by Vishnu Murthy
Rachel Carson Middle School, Fairfax, VA
Third place
Problem
The renowned soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo, has feet that are plagued with Tinea Pedis, which he claims severely limits his performance on the field. This condition is also known as Athlete’s Foot and approximately 15-25% of people are likely to have this infection. Athlete's Foot occurs when the tinea fungus grows on the skin of one’s foot. From there, it can spread to the heels, palms, and in between fingers causing itchy skin, burning, and blisters. As an avid racquetball player, this infection was a concern of mine, as I was highly prone to it. However, thanks to engineers and scientists, a new type of sock that uses nanotechnology can prevent and treat Athlete’s Foot.
Solution
Since the ancient times, silver has been known to have fungicidal and bactericidal properties. Silver kills a fungus cell by breaking the cell membrane, inhibiting enzymes in the cell, and interrupting genetic DNA. Carey Lea established Nanosilver in 1889, bringing it to the consumer market. In the early 1900s, this technology was used in water purification systems and swimming pools.
Currently, scientists in the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology created the “Silver Nanoparticle Sock”. This is a sock that is coated with silver nanoparticles in order to prevent fungal infections. When an infection occurs, the nanoparticles in this material will slowly release silver, killing the fungus.
Constraints
The Silver Nanoparticle Sock is a new technology which has some design constraints. One constraint is using large amounts of silver which can be toxic to a human skin. Because of this constraint, scientists incorporated nanoparticles which are molecules of silver inside of an aluminum oxyhydroxide cage. This cage senses when fungal cells are present releasing only small amounts of silver.
Another constraint that scientists faced was machine washability. Currently, the product needs to be hand-washed which is inconvenient for any athlete. This is because machine washing the sock may deactivate the nanoparticles. Therefore, the scientists created an experiment in order to find a type of sock fabric that can preserve the nanoparticles. The experiment simulated factors that were similar to a washing machine, such as pH, chemical bleaches, and mechanical stress. They found that adding mechanical stress while washing would lose the nanoparticles.
The cost of the nanoparticles is a final constraint with this technology. Nanoparticles are new and emerging, therefore, the upfront manufacturing cost is very high. Although mass production could bring the cost down significantly, nanoparticles are not as developed as they should be for this process.
Manufacturing Process and Contributions of Different Engineers
The manufacturing process of this technology involved many types of scientists and engineers. First, microbiologists identified the need for a solution to prevent and treat Athlete’s Foot, as well as studied the properties and behavior of the infection. Based on the research produced by the microbiologists, chemical engineers devised a solution to the problem - using silver to treat the infection. After further research into the properties of silver, nanotechnology engineers created the aluminum oxyhydroxide cages and placed silver molecules inside of them. Mechanical engineers then coated the sock with the nanoparticles, as well as solved any problems with the product, cost, and manufacturing. The product itself is complete, however, in order to sell on the market, government standards and regulations have to be met. Hence, laboratory scientists test the product to match these requirements. From identifying the problem, brainstorming a solution, manufacturing, and testing, engineers and scientists from different disciplines were used every step of the process.
Design Process to Improve the Product in the Future
To improve the product for the future, it is imperative two changes occur. The first is to decrease the cost of the product. This goal can be reached with both mass production and technological advancements in nanotechnology. As a new technology, it is currently being mass produced. However, with the use of manufacture engineering, efficient mass production of this product can result in a lower cost per product. Also, outsourcing the production from an European market could be an option that can result in a cheaper price.
In addition, nano-engineers and microbiologists will be required to create breakthroughs in the field of nanoparticles to decrease the cost of the product. Some examples include developing a cost effective technique to treat fabrics with nanoparticles or an efficient method for assembling the nanoparticle (placing the silver molecule inside of the aluminum oxyhydroxide cage). Breakthrough and innovation in the field of nanotechnology, as well as mass manufacturing will result in a lower cost and improvement in the product.
The second change in this product is the machine washability of the product, which is very important to any sports product. Currently, the product cannot be machine washed because of the mechanical stress that can loose and/or deactivate the nanoparticles. Instead, it can be washed by hand, which is not convenient for any customer. A process to prototype, design, and test a machine washable sock that can retain these particles needs to be developed for improvement of the product. Some types of fabrics to look into are polyester and acrylic, as they are strong, durable, machine washable, and can be easily treated with nanoparticles.
Conclusion
Many athletes are very prone to Athlete’s Foot. Socks usually promote a warm, humid environment, which is an ideal place for fungal infection. I practice racquetball 2-3 times a week, as well as compete in many tournaments. As a result, sweat is very prominent in my daily life, making me the perfect candidate for Athlete’s Foot. The Silver Nanoparticle Sock will help billions of people around the world like me live a happier, healthier sports life.
Works Cited
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"Silver Migrates from Treated Fabrics." — Environmental Health News. Environmental Health News, 07 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"Silver Nanoparticle Socks." Silver Nanoparticle Socks. National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Uquart, James. "Silver Nanoparticles in Clothing Pose No New Risk." Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.