Temperature Monitor and
Control for Infant Incubators
Team Members: Kristin Donato and
Qingwen
Kawaji
Who Needs Incubators?
•
Temperature regulation is one of the
most important factors affecting
survival
in
newborn infants
.
•
Premature infants
are at an even greater disadvantage because of the
larger skin surface area to body mass ratio, decreased subcutaneous fat, and
low supplies of brown fat
. Also, the normal surge in metabolic rate that
occurs after birth is reduced in preterm infants, resulting in
limited heat
production
.
[
Antonucci
, R., et al.
The infant incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit: unresolved issues and future developments
.
Journal of
Perinatal
Medicine
. 37(6): 587
-
98.]
•
In
developing countries
, neonatal complications including
prematurity
and
low
-
birth weight
are common, and thus the use of
infant incubators may considerably contribute to reducing infant morbidity
and mortality. Unfortunately, the
limited access to modern, high
-
tech
incubators
along with the
lack of infrastructure and replacement parts
render such devices worthless in these regions.
[
Antonucci
, R., et al.
The infant incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit: unresolved issues and future developments
.
Journal of
Perinatal
Medicine
. 37(6): 587
-
98.]
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Why Incubators?
•
Infants typically lose heat to their environment in four different
ways: through
conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation
.
•
Premature brain
cannot provide
adequate temperature regulation
.
[Dr. Van
Hemel
. HEBI
-
incubator.org]
•
Studies have shown that
creating an environment of ideal
temperature
for infants
increases the survival rate
.
[Day, Richard L., et al.
Body Temperature and Survival of Premature Infants.
Pediatrics
34.2 (1964): 171
-
81. ]
•
One of the very first incubators, invented by
Stéphane
Tarnier
in the
late 19
th
century, reportedly
reduced mortality among infants
with
birth weights between 1200 and 2000 g
from 66% to 38%
.
[
Auvard
, A.
De La
Couveuse
Pour
Enfants
.
Archives de
Tocologie
des Maladies des Femmes et des
Enfants
Nouveau
-
nés
.
10:577
-
609, October 1883.]
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Giraffe Incubator
•
Most recent product of GE Health Care
•
Advantages:
▫
Precise temperature control
▫
Minimizes external stress such as light, sound
and touch.
▫
Built in scale
▫
X
-
ray can be taken from the canopy
▫
Built in rotating mattress & for pressure point
release (Patented Baby Susan)
▫
Humidifier tested to avoid the spread of
pseudomonas
aeruginosa
. (common pathogen
linked to use of ambient relative humidity)
•
Disadvantages:
▫
Needs professional personnel: Need to take a
class provided by GE in order to be qualified to
use the incubator. (cost: $3185)
▫
Very expensive: $30,000
-
40,000
Vendor’s Site:
https://www2.gehealthcare.com/portal/site/usen/menuitem.e8b305b80b84c1b4d6354a1074c84130/?vgnextoid=470117398714
0210VgnVCM10000024dd1403RCRD&productid=3701173987140210VgnVCM10000024dd1403
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
“Car Part” Incubator
•
Advantages:
▫
Made from readily available parts
▫
Moderately cheap ($1,000)
▫
Glass is more “baby safe”
•
Disadvantages
▫
Difficult to assemble
▫
New design with no study on
infection rates
▫
No sleeves for contact with the
infant
▫
No fine temperature control
Center for Integration of Medicine &
Innovative Technology (CIMIT)
Global Health Initiative and Design
that Matters project from 2008
Vendor’s Site: http://www.cimit.org/images/programs/GHI_Incubator_Handout.pdf
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
“Car Part” Incubator
•
Made from:
▫
Exterior metal and windows
▫
Heater and fan system
▫
Battery
▫
Lights and alarm system
•
How it works:
▫
Automotive parts are capable of being repurposed to produce
heat, light, air convection, a power reservoir, as well as auditory
and visual alarms.
