A university student from Dublin has been praised for her vision and outstanding product development after the judges awarded her top prize in the 2019 Design Innovation in Plastics competition.
Daniella Kaligorsky, a third year Product Design student from Technological University Dublin, came up with ‘CHECKKIT’, a kit which shows how to conduct a self-examination for breast cancer.
It includes models that simulate the breast and the physical symptoms of breast cancer and it also has a brochure to explain what to do and how to recognise 12 possible symptoms, along with a notebook to log results.
CHECKKIT is made from silicone 10 shore and ABS. The chosen silicone properties were selected due to flexibility and the material being able to replicate the texture of the skin. The ABS, used for replicating a tumour and for the back plate, to replicate the stiffness required.
Industry headline sponsored by Covestro, and the longest running student plastics design competition of its type, DIP is held every year to encourage university students to come up with brand new products made primarily of plastic.
Competition organisers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Worshipful Company of Horners, this year set the challenging brief of ‘Healthy body – Healthy world’ inviting ideas for improving health, wellbeing or encouraging exercise, with a product which could demonstrate longevity and sustainability.
Commenting on the winner, chairman of judges, Richard Brown, said the panel was extremely impressed with Daniella’s thorough research into the medical and practical need; her comprehensive review of materials to get the right texture and touch for her product, along with her analysis of manufacturing methods, costs, end user experience and sustainability. She had also given due consideration to competitor products.
“We felt very strongly that this was a product that would enhance wellbeing and was market-ready to meet Daniella’s vision for it,” he added.
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Another member of the panel, technical engineer, Mike Stuart, formerly of Covestro, said the well thought through manufacturing and practical presentation would help de-stigmatise the subject of breast examination and make it useable even in schools.
“This product could be put into production fairly quickly, and we feel a possible future application could be a similar kit for testicular cancer,” he explained.
Daniella Kaligorsky said losing a member of her family to breast cancer had inspired her to look deeper into this subject and try to address the problem. “It is a great opportunity to be able to pursue product design and be recognised and acknowledged by such a great competition and I am proud that the significance of the problem with cancer is recognised,” she said.
“I’ve learned a substantial amount about plastics and the manufacturing process. There is still so much to learn, and I am excited to take a step further to discover more about the world of plastics and the benefits that it can provide.”
Outstanding Innovation
The judges said the competition entries for 2019 had all shown "outstanding innovation" and praised all finalists for their enthusiasm and dedication. The full list of winners are as follows:
First
Daniella Kaligorsky – third year product design student, Technological University Dublin. Product name: ‘Checkkit’ - A kit for raising breast cancer awareness by promoting self-examination.
Second
Kai Wang– Fourth year integrated product design student from Brunel University. His product, ‘POTLUCK’, is a clever combined cooking and storage device that encourages and simplifies the production of stock cubes using food waste.
Materials used were HTV silicone rubber for main body of product, handles and lid. Base plates and support ring were made using 316L stainless steel to optimise product durability and lifespan.
Third
Christopher Kay, a fourth year product design student from De Montfort University came third with ‘EnviroJect’ – a re-usable syringe system, providing a safe and sustainable method of administering medications. Materials used were a combination of PP, ABS, COC film, and rubber.
Highly commended
Louis Farnsworth, a third year product design student from De Montfort University, with ‘Air’ - a smart breathing aid for asthmatics to reduce asthma flare up and irritation to the lungs and airway when exercising.
Materials used were a combination of polypropylene, silicone (Shore AA 40 & Shore 00 10) and ABS (metalised).
Also highly commended was Namgyun Ryu, a first year MSc Integrated Product Design student from Brunel University, with ‘Tri Walker’ – a walking aid for the elderly providing enhanced mobility improved functionality over conventional walking aids. This was produced using polycarbonate.
Next steps
The five finalists, who were praised for their concepts and their very high level of professionalism, will all receive cash prizes and short work placements with one of the competition sponsors: Brightworks; Innovate Product Design; PDD and RJG Technologies.
The winner will take a trip to Germany to visit Covestro, and will be joined by Christopher Kay, who was given special recognition by Covestro for his innovation.
