Monoclonal antibody test - Disposable cartridge test.
Working to improve the sustainability in medical single use plastic items.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in November 2019 “more than eight million tons of pandemic-associated plastic waste have been generated globally, with more than 25,000 tons entering the global ocean” (Peng, 2021.). In February 2021, Covid-19 home testing kits became available to the British public. These kits are a collection of single use plastic pieces of apparatus that include no information about the disposal method. Although the use of Covid testing is no longer mandatory in the UK, as of march 2022 a large volume of these tests will still be carried out by a numerous amount of people across the world. However Monoclonal antibody testing is also used in pregnancy tests and a number of different STD at home tests, adding a large amount of disposable plastic pieces on the head of the healthcare system
I developed the current Covid test strip holder to work in a more efficient way to make it easier to use. I found that the current Covid test kits can be difficult for younger children to use, by having to drop the suspension solution on to the test. My design instead, has the dropper pierced through the base allowing the liquid to flow onto the test strip, this adaptation allows for there to be less potential spillage.
