Week 9 Lab

Due to our final experiment in week 9, we were able to conclude that a lower % by mass alginate will have a faster release, but the initial amount of caffeine is also not known due to discrepancies in measurement. The conditions were replicated with as much accuracy as possible for both experiments, so we have confidence in our findings.

Week 8 Update

After filtering the solution using filter paper we obtained in the lab, we measured the caffeine output to 5 mg. One problem we encountered was accurate measurement. We initially made the gel using 400 mg of caffeine in water, but we are not certain how much caffeine was actually absorbed into the alginate gel bead that was used in testing.

Week 8

This week we were able to control concentrations and ratios better. We only tested the gel in an acidic environment because the pill's destination is the stomach which has a pH of 2.

Week 7 Timelapse

During week 7 lab, we were able to dye the caffeine solution so we could watch diffusion. The main goal was to observe the differences of basic, neutral and acidic environments on the gel mixture.

Week 6 Lab update

Today we put formed alginate beads and submersed them into a basic solution of sodium hydroxide and distilled water. Bubbles and what looked like fuzz surrounded the beads of gel, which lead us to believe that some caffeine dissolved from the gel. For next week, we will bring better lab equipment (more distilled water, spoons, clear cups) and food dye so that way we can see the caffeine leave the gel into the solution.

Email from Amazon Prime: Your items have shipped!

Today we ordered the following items for lab this week:

• Hydrochloric Acid - strong acid needed for acidic envrionment

• Pure Lye Drain Opener - weak base

• Caffeine Pills - 200 mg capsules

• Food Grade Sodium Alginate

• Litmus Paper - testing pH

Images courtesy of Amazon.com. Should we need more materials, Amazon Prime = our best friend.

Design Update Part 2: Alginate Modification

The idea regarding a syringe and alginate injection has been eliminated as a viable option for this project. We have decided to shift our focus to a pill that releases caffeine, a stimulant for various systems in the body. It will be comprised of alginate gel and diffuse a water based caffeine solution.

To simulate the activation of the diffusion once the gel in the stomach, we will be developing a strong acid-weak base solution with a pH as close to the average pH in the stomach as possible. Once in this acidic environment, the gel should release the caffeine and visibly display this action in a test tube. In order to reach this solution prior to adding the gel to it, we will be testing several different acid-base solutions. Based on initial testing of which acidic environment is best, we will adjust accordingly and report the correct pH.



Image source: http://openwetware.org/images/d/d2/Alginate-gel_2.png