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Client
CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS)
Role
User research, packaging design/engineering
Collaborators
Joshua Wang (GT), Rory Welsh (CDC)
Timeline
Aug-Dec 2023 (revisited Sept 2025 for regulatory approval)
The federal cold chain uses haphazard shipping methods which fail to provide steady cooling, consistent (dis)assembly and are wasteful from an environmental standpoint.
The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) tracks disease rates, most notably COVID-19, by analyzing sewage samples in CDC labs. The resulting data helps modify public health policy at the local level.
Though data collection and analysis protocols are well defined, packaging is not, leading to inconsistent shipment conditions and greater rates of sample contamination and breakage.
Boots on the ground
Technical stakeholders in logistics, wastewater, and virology indicated preferred configurations on a morph matrix to narrow down the number of combinations requiring physical mock-ups and further exploration.
For a 15mL sample, at least 1.5" of insulation and 48oz. of gel packs within an 8" cube is required for a successful 24h summer/36h year-round shipment.
PHYSICAL PAIN POINTS
Ergonomic overlays helped anticipate and make sense of wrist strain during tube removal with a precision grip and narrow down ideal conditions for package (dis)assembly.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Sustainable, modular, scalable: maximize consistent cooling through insulated and conductive nested surfaces while allowing for intuitive (dis)assembly and package handling
OUTER INSULATING LAYER
A 7-layer mixed cardboard (honeycomb and corrugated) structure combined with bio-DWR spray allowed us to maximize both cooling and biodegradability.
INNER CONDUCTING LAYER
Funnel mouth guides easy 3-finger access and leakproofs while a direct connection to a cooling pack of choice through conductive aluminum allows for stable internal temperatures. Fully reusable/recyclable.
STRESS TESTING
We simulated mail truck conditions, (frequent jostling, 30 C) to verify the proposed combination's effectiveness. It outperformed a standard EPS (styrofoam)/Nalgene bottle setup by two hours.
POSTAL COMPATIBILITY
A 1-sample and 6-sample box both perfectly fit USPS priority mail small and large packages respectively, while the product-specific label details package breakdown and allows for written labeling.
Though this proposal was intended to ship wastewater sludge, it has wider potential use across a range of hazardous and temperature-controlled substances, and modifications can be made per sample size.
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