Vendor’s Site: http://www.cimit.org/images/programs/GHI_Incubator_Handout.pdf
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
HEBI (
Hemel
Baby Incubator)
•
Advantages:
▫
Relatively Cheap (about $600 USD)
▫
Reliable (oldest incubators are still operational
w/o any serious maintenance)
▫
Includes hygrometer for humidity control
▫
Excellent infection control
▫
Sleeves for unlimited contact
▫
Assembly takes only about an hour for an
untrained person
•
Disadvantages:
▫
Does not have a motor
▫
No fine temperature control
▫
Consumes 150 Watt/hr
▫
Must be shipped by plane from the Amsterdam
airport
First
built
in
Uganda
in
1968
.
About
25
new
incubators
are
supplied
each
year,
and
the
basic
model
comes
as
a
construction
kit
.
They
are
manufactured
with
aid
from
many
sponsors
.
Vendor’s Site: http://www.hebi
-
incubator.org/templates/heb/global/index.php?lngid=2&sqlmode=1&fid=395
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
•
Made from:
▫
Light bulbs
▫
Container to hold water (for humidity)
▫
Thermostat
▫
Perspex and Wood
•
How it works:
▫
Light bulbs heat air in the bottom part of the incubator. The air passes over a
container with evaporating water, so that its humidity increases. The warm, humid
air then flows upwards (chimney effect) into the baby compartment. A thermostat in
an exit hole compares the air temperature with the desired temperature. If it is too
high, the light bulbs will be switched off; if it is too low, the bulbs will be switched
on. The baby can be viewed through
Perspex and it can be handled via two armholes
with sleeves. The
Perspex front and top can be hinged back for full access.
HEBI (
Hemel
Baby Incubator)
Vendor’s Site: http://www.hebi
-
incubator.org/templates/heb/global/index.php?lngid=2&sqlmode=1&fid=395
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Kangaroo Mother Care
•
Started in Bogota, Columbia.
•
Advantages:
▫
Allows interact with mother.
▫
Allow early and exclusive breastfeeding
▫
Psychological and mental support between
mother and baby.
▫
Babies stabilize faster on skin to skin care
▫
Easy to assemble
▫
Free
•
Disadvantages:
▫
Increase risk of infectious disease due to
mother infant contact.
▫
Cumbersome for the mother
▫
Cannot get a full naked view of the baby
Site: http://www.kangaroomothercare.com/index.htm
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Comparison of Incubators
Specifications
Giraffe
Car
Part
Incubator
HEBI
Kangaroo
Our
Project
Cheap
X
Preventing
i
nfections
X
X
TBD
Easy
to use
X
X
Infant visibility
X
Accuracy
of temperature
control
X
X
Low
maintenance
X
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Incubator Basics
•
What does it do:
▫
Keep an infant’s core temperature
stable at
37
˚C
▫
Additional features:
Humidify
Increase
oxygen
supply
Provide a
sterile
environment
•
How does is work:
▫
The
mattress
is usually enclosed by a
clear plastic canopy
▫
Temperature in the incubator is increased by a
heater element below the mattress
▫
Motor driven fan
draws in fresh air through a filter and blows it past the heater, warming the air.
▫
Air is directed up
through slots in to the area above the mattress and
circulated around
.
▫
Air temperature is monitored by
temperature sensor
and adjusted by controlling the current to
the heater.
▫
Humidity
is increased by
water baths
(passive) or dripping water on a heated element (active).
▫
The baby is cared for through special access doors called
arm ports
.
Flinders University School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering. http://www.fbe.org.au/Clin/BasicEquipment/Infan
tIn
cubator.htm
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design
Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Design Specifications for Consideration
•
Low
-
cost
•
Low power consumption
•
Well
-
insulated
•
Sterile
•
Humid
•
Allows for infant visibility
•
Allows for infant accessibility
•
Easy monitoring and control of temperature
•
Easy to build and use
•
Accessibility of materials in third world countries
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design
Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Project Goal
•
Depending on
time, research
and modify this
to make it more
cost and energy
efficient.
•
If completed,
work to deploy
the incubator
to needed areas
for use.
24”
6
”
36”
24”
Main compartment for
infant with front and
top panels of sterile,
insulating film
Humidifying Compartment
with Circulator Fans
•
Design an incubator with the given specifications using previous case studies of
incubators, the EWH temperature control alarm legacy project, and current research as
examples.
Problem
Available Solutions
Project Design
Parts Needed Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Top that will open for
easy access
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design
Parts Needed
Project Results Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Material
Details
Unit Price
Plywood
(0.5“ or thicker)
1
-
36
”x
30
”
panel
(back)
2
-
30
”x
18
”
panels
(sides)
1
-
34
.
5
”x
18
”
panel
(main
comp
.
bottom)
1
-
36
”x
6
”
panel
(front
bottom)
1
-
36
”
x
18
”
panel
(humidity
comp
.
bottom)
FREE!
(<
$
30
)
Support Wood
(1.5” x 1.5” in width)
2
-
36
”
length
(front
and
back
top
-
for
access
frame)
4
-
15
”
length
(top
sides
for
access
frame
and
main
frame)
2
-
35
”
length
(front
and
back
top
-
for
main
frame)
1
-
31
.
5
”
length
(front
bottom
-
for
main
frame)
4
-
22
.
5
”
length
(up
-
and
-
down
corner
supports
for
main
frame)
2
-
5
.
5
”
length
(front
bottom
for
humidifying
compartment)
$
6
.
10
(Home
Depot)
Hinges (2 sets)
For
access
frame
$
5
.
96
(Home
Depot)
ULINE Polyethylene Window
Insulator
In
place
of
plexiglass
.
0
.
004
”
thickness,
clear
polysheeting
.
0
.
006
”
thickness
used
to
further
insulate
walls
.
FREE!
(<
$
10
)
Power Supply
12
V/
16
.
7
A
$
100
Heater
Car
Heater
–
12
V,
150
W
$
9
PC Fans (2)
12
V/
0
.
13
A
FREE!
Temperature Control System
MX
052
digital
temperature
controller
$
39
.
99
Water Pan to Maintain Humidity
Baking
pan
from
any
local
store
<
$
2
Electrical Supplies (wire, electrical tape, etc)
Available
in
Clark
223
<
$
5
Misc (screws, double
-
sided tape, etc)
Available
in
Clark
223
or
readily
available
from
personal
supply
<
$
5
Total
<
$
215
Results of the Project
•
An working infant incubator made of common or readily available
parts
•
Less than $215
•
Very easy to construct
•
Easy to use
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design Parts Needed
Project Results
Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Future Improvements (for commercial incubators)
Factor
Unresolved Issues
Possible Solutions
Temperature control
Heat loss from the newborn
Eddies around the newborn
To develop advanced temperature control systems
To use double
-
walled incubators
Appropriate air temperature (22
–
26˚C) in the NICU
To develop advanced air circulation systems
Noise environment
High noise levels inside the incubator
(external and internal sources)
To attenuate environmental sound
(acoustical foam, sound absorbing panels)
To reduce the noise generated within the incubator
(motor)
To reduce human
-
related sources (NICU staff) of noise
Light environment
Continuous lighting
and bright light
(NICU environment)
To promote circadian lighting
To reduce the amount of light within the incubator
(covers)
Electromagnetic
Fields
Relevant EMF
levels within the
incubator
To redesign the position of various incubator components
To implement ferromagnetic panels
To increase the distance between incubator and
electronic equipment
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design Parts Needed Project Results
Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
[
Antonucci
, R., et al.
The infant incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit: unresolved issues and future developments
.
Journal of
Perinatal
Medicine
. 37(6): 587
-
98.]
Future Improvements (for our incubator)
•
low internal noise level (below the 60
dBA
limit during normal
operation)
•
attenuation of environmental noise and noisy incubator
reverberating effects
•
low level of EMFs at extremely low frequencies within the incubator
baby compartment
•
oxygen connector which allows delivering supplemental oxygen to
the baby, if necessary
Problem
Available Solutions Project Design Parts Needed Project Results
Future Work
K. Donato
-
Infant Incubator Project
Enter the password to open this PDF file:
File name:
-
File size:
-
Title:
-
Author:
-
Subject:
-
Keywords:
-
Creation Date:
-
Modification Date:
-
Creator:
-
PDF Producer:
-
PDF Version:
-
Page Count:
-
Preparing document for printing…
0%
Σχόλια 0
Συνδεθείτε για να κοινοποιήσετε σχόλιο