Problem Statement
A way to address preterm infant care in low resource clinical settings that provides closed, mobile incubation by controlling temperature, humidity, and airflow in the chamber
Preterm births are defined as infants born alive before 37 weeks of gestation are completed. An estimated 15 million preterm births occur yearly, with 60% occurring in Africa and South Asia[1]. There are major inequalities in the survival rates of infants in areas classified as low-resource or low-income setting, with about 50% of preterm infants dying[1]. In high-income, high-resource environments, preterm infants are treated through methods of neonatal incubation, ventilation, antibiotics, and UV light therapy. In low-resource clinical settings, access to these treatment methods are limited, as equipment of the same quality does not meet the needs of the area or cannot be sustained in a cost-effective manner. Low-resource areas face challenges of infrastructure instability, lack of parts and equipment consumables, and durability within the operating environment[2]. Existing solutions to neonatal care in these environments are often single function devices, addressing either thermal regulation[3][4][5] or light therapy[4]. Our goal is to develop a multi-functional closed incubator that provides enclosed climate control by regulating heat, humidity, and airflow designed to meet the challenges of these settings as outlined by Engineering World Health and the World Health Organization to improve neonatal care options and bridge the gap in care quality.
References: [1] World Health Organization. (2018, February 19). Preterm birth. World Health Organization. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth [2] Engineering World Health. (n.d.). Five challenges. Five Challenges | Engineering World Health. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.ewh.org/five-challenges [3]Tran, K.,et. al. (2014). Designing a Low-Cost Multifunctional Infant Incubator. Journal of Laboratory Automation, 19(3), 332–337. https://doi.org/10.1177/2211068214530391 [4]World Health Organization. WHO compendium of innovative health technologies for low-resource settings, 2011 - 2013. January 2014, pp. 45,56. [5]World Health Organization. WHO compendium of innovative health technologies for low-resource settings, 2016 - 2017. January 2018, pp. 66.