Open-source light calibration system for hyperbilirubinemia phototherapy treatments

Abstract

Aim: Neonatal jaundice or neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common medical condition impacting newborns and pathological jaundice if left untreated, leads to neurological encephalopathy and/or death. The majority of pathological jaundice cases occur in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Phototherapy has been determined to be the safest and most effective treatment for jaundice. Although inexpensive light-emitting diodes are available on the market, commercial phototherapy devices are expensive (~US\$2,000), which creates a barrier to access for these devices in LMIC. Efforts to construct cost-effective phototherapy units have been implemented in the past, but need a method to validate the intensity and wavelength of light received by the infant at a distance away from the source.

Methods: To enable low-cost phototherapy units to be used clinically, this study provides an open-source, low-cost, distributed manufacturing approach to create a light sensor to calibrate phototherapy units. This instrument is a necessary component of any open-source phototherapy treatment used in a clinical setting. This novel instrument was validated by comparing its irradiance and wavelength reading to the commercially calibrated Ocean Insight UV-VIS spectrometer under varying lighting conditions, including that of the existing Datex-Ohmeda Giraffe Spot PT Lite phototherapy equipment accessible through Victoria Children’s Hospital Neonatal Care Ward in London, Ontario, and Kiambu County Hospital in Kenya.

Results: The results of this study have demonstrated that for under US\$150, a phototherapy calibration device can be constructed capable of measuring up to 200 uW/cm²/nm with an accuracy of 98.6% and detect the peak wavelength within ±12.5 nm.

Conclusions: It can be concluded that 3D printed open-source irradiance meters are a viable option for calibrating phototherapy units in LMIC to treat hyperbilirubinemia.

Keywords

neonatal jaundice / neonatal hyperbilirubinemia / phototherapy / light sensor / open hardware

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