device, which will be tapered and smaller than traditional tampon designs, to ensure comfortable and minimally invasive insertion. The applicator is 40.1mm long with a maximum diameter of 32.1mm and was modeled in SolidWorks. From this a 3D printed mold was created and filled with silicone for prototyping. Tensile testing was performed on the applicator to verify that it could withstand vaginal pressure. The hydrogel element dually poses as the drug release agent as well as lubricant for comfortable insertion. Alginate is known for allowing prolonged controlled drug release. Meanwhile, chitosan is mucoadhesive and would prolong mucosal uptake. We focused on alginate during modeling and prototyping. After modeling the hydrogel’s mechanical properties on MATLAB using a Kelvin-Voigt model, it was determined that the hydrogel’s viscosity should be minimized to avoid hydrogel failure. A mathematical model of drug diffusion was also created in MATLAB, indicating the long-term effectiveness of the drug to diffuse through the vagina. This was physically tested by measuring the release of an encapsulated dye from the hydrogel. Hydrogel swell testing was also performed to ensure the hydrogel can withstand various vaginal pHs depending on the infection.
