Suit for Treating Jaundice and Monitoring of Vital Signs of Newborn Baby

Votes: 8
Views: 4358
Medical

Neonatal jaundice is a yellowish discoloration of the white part of the eyes and skin in a newborn baby due to high bilirubin levels.The need for treatment depends on bilirubin levels, the age of the child, and the underlying cause. Treatments may include more frequent feeding, phototherapy, or exchange transfusions. Physiologic jaundice generally lasts less than seven days. The condition affects over half of babies in the first week of life. About 80% of babies born early are affected. Over 100,000 late-preterm and term babies die each year as a result of jaundice.

Babies with neonatal jaundice may be treated with colored light called phototherapy, which works by changing trans-bilirubin into the water-soluble cis-bilirubin isomer. The phototherapy involved is not ultraviolet light therapy, but rather a specific frequency of blue light (459 nm light wave).

Innovation and the goal of this project is the replacement of standard devices for monitoring and treating jaundice, replacing them with special clothes, with integrated vital signs sensors and a phototherapy system.

Treatment with special lamps in combination with glasses gives a newborn a big level of stress. As well as many sensors, that must be worn by a child to monitor his health in the first weeks. Cables from these sensors prevent the child from moving freely in the medical cuvette, and taking a comfortable position for sleeping.

The suit solves these problems, minimizing the anxiety of the child. It contains several layers. The first layer is a dark, lightweight, from breathable fabric, that minimizes the penetration of light from the inner layer, and expose it. The middle layer is a flexible board with a set of sensors, a processor, LEDs, a wireless antenna powering the system and a transmitter. This layer of flexible board has several layers of insulation - to protect against leakage currents on the wet skin of a child.

Also in the system there are sensors measuring the operating current of LEDs and sensors. In the event of a change in the operating current of the system, a command is given for a complete shutdown. On the board itself, there are built-in sensors for measuring temperature (contact and non-contact), ECG, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate (audio and contact sensor), and movements of the child’s abdomen when breathing.

Given the wireless power system - the child is protected from any problems that may arise in the power outlet of the device. The transmitter for powering the suit is located inside the blanket, which is located at the bottom of the cuvette, or is built into the cuvette itself.

Near the ditch is a monitor with vital signs, receiving data from the suit. The bottom layer of the suit is made of a light, transparent breathable fabric and is intended for a one-time use and changes during the diaper change.

Taking into account the development of technologies of flexible boards and various insulating materials, at this moment - create a fully working device has no problems.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Egor Burlachenko
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    never
  • Egor is inspired by:
    Becoming a father and seeing the problems that new parents and doctors at the maternity hospital face, and I want to help parents of children and doctors to ease the first days of life and minimize the child’s stress by creating a jaundice treatment suit and facilitating monitoring of basic vital signs.
  • Patent status:
    pending