Designing a shape morphing, reusable, blood-collecting hollow tampon with shape memory wire

This graduation report describes the design of a new suitable menstruation product for Beppy that collects blood, is reusable, has a similar (deployable) size and function as a tampon, and which is perceived as less intimidating to insert and extract than a menstrual cup. The new design, the Beppy Clover, is made from silicone and has Nitinol,...

An anthropomorphic deformable phantom of the vaginal wall and cavity

Brachytherapy is a common treatment in cervical, uterine and vaginal cancer management. The technique is characterised by rapid developments in the fields of medical imaging, dosimetry planning and personalised medical device design. To reduce unnecessary burden on patients, assessments and training of these technologies should preferable be...

Exploring water and ion transport process at silicone/copper interfaces using in-situ electrochemical and Kelvin probe approaches

In general, packaging materials which encapsulate light emitting diodes (LEDs) and microelectronic devices offer barrier protection against several environmental hazards such as water and ionic contaminants. However, these encapsulants may provide pathways for water and ionic contaminants to reach the metal/polymer interfaces and provoke local...

The influence of phosphor particles on the water transport in optical silicones for LEDs

The reliability of LEDs decreases in moist environments. One potential gateway of moisture ingress, reducing the product lifetime is the lens. In white LEDs, phosphor particles are embedded into the optical silicone of the lens to convert the blue light emitted by the diode down in frequency and achieve a light output that appears white. In this...

Mechanical behaviour of Transparent Structural Silicone Adhesive (TSSA) steel-to-glass laminated connections under monotonic and cyclic loading

Steel-to-glass laminated connections, which have recently been developed, limit stress intensifications on the glass and combine strength and transparency. Transparent Structural Silicone Adhesive (TSSA) connections have been used in several projects worldwide; however, the hyperelastic and viscoelastic nature of the material has to date not...

Edge-laminated Transparent Structural Silicone Adhesive (TSSA) Steel-to-Glass Connections

The connections between glass components are very critical aspects of structural glass design. Laminated steel-to-glass connections have recently been developed that combine high strength and transparency. This work focuses on the Transparent Structural Silicone Adhesive (TSSA), produced by Dow Corning. TSSA is typically used for the realization...