Researchers develop first accessible device to closely monitor jaundice in newborns

Researchers in Japan have developed the first accessible devices to closely monitor jaundice, skin rash caused by elevated blood bilirubin levels that can lead to poor health conditions in fresh -birth. Jaundice can be easily treated by irradiating the baby with a blue light that breaks down bilirubin to be excreted through urine. The treatment itself, however, can interfere with attachment time, lack of irrigation and increase the risks of allergic diseases. Neonatal jaundice is one of the leading causes of death and brain damage in infants in low- and middle-income countries.

To address the difficult balance in managing the amount of blue light needed to counteract the exact levels of bilirubin, researchers have developed the first accessible sensor for a new birth capable of continuously measuring bilirubin. In addition to bilirubin detection, the device can simultaneously detect pulse rate and blood oxygen absorption in real time.

Led by Hiroki Ota, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Yokohama National University Graduate School of Integration System, and Shuichi Ito, professor of the department of Pediatrics at Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, the team announced the their results on March 3 in Advances in science.

“We developed the world’s first wearable multifunctional neonatal device that can measure the newborn’s yolk, blood oxygen absorption and pulse level,” said Ota, noting. 60 to 80% of all newborns have jaundice. ”Real-time monitoring of jaundice is essential for neonatal care. Continued dosing of bilirubin levels may contribute to the improvement of phototherapy quality and patient outcome. “

Currently, medical professionals use hand-held bilirubinometers to measure bilirubin levels, but there is no device that can measure jaundice and vomiting in real time.

“In this study, we successfully analyzed the device to a size that can be worn in front of a newborn baby,” Ota said. “By adding pulse oximeter action to the device, it’s easy to find several vitamins.”

Held in front of the baby with a silicone interface, the device has a lens that is capable of effectively transmitting light to newborn skin through battery-powered light scattering codes, commonly known as LEDs.

“At this point, dog cell batteries are being used, and the overall shape is very thick,” Ota said. “In the future, it will be necessary to further reduce the thickness and weight by using thin film batteries and organic materials.”

The researchers tested the device on 50 children, and found that the device is currently not OK enough to be suitable for clinical decisions. According to Ota, they will reduce the thickness and increase the flexibility of the device, as well as improve the silicone interface to improve skin contact.

In the future, the researchers plan to develop an integrated treatment method that repairs a wearable bilirubinometer with a phototherapy device to increase the rate and duration of mild treatment based on continuous measurement of bilirubin levels.