For this assignment we were tasked with finding ways to reduce the pain for the patient who is receiving a shot. The main methods that I decided move forward with were cooling, topical numbing agents, and applying pressure.

Moving from left to right along the prototype photo, the first syringe consists of a squirt gun filled with rubbing alcohol, and a small container of compressed air. The doctor or nurse would simply squirt the area where the shot was to be given with the rubbing alcohol, then let out a quick burst of air to rapidly evaporate the liquid, This would cool the skin hopefully make the following injection less painful.

Next we have the cooling patch. This idea is simple enough; an adhesive patch is stuck to the outside of the syringe. When administering the shot, one would peel off the outer layer of the patch which is coated in either a topical numbing agent, or cooling solution. This patch is then put over the area of skin where the shot is to be administered. After the skin is numbed the patch can be removed and the shot administered, or the shot can be given straight through the patch.

In the center we have a design similar to the far left, expect without the rubbing alcohol. A small container of compressed CO2 is attached to the side of the syringe. When a button on the side of the container is pressed the valve at the bottom will open, releasing the CO2. The depressurizing gas leaving the container will absorb heat from the patient’s skin, cooling the area where the shot will be given.

Now we come the pressure plate prototype. The theory behind this model is that if pressure is applied to a larger area of skin around where the shot will be given, the skin will be more taut, allowing the needle to pierce the skin more easily and hopefully less painfully. For this design, we have a circular plate with a small hole in the center for the needle to pass through, attached to the syringe via spring. As the syringe is pushed down towards the patient’s skin, the spring will force the plate down. The syringe will pierce the skin before the spring becomes fully compressed, and hopefully will cause less pain for the patient.

Finally we have the Ice-Pack Cap Tip. This is a small packet of gel ice-pack material with an adhesive on one side. The small packet itself will be placed in a freezer until it is time for the shot to be administered, when it will then be stuck to the end of the cap that covers the needle of the syringe. The ice pack can then be rubbed against the area of skin that needs to be cooled, and after successfully numbing the patients skin, can be easily disposed of with the rest of the needle cover.