FLOW
Overview
The FLOW is the revolutionary device designed to build more environmentally and financially sustainable period care habits without sacrificing hygiene. The first of its kind, the FLOW combines rotation and UV light to respectively clean and sanitize any menstrual cup. When cared for properly, one menstrual cup can last for ten years. The FLOW eliminates the barriers of messiness, concern of introducing bacteria to the body, and fear of stigma that keep menstruators from making the switch to menstrual cups. By pairing their menstrual cup with the FLOW, one person can eliminate more than 13,000 single-use products like tampons and pads and save thousands of dollars in their lifetime!
Team
Taya Voronko, Andrew Parda, Daniela Durón García, Angela Chung
Role
Co-Founder
Mechanical Design Engineer, User Researcher, Project Manager
ASME Idea Lab Incubator Innovator
Timeline
September 2019 - Present
Tools + Skills
SolidWorks, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
Machining, DFMA, Circuitry
Experiment Design, Market Research, UX/UI Design
Let’s talk periods.
Period Care is a multibillion dollar industry poised for growth, but it hasn’t seen much change in terms of product offerings over the past few decades.
What options are currently available to users?
Understanding the Space
Our team began by studying what period care products were currently available to menstruators and the environmental + financial costs associated with each of them.
*How long a single product can be used before it needs to be thrown out.
**Refer to Period Care Cost Breakdown Sheet for more details.
Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are the most environmentally + financially sustainable choice. So what’s keeping users from making the switch?
Journey Map
To understand why users may be hesitant to adopt menstrual cups into their routines, we sought to understand what the user experience is like, especially in a public bathroom (or anywhere away from home).
The menstrual cup user goes into the bathroom to empty their cup.
Before removing the cup, the user washes their hands.
Then the user enters the stall, which may not be clean.
Once the cup is removed, the cup contents are emptied into the toilet.
The user then has the option to leave the stall and clean their cup in the sink.
But, they may then have to wait in line to get back into a stall, risking dropping the cup or staining their clothes.
Or the user can stay in the stall.
There they can wipe down the cup with toilet paper, but this option could introduce fecal matter or pathogens into the body. Disposable wipes also work, but create more waste. Is there a better way?
Pain Points
Using the journey map, our team honed in on the most prominent user pain points. These pain points posed the most potential for innovation in the menstrual cup space.
The potential to introduce pathogens into the body, risking the user's health.
Users must wash blood and bodily fluids off the cup by hand. This can be a daunting, uncomfortable experience, and met with stigma.
Users risk stained clothing and wasted time if they have to leave the stall and get back into line.
Narrowing Focus
Keeping the user journey in mind, our team set out to understand the solutions currently available and how we might design a better product and user experience.
Competitor Analysis
For our competitor analysis, our team focused on the commercially available solutions, but still kept patented designs in mind. Two important terms we used in our analysis were clean and sanitize: clean meaning rid the cup’s surface of blood, tissue, and physical remnants of the period cycle, and sanitize meaning rid the cup of any pathogens. Combined with other metrics, we built a picture of the current menstrual cup cleaning landscape.
Note: Most of these products are purchased wholesale and then branded i.e. similar products are sold by different names.
Design Direction
Our goal is to design a portable device that can both clean and sanitize any style/brand of menstrual cup.
Ideation
We began to brainstorm design solutions keeping in mind our goals and definitions:
Sanitize - Rid the cup of any pathogens.
Clean - Rid the cup’s surface of blood, tissue, and physical remnants of the period cycle.
By building a design that both cleans and sanitizes, we can address users’ biggest pain points: messiness, health concerns, possible stigma, and wasted time.
FLOW V1- The user puts their cup in the green basket, fills the device with water, and pulls the handle, which spins the basket. After the wash cycle the user empties the device into the toilet and pulls the handle again, drying the cup. A UV light in the lid sanitizes the cup.
FLOW V1- The user puts their cup in the green basket, fills the device with water, and pulls the handle, which spins the basket. After the wash cycle the user empties the device into the toilet and pulls the handle again, drying the cup. A UV light in the lid sanitizes the cup.
FLOW V1- The user puts their cup in the green basket, fills the device with water, and pulls the handle, which spins the basket. After the wash cycle the user empties the device into the toilet and pulls the handle again, drying the cup. A UV light in the lid sanitizes the cup.
FLOW V1- The user puts their cup in the green basket, fills the device with water, and pulls the handle, which spins the basket. After the wash cycle the user empties the device into the toilet and pulls the handle again, drying the cup. A UV light in the lid sanitizes the cup.
FLOW V2- The user attaches their cup to the jig clip (a binder clip serves as a temporary stand-in). The user then turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism then presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V2- The user attaches their cup to the jig clip (a binder clip serves as a temporary stand-in). The user then turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism then presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V2- The user attaches their cup to the jig clip (a binder clip serves as a temporary stand-in). The user then turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism then presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V3- The user fills their FLOW with water, then attaches their cup to the cup clip. Next the user turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism and presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V3- The user fills their FLOW with water, then attaches their cup to the cup clip. Next the user turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism and presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V3- The user fills their FLOW with water, then attaches their cup to the cup clip. Next the user turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism and presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V3- The user fills their FLOW with water, then attaches their cup to the cup clip. Next the user turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism and presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
FLOW V3- The user fills their FLOW with water, then attaches their cup to the cup clip. Next the user turns the lid in a clockwise rotation to wind up the rotation mechanism and presses the release button to send the cup spinning within the body for the wash + dry cycles. The UV light and connecting circuitry are housed in the base; when the users turns on the light, it stays on for a 60 second cycle.
The FLOW User Experience
When it’s time to empty their cup, the user enters the bathroom and fills their FLOW with water. If desired, they turn on the UV light to disinfect the water that will be used to clean the cup.
The user enters the stall and removes + empties their cup into the toilet.
Then, the user removes the lid of the FLOW and attaches their cup to the inner clip.
The user closes the FLOW tightly, winds up the lid, and begins the wash cycle.
The menstrual cup spins freely within the cleaning water, working faster than the user’s fingers ever could!
After the wash cycle, the user empties the used cleaning water into the toilet.
The user spins their cup in the empty housing to ensure it’s dry for reinsertion. The user can run a 60 second disinfection cycle at the same time for a pathogen-free cup!
In a matter of minutes the cup is clean, and the user is ready to get back to their day.
Still work to be done
Our team is continuing development of the FLOW into a functional prototype and eventually launch it to market. We have identified key areas that the FLOW needs continued development in to finalize the device:
Compact - Work to make the device smaller and potentially collapsible.
Materials - Focusing on materials that are UV-resistant, waterproof, durable, and non-leaching.
Circuit - Add LEDs to indicate to user when UV light is on/off.
Watertight - Ensure device maintains a watertight seal to avoid leaks/spills.
Universal Cup Clip - Test device with multiple styles of menstrual cups to ensure universal compatibility.
Soap - Explore the potential of using soap within the device as a cup cleaning aid.
User Safety - Add a photoresistor to minimize the risk of UV light exposure.
Cleaning - Further explore, iterate, and test cleaning mechanisms to ensure a consistent, even clean.
User Feedback - Look to cup users for feedback to reach best design possible.
Capstone turned Startup
After graduation, the team launched FLOW from a university project into a company. We’ve continued to develop FLOW under the mentorship of the ASME Idea Lab Inccubator.
Press
Learn more about the FLOW and FLOW Period, LLC from our press features.
