Hoopsy: The sustainability, design & manufacturing journey towards creating one of the world’s first 100% compostable pregnancy test
Project challenges
MTC were tasked with understanding the user interactions with the existing strip test & helping to design a pregnancy test with innovative new form which would be easily identifiable and more intuitive to use. The team were asked to focus on replacing any plastics within the test and making it 100% compostable and to design it with assembly and mass manufacture in mind.
Business challenge
Product Innovation
Growth & Scaling
Sector
SME
Technology or capability
Industrial Transformation
Additive Manufacturing
Product Design
Project Challenges
Hoopsy approached the West Midlands Healthtech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), a regional programme part of the locally-led Innovation Accelerators delivered in partnership with DSIT, Innovate UK and the West Midlands Combined Authority. In their journey to market, Hoopsy needed support with …to re-design their existing strip test to replace the plastic components within for a 100% compostable solution and to give it a new look – making it clearly distinguishable in the market. They also needed support researching alternative disposal methods & understanding the test’s impact on the environment from cradle to gate, so that they had tangible facts and figures to gain investment for future development . MTC skills and expertise were identified as the most suitable within the WMHTIA consortium to address those challenges and help Hoopsy accelerate their development.
MTC were tasked with understanding the user interactions with the existing strip test & helping to design a pregnancy test with innovative new form which would be easily identifiable and more intuitive to use. The team were asked to focus on replacing any plastics within the test and making it 100% compostable and to design it with assembly and mass manufacture in mind.
MTC were also asked to identify all potential suppliers of the compostable materials and manufacturers who could assist Hoopsy with manufacturing her newly designed test.
MTC's Solution
The Hoopsy team joined MTC for a Discovery Workshop in which the MTC applied their proven methodology to support businesses – leading activities focussing on product innovation & development. This helped MTC team to explore the business’s aims and objectives, understand Hoopsys’ values & goals and define how MTC could support Hoopsy and progress them in their journey towards Manufacture.
MTC identified Hoopsy’s business needs & created a technical specification to outline their ideas for a new and improved version of the existing pregnancy test – a generation-2 prototype – with the main focus bring identify the plastic materials within the existing test and find a compostable and ideally natural replacement.
MTC team took the generation-2 concept that they had developed for Hoopsy with its new 100% compostable bill of materials and checked it was a suitable design for mass manufacture and assembly. The project team developed a plan for manufacture & drafted a plan with a network of manufacturers and suppliers within the UK. This was an important requirement for the the Hoopsy brand, who were interested in keeping supply local and associated emissions low.
MTC also performed an initial Life Cycle Assessment to understand the possible impact on the environment of the proposed generation 2 product. The viability of making this product “flushable” was also explored – with MTC team performing a research study on existing standards and legislation around defining what constitutes as a ‘flushable’ product. Both of these studies also helped to define and confirm the planned route to manufacture.
Before I started working with MTC I had no idea of the help, support and expertise I would get. From the first meeting I loved the passion for my product and the ideas that came out of it. Working with them has felt like a true partnership where win-wins are happening. The report they produced was fantastic and I have used it to help me raise investment, it adds a lot of credibility and expertise that I just don't have alone. The team have gone above and beyond and I can't wait to work with them again!
Lara Solomon, CEO & Founder – Hoopsy
The Outcome & Benefits
MTC have worked with Hoopsy on developing a fully compostable version of the Hoopsy Pregnancy test, as a result of this project, MTC produced multiple design concepts, which were down selected through to a final design. This design was then detailed CAD model (a virtual prototype), which simulated the design and the relationship between different layers. The virtual prototype, was used to gain different layers and component within the model and their assembly details – this prototype was then used to indicate potential future manufacturing pathway that Hoopsy could follow to get this product onto the commercial market.
MTC were able to understand the new design’s impact on the environment by performing a Life Cycle Assessment and also an assessment of flushing and alternative disposal methods both of which have been pivotal to Hoopsy- as this has provided them with the facts and figures needed to gain investment for further development. MTC were also able to identify materials, methods of manufacture and source a supply chain local to Hoopsy’s HQn in the West Midlands– which would reduce emissions and lead times. WeMTC have helped to grow her network, introducing her to the potential suppliers and development opportunities on her doorstep. This has also given local manufacturers more potential business.
Following the work developed in this project under the WMHTIA programme, Hoopsy 100% compostable pregnancy test design will be prototyped in a variety of different sizes, to continue with usability trials & to gain feedback from users. As the compostable materials within the pregnancy test are new and novel – validation testing will also be performed to ensure that the results are accurate and are to the high standard that Hoopsy follow. After this, the product will go into it’s final design stages, where it will follow in the steps of it’s generation1 predecessor, and be tested against industry standards.
It has been amazing to have the opportunity to be part of such an impactful project – that will disrupt the market and is a real win for sustainability. We’ve used our expertise in Product development to manifest Lara’s vision of a statement look pregnancy test that is kinder to the environment. We have utilised our expert knowledge in manufacturing to design a solution with 100% compostable materials – and plan a supply chain that could deliver it. To know that we are working together to implement sustainability considerations and eliminate the last remaining traces of plastic from this pregnancy test is something we are incredibly proud of.
Rebecca Purdy, MedTech Lead, Product Design - MTC